Why No .22 Rimfire Interest?

[MTT TL]

I almost always warm up with a .22, either the pistol when shooting pistols or rifle when shooting rifles. When I move up to larger calibers and I want to conduct a flinch test I will go back and pick up the .22. Few things funnier than a large man flinching at the recoil of the .22.

For sport and casual target shooting the .22 is king. I know everyone is supposed to be enamored with the 3 gun and the 1 mile shots and all that but the .22 is really where it is at for a long relaxing day on the range. I don't think we will ever see an Olympic three gun event either.

.22 went out of fashion for casual use in the US during the great rabbit and squirrel invasion of 2009-2016. They were everywhere, behind every bush, in the ground, the tall grass and completely relentless. The quantity of .22lr required to get them under control was in the trillions of rounds and there was none to be had. With the US under war footing and manufacturers unable to keep up stores turned to rationing. Depending upon where you lived you had to pay dearly for a single box of .22 per week.

War profiteers jumped in to the game charging double, triple and even more than the rationed rates at gun shows, flea markets and out of the back of Craig's List ads. Still the bunnies came charging in to the guns. Eventually a change in government was able to get the bunnies and squirrels under control and things gradually returned to "normal". But the trauma of war was too much. Few people were ever able to look at the .22lr as "cheap fun" ever again.

[Rick H.]

I haven't been on this forum for quite a while, but still come by now and then to look at what's going on. This thread caught my eye because over the last six months or so I have gone back to something I truly enjoy and goes back to my younger days. I have gone back to the future and started shooting .22's in a big way. I have quite a selection of .22's some of which I will never part with such as two Winchester 52's with standard weight barrels one of which has Redfield iron sights and the other has a Unertl 14X scope. Both were made before WWII and I believe they are the perfect all around .22 cal rifle. Both are quite accurate with the right ammunition, but finding that "right" ammunition can be a chore. Ironically, neither really shoots any .22 cal ammunition poorly, just the right ammunition makes them shoot much better.


A few months ago I got a bug to buy a Winchester 52 "D" with a heavy barrel and a 52 "E" with a heavy barrel. They are in almost new condition and once again they shoot exceptionally well with the right ammunition and are more accurate than my "B" models beyond 50 yards. The "D" is wearing a Weaver T-24 scope and the "E" is wearing a Unertl 20X scope. The groups, if you are into groups, these two rifles shoot is incredible off a bench. About the same time I bought the 52 "E" a Kimber Yonkers SVT .22 was offered to me and I snapped it up. I always had an interest in the SVT because of the odd stock design, but I hesitated buying one because of the 18" barrel. My Kimber hangs right with the 52D and E out to 100 yards. I haven't had the chance to test them beyond that distance yet. The Kimber has a Weaver T-24 on it.


The point of all this explanation is this, I find great enjoyment shooting .22's at this point in my life and if anyone thinks shooting a .22 for real accuracy is easy at 50 or 100 yards I invite you to come out with me and give it a go. Small gusts of wind will bring disappointment, but large gusts or sustained wind will flat out frustrate you almost to tears. Shooting a quality .22 rifle with a high power scope will teach you more about proper position and hold than any centerfire rifle will and at much cheaper expense. A .22 caliber firearm offers little recoil, but is absolutely unforgiving with poor or improper trigger control.


I guess I am somewhat lost on all this rhetoric on the cost of .22 ammunition. Certainly it was in short supply during the Obama White House years, but that has long past and .22 ammunition is in great supply almost everywhere you go now. True it isn't as cheap as it once was, but is anything as cheap as it once was? Historically the best .22 target ammunition has been Eley 10-X. In my area it runs $20.00 for a box of 50. What does top shelf centerfire target ammunition cost? Last stuff I looked at was Hornady M1 Match ammunition and it was something like $33.00 for 20 rounds. So who is kidding whom here? By the way, I shoot only reloaded centerfire ammunition so the expense for me is of no real concern.

Almost everyone of my .22's be it rifle or pistol really like Eley Target (yellow box) ammunition. While it may not give me the ultra small groups I strive for it does very well for only $6.00 per 50 rounds at Cabelas. What other firearm can you shoot will good results at that price point? Is cheaper .22 ammunition out there? Certainly, but I will never put cheap copper washed bullets in any of my .22's.

When I first started down a lifetime of experience with firearms in military and law enforcement service it was in the basement of a school shooting .22's into a portable target backstop. My Dad took me to those classes and he said if I was really interested in shooting he wanted the experts to show me the right way to get started. He carried on from there. One of the instructors at those classes was a WWII vet and he told us youngsters a sage piece of advice. He held up a .22 caliber round in one hand a .30-06 round in the other and said fear the man that shoots a .22 well because he can kill you just as sure as the man shooting a .30-06. His advise has stayed with me all my life.

Rick h.

[10-96]

I've stopped posting what power of scopes I use quite a while ago. There's folks here who believe it to be a sin to put a scope with higher than 9x on anything at all. Plum makes their heads explode.

Welcome back Rick!

[10-96]

As Agent Maxwell Smart would say, "Missed it by that much!"
I was out scouting around for a CZ 512 when I stumbled across a CZ 452 Scout. The kid behind the counter said it was used, but I'm thinking "used" doesn't necessarily mean "shot". Anyway, I'm still waiting on a 512 to fall in my lap.

The new 452 Scout didn't have the box, paper, or single shot adaptor- but it did have a 5rnd magazine, and I got it out the door for $270. Not bad, I don't guess.

[Areoflyer09]

I have a new addition to my growing collection of 22s, a Dan Wesson 22 revolver sporting an 8” vented heavy barrel. Picked it up as a trainer for the DW 357 I purchased a few weeks earlier. Both have very similar trigger movement (both are 6 shots) and the pull weight is close for DA/SA on both as well.

Only downside is it weighs 54oz, on the other hand it doesn’t move when fired.

[10-96]

I bet it's been at least 10+ years since I've seen a DW .22 around here. Not that I've looked real hard, but they are noticeable. Congratulations on the new member of your family! I'm sure ya'll will be happy together for many years to come.

[WV_gunner]

I like .22 LR but even though I have plenty of rounds I’ve only been shooting twice this year. And that was help a 15 year old family member more comfortable shooting.

[MoArk Willy]

Firearms Talk has a lot of .22 threads.....but you already know that.

[dud5211]

I traded for a Browning BL-22 a few weeks back. It is in mint condition. Never fired. I looked it up and I think it is a 1980. Deluxe grade, gold trigger, engraved on both sides 20 inch bbl dark maple stock. Checkered stock. Got box and instruction manuel. This gun looks super good. Wanting to find value. Have a few people that wants it.