22 Long Rifle, Did I Miss Something?

[JohnH]

Haven't shot a 22LR in a coons age. Sunday aafternoon, I shot my neighbors Ruger MK II, first one of those I've fired in the better part of ten years, and had a ball. I drug out my 12th year Christmas present, a Springfield 120A, and have proceeded to another ball. I can't see the irons worth beans, but it is fairly easy to shoot 1 1/2" groups at 30 yards from sitting and I can ring my NRA Hunter Pistol Silhouette pig every shot at 40 yards standing. (Thank God for BIG TARGETS :) ) May not sound like much, but it is refreshing.

I've been shooting my M44 Nagant off hand with using iron sights and been enjoying that as well. I still find that a scope makes seeing much easier, but going back to irons is not only challenging, it makes me work a little harder to get things rignt.

Perhaps irons and 22LR's have more to offer me yet.

[swoter]

The Ruger Mark 2's are just about my favorite pistols. At the moment I own 4 in various barrel lengths, and can't decide which I like the best. I shoot them every time I go somewhere to shoot. My son(12) and I went to the range last week and he went through a brick of 22's by himself. Fun and cheap.

[madcaster]

John,
A .22 is a lot of pleasure in shooting,no recoil,hardly any noise.
Adult sized .22's should be MUCH MORE in vogue!

[DeanoBeanCounter]

:-D You never outgrow a 22 :twisted:
Deano

[Hip's Ax]

Roughly 300 smallbore prone shooters currently at Camp Perry would agree with you! :-D

I didn't go this year. :neutral:

[pumpguy]

Took a 9mm Mak, 357 mag and 2 marlin 39s to the range this past weekend. I managed to put a whole box of 22s through the rifles and went to the store for more. I shot half that box. Most fun I have had at the range in a while!!

[chevyiron420]

i took my henry to the range last week along with the normal lot of milsurps. after some work with the m95 steyr 8x50r and some crony'ing we switched to the scoped henry. had a real ball. i think we will bring it every time now.-phil[smilie=2:

[Buckshot]

..............I keep a Ruger MkII 678 and a brick of Winchester Dyna-Points in my range box. It goes to the range everytime I do. I'd take a 22 rifle too if it was as easy to carry. I have a Rem 581 with a 4X scope on it (this may sound dumb) but I found it a lot of fun to try and chase rocks up and over the 50 yard berm :-) With irons you just can't hold slose enough or in the right spot.

................Buckshot

[scrapcan]

I also try to take a 22lr pistol or rifle when I go to the range. I also take the 32 S&W long revolver, but that is another topic. What I find really fun is to take scrap wood at cut it into small irregular squares and throw them out at various distances and roll them around. Antoher thing is to shoot at worn out shotgun hulls. the 10-22 and scope sights work better on them. Empty cans and pop bottles are fun also.

Sometimes I lug around the range bag and think man this is heavy I should take something out. I look in there and the brick of 22's stares back and says you better not take me out or you will be sorry.

I too am a big fan of having the 22 around for some fun shooting.

We get an afternoon of today for a local holiday/event and I am headed to the range, and yest I have a 22 handgun and the 10-22 going along.

[SharpsShooter]

Haven't shot a 22LR in a coons age. Sunday aafternoon, I shot my neighbors Ruger MK II, first one of those I've fired in the better part of ten years, and had a ball. I drug out my 12th year Christmas present, a Springfield 120A, and have proceeded to another ball. I can't see the irons worth beans, but it is fairly easy to shoot 1 1/2" groups at 30 yards from sitting and I can ring my NRA Hunter Pistol Silhouette pig every shot at 40 yards standing. (Thank God for BIG TARGETS :) ) May not sound like much, but it is refreshing.

I've been shooting my M44 Nagant off hand with using iron sights and been enjoying that as well. I still find that a scope makes seeing much easier, but going back to irons is not only challenging, it makes me work a little harder to get things rignt.

Perhaps irons and 22LR's have more to offer me yet.

John,

Like you, I had not shot a 22 in many years until just 2 weeks ago. I had a Mossberg 144LSA follow me home from the last BPCR sillywet match I attended. It has the original apeture sights and has proven to be very accurate placing 18 shots out of 21 into less than half an inch at 40 meters..

For fun at the range we place clay birds on the berm at 50, 73 and 100 meters and then race to see who can bust the highest number. I discovered that I can easily be competitive with the guys using scopes with not too much problem. It is great fun and I have already fired close to 500 rounds in just 2 trips to the range. My new rule is that when I go to the range, It goes too. I guess it is sorta like re-inventing the wheel. We have always known how much fun they are...we just forget.


SS

[redneckdan]

I too have a mossy 144LSB. I have a BSA 4x on mine and a harris bipod, I'd like to get a higher magnification scope for it. I got it from a friend who got it from CMP, the wood was trashed and the barrel was externally rusted but the bore was good. I scrubbed the rust, raised the stock dents and applied Gun-kote to stave of the rust bugs and keep the stock somewhat sealed. I like practicing at 100-150 yards and occasionally wacking red squirrels out that far. Defnitely good practice for doping wind and range. I'd like to look into adding a second action mount screw and glass bedding.

[BruceB]

Out of step again, that's me.

It's all the fault of these here cast bullets, you see. Where before I used my .22s a fair bit, mostly for plain fun and low-cost shooting, now I find that the fun and low cost are supplied by my cast loads....and the .22s languish un-used at home.

We have several very high-quality .22 competition pistols, plus a 6.875" Ruger Guvmint Model MkII, plus a fine scoped Anschutz sporter, plus a Browning .22 takedown autoloading rifle, plus....you get the idea. I'm not short on good .22s (except I "need" an S&W M17 or 18, so IT can sit in the house, too!).

I keep telling myself that I HAVE to give these .22s some fresh air, but compared to the fun of shooting the M1A, or .404, or Krag, or #4, the .charms of the .22s sorta pale......and there just aren't enough hours in my shooting days. Some of them have been unfired for literally years.

One indication of my CB obsession is that just yesterday, I ordered ANOTHER case of 5000 CCI#34s, solely for the M1/M1A rifles.

Sigh.

[USARO4]

I've been playing with my Savage bull barrel 22 the past couple of days. Its relaxing and fun. It feels good not having to worry about picking up brass.

[44man]

The .22 is wonderful. I use My Mark II's for squirrel hunting. In my opinion there is nothing worth a hoot between the .22 and .41 mag except for fun shooting. I'm not talking personal protection, just hunting. I use the .22 a lot and when it comes to deer I go to the .44 and up. I have no need for the in between calibers even though I love to shoot anything when someone brings them up.

[HORNET]

I've got one of those Mossbergs as well but mine's not standard. I got a Mossy 144LS barreled action and ended up sinking it into an ancient Winny 52B stock. It wasn't that hard to do and the magazine fits and works just fine :-D . I glassed the mounting screw boss like you would a recoil lug and it groups very well indeed, just too stinkin' heavy to carry very far chasing tree rats.:bigsmyl2:

[kodiak1]

Use the BL22 or the Henry the most but have a few Cooey Skeletons in the closet.
Fun is at the Max, They are cheap to shoot and it seems the whole family will come along and shoot with you when you are using the old 22 stick.
Ken

[Ken O]

Last winter I took the Ruger MKII out of mothballs and entered a league. It was great fun! I also built a dedicated .22rf upper for the AR which I shoot almost daily to practice for XTC matches.
We had an occasional .22rf 200yard club match last Spring using the pits. I have shot more smallbore this year than I have in the last 15 years.
A lot of shooting for low cost, and don't have to reload!