Anyone ditching .22 for CF

[FergusonTO35]

I would be happy to swear off rimfire forever if .32 revolvers and .25-20/.32-20 leverguns came back in a big way!!

[Low Budget Shooter]

I used the high price of .22LR as an excuse to buy a nice old M92 rechambered in .357, since I can cast and load for that cheaper than what the .22LR prices have been. The kids and I enjoy shooting it much better than any .22 !!! A Mihec 360640 hollowpoint at 1600fps can explode water-filled cartons in a way that .22 just can't touch!

[captain-03]

Not anytime soon .... bought enough couple years back from CMP to keep the grandkids happy!! $90 a case if I remember correctly ...



However, I do feel your pain when it comes to match grade ammo. Working on my last case of Center-X for the Rem 40Xs, Win 52D, HR 12, and Kimber 82Gs. Match grade can now be had ... just cost a little more these days!!

[Bongo]

I agree with GhostHawk. I came up with a light loaded 223 to help my cousin's little girl overcome a bad case of Blastitis. I put them in a pretty plastic ammo box with princess stickers on it and she now shoots with a smile on her face and no tears. In the mean time I discovered how little they cost to load and I was getting minute of squirrel head accuracy out to 50 yards. Those were 55 grain fmj's. I have since purchased a LEE six cavity Bator mould and am still doing load development. I'm also looking into purchasing a 311008 mould for my 32 S&W long in a 4 inch model 31. I can see using that boolit lightly loaded for my 30-30 as well. I've become quite stingy with my supply of 22 lr ammo. Only letting grandkids shoot some once in a while. I will, like many of you, buy several bricks of 22 to stock up for the next shortage.

[bob208]

another good one is a ruger Blackhawk in .30 carbine. I use .32-20 data. easier on the ears and brass.

[FergusonTO35]

Does anybody make a lightweight .223 bolt action with sights for a reasonable price nowadays? I've long been enamored with the idea of having a .223 bolt action with a receiver sight like my lever actions, loaded with boolits to hot .22 Hornet power level.

[rking22]

Bongo, take a hard look at the RCBS 98 for your M31. I have a 4 inch M31-1 and cannot get the 311008 to the sights with any load I tried. It shoots the Lee 311-93( got lucky, mine casts.314, lots others don't run that big) and some Meister 94 gr right to the sights with several loads. I really like the 311008 and NOE 311316 clone in the 3220 and it shoot well in my 30-30s also, just won't zero in the little J frame. Just my experience and my M31.

[DonMountain]

The 22 ammo shortage is over here in Mid-Missouri. My local Wal-Mart store has a whole pallet of 1000 round boxes of Winchester 22 ammo sitting out on the floor, and its been there for several days now as the buying has slowed down or stopped. And another Wal-Mart store in southern Missouri had different Winchester 22 ammo in the 100 round plastic boxes over the weekend on the shelf. All at pre-run prices. So I think we have passed the high price 22 ammo shortages as everyone is stock full of 22 ammo they bought for high prices over the last few years.

[FergusonTO35]

That's a good sign. Maybe that Henry and Single Six will be getting more exercise!

[Harter66]

The Last I bought was 9.99 for 325,375 and sometimes 330s.

I ran numbers recently and it's only twice the price of rimfire for full power 223 and 222 around here but that took in to account 9# of WW and the not quite 1000 cast new mould. Iguess it'd be less by about 1/3 if I tossed the mould value and the lead that has been mostly free. Even 45s are equal to shoot to 22 lr.

[Mauser48]

I just built another AR 15 and shoot more 223 now. My 22's will sit in the safe to it hopefully comes back. I shoot then rarely now.

[clum553946]

Ditch them, no, shoot them a heck of a lot less, yes. There are quite a few calibers I load & cast for cheaper than the current cost of rimfire ammo.

[Mauser48]

Ditch them, no, shoot them a heck of a lot less, yes.

Exactly

[BigAl52]

Anyone that would pay .14 a round for 22 ammo is nuts. I bought some for .08 cents a round and consider that to be what a guy is going to pay for it if he wants to shoot 22. I haven't shot my 22 *** much but .08 a round for 22 aint bad. Al

[high standard 40]

Anyone that would pay .14 a round for 22 ammo is nuts. I bought some for .08 cents a round and consider that to be what a guy is going to pay for it if he wants to shoot 22. I haven't shot my 22 *** much but .08 a round for 22 aint bad. Al

I recently paid .14 a round for 22 and I hardly consider myself nuts. But this was Eley EPS Match ammo. I shoot very small targets at 100 yards in competition and the cheaper US made ammo just won't cut it. If I want to hit those targets I have to spend the bucks. And I'm not about to quit shooting. Now I wouldn't consider paying .14 a round for Thunderbolts or some such other. I'm just not into plinking and I demand accuracy from my ammo. To me, paying .08 a round for plinking ammo is no bargain either.

[Beagle333]

Today, I just happened to stop by Gander Mountain (a store usually known for high prices, at least around here) because I had heard they now carry primers and powders. And as I was looking for the primer section, I stumbled across the .22LR section. They actually had them in stock, and they had LOTS of Remington Thunderbolt 500ct bricks for $29.99 each. That's 6 cents a pop. They had a huge stock of it and nobody in line buying it or even looking it over. I bought one brick and after I take care of 500 naughty squirrels and chipmunks that I had previously been blasting off the birdfeeder with my 16ga, I'll go back and see if they still have more. That might take a few months. I was thrilled to see it in stock and affordable too, but I refuse to stuff my sock drawer with boxes of them. I will dust off and shoot .22's and enjoy them while it is available though.

Oh, and yes they do carry primers and powder now. They had any primer that you would want for $3.99 a box. That isn't too bad to have them locally, considering that I can only afford about 3 bricks at a time and when I find them online for $26-29, by the time I add up 3 bricks + hazmat + ship, it's still pushing $38-40 per brick.

[Freischütz]

I gave up on the .22 rimfires. For pistols I switched to 32 ACP. The 25/20 replaced them in rifles.

[rintinglen]

I wandered through the sporting good sections of two Walmarts back in VA last week--nary a 22 did I see. The only stuff I saw back there was scalper priced at a small Mom and Pop Gunshop. The problem has been attributed to hoarders, increased use, ya da, ya da. I ain't buying that.

I've an acquaintance who works in management for Turner's Sporting Goods, a major Southern California firearms and ammunition retailer. He told me that they were receiving 20% of the quantity of 22's that they were BO (before Obummer.) The only manufacturer who seems to have kicked it in high gear is CCI, at least, those are all I've seen here in California.. I believe that the Ammunition manufacturers devoted their resources to higher markup stuff, and until .223's, 45's, and 9mm's quit selling like hotcakes, 22 LR will remain in short supply.
I am shooting 32's, Longs, H&R's, 32-20's and 327.s and doing so for less than any 22 LR I've seen for sale in the past 3 years.

[FergusonTO35]

My thoughts exactly. Ammo makers are businesses and it makes sense to invest in production of higher markup stuff that doesn't last as long for shooters. $30.00 worth of 9mm or .223 doesnt last nearly as long as $30.00 worth of .22 LR.

[Horace]

Not one bit!

Horace