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Why a 22 caliber rifle??

4K views 33 replies 19 participants last post by  Danwin22 
#1 ·
I do not want to come across as a wise guy or arrogant, but I have a question. I have an very old 22 rifle that I love. I have looked at new 22's and a lot of them are very expensive, why would you spend that kind of money on a 22 instead of spending it on a larger caliber rifle?
 
#2 · (Edited)
Different uses for different calibers. I wouldn't want to shoot a squirrel or a rabbit with a 30-06. And they're fun to shoot too!
 
#3 ·
Yup. I've got a 77/22 that everyone thinks I spent way too much money on. It wasn't cheap but it's cheap to feed (or it USED TO BE), it's a tack driver, and carries and operates just the same as my 77MkII centerfires.

Sure, a 10/22 or Marlin 60 would get the job done cheaper and I get semi-auto operation to boot...but they aren't anywhere near as purty in my eyes. :)
Oh wait...I've got a 10/22, a 60 and a Remngton 597. but the 77/22 is still the one I reach for 90% of the time when I want a rimfire.
 
#4 ·
Because the 22 for many, most?, is the one that gets shot more often. The 22 is still cheap enough to allow folks that are not wealthy to practice, even now. So why not spend a bit more on the tool that gets used most if it performs better? For some being able to hit a tin can at 25 yards is good enough, others have a bit higher expectations.
 
#5 ·
308 cheap target ammo is around $1 a round. Go to the range and shoot 50 rounds and you just spent $50. Even if you reload you will spend $0.35/50 a round. I can shoot a 22lr 10x as much for the same money.

It's not all about the money. 22lr is a very accurate round. It's just plain fun to shoot. Almost all of us started shooting with a 22.
 
#6 ·
In the twentytwo world, just as elsewhere, there are price/quality levels. From econo/budget, through midlevel, on up to the spendy high-dollar stuff. The shooting world would be mighty dull if all we had was a Marlin bolt-action..........
Choice is a good thing.
 
#7 ·
About 3 years ago I traded a 1100 shotgun that I had set up for deer hunting, (rifle barrel, and scope mounted), for a browning sa.22, I just wasn't shooting the 1100 very much, and I have another one anyway, but I shoot the heck out of the browning. As stated .22s and fun to shoot and are still fairly cheap.
 
#8 ·
I bought a Marlin 60 and started shooting .22's several years ago. Then I got into the 10/22 craze and was happy with that until I bought a CZ American in .22. Since then I have bought 6 more CZ's and a Brno. As gvw3 said .22's are very accurate if you feed them the right ammo and a lot cheaper to shoot than bigger calibers. I still have all the bigger stuff, but it usually stays in the safe.:)
 
#9 ·
One of the most expensive rifles I own is a .22 rim fire. Why would I spend that amount of money on a .22? Because it's what I wanted. When I finish adding to this gun it will be the most expensive gun I own. I already own a bunch of the larger caliber rifles. Some are of the same caliber, but intended for different usage. Look at the larger caliber rifles, the better ones are usually the more expensive! Same thing applies to the small caliber rifles too!
 
#10 ·
Carver, like you my most expensive rifle is a .22. I paid a lot for it, then replaced the stock and barrel with aftermarket equipment and added a "hubble" scope to bring the total up more that I should have, but it sure is fun to shoot.:D
 
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#11 ·
Magnum Research .22 mag. I want to add a suppressor, and a much better scope. Should wind up with about $1500 in it.
Gun Rifle Firearm Machine gun Shooting
 
#12 ·
On the other hand, if you search out the old classics, you can still find a good buy on a heavy barreled classic target rifle for under $500, that will outshoot the $2000 10-22 Frankenguns.
Love my BSA Mk II International Martini match rifle. Paid five bills (same as my new Henry Golden Boy) and it'll shoot a half inch group at 100 with it's aperture sight and good ammo. Fourteen pounds of singleshot .22LR joy....... o_O

Spent nearly $300 for a Winchester 75T target rifle. It's nearly as accurate as the BSA.

But for sheer plinking pleasure, my Wallymart Special 10-22 Rifle (not the carbine) still puts a smile on my face.
 
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#13 ·
Usually when you buy an older model gun that commands a higher price, it's usually because of it's age, and/or manufacture. Not saying that you can't buy some of the older well made guns, but they don't often show up. I've spent years working in pawn shops, and I've seen some expensive guns come thru, and I've seen some old guns. I have never seen a shooter that was old, or valuable, or old, and valuable. Like I said, I'm sure they are out there, but I've never seen one.
 
#14 ·
I agree with the other posters. .22s are at the top of the list because of cost, accuracy, variety, versatility.

To me caliber is just one facet of the equation. I have lots of rifles and several are .22 rim fires. I enjoy shooting all of them. The most accurate firearm I own by far is a .22 lr.

There's no right or wrong answer here. Shoot whatever you like and can afford. (I never adhere to the latter). Heaven forbid if I could only own 1 gun it would probably be a .22 rifle.
 
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#16 ·
Depends on how long you want to stay drunk, and how much money you got!:D
 
#18 ·
I have Henry AR 7's in our bug out bags. In a "you only have time to grab your shoes and your 24 hour pack," situation, the .22LR is the perfect choice.

I have brought down small game, varmit, deer and feral hogs with a 22.
 
#19 ·
I've shot deer, and hogs, with a .22. Most died some where in the woods, and I never found them. And if you've shoot deer, and hogs, with a .22, and if you're honest, you have too. Sure I've killed some, but I've had more get away than I got.
 
#22 ·
I can honestly say I have never lost a deer with a 22 lr hp. I can not say same the same for my 06 , or my 7 mag.
the reason is simple. my dad taught me how to stalk or how to blend in with the surroundings. most of the time when I used to hunt, I would be in a tree close to their pathwith the 22. I have never shot at a deer with a 22 over 50-60 yards. now on the other hand with the 06 and 7mm I will tend to reach out theeeerrrrreeeee.
to me there is more deer lost with the fester stick and bow
 
#23 ·
I've shot deer with a .22 at 15 feet, and had them run away, hogs too. I've hit several of them more than once, to boot. The .22 can not be counted on to kill deer, or hogs, in a humane way. I've fished with 1/4" gill nets, and hunted at night with lights too! I'm a southern boy, and I've outlawed my share of more critters than I care to think of.
 
#25 ·
Though a 22 cal rifle may be expensive to purchase, it is not expensive to shoot as other calibers. Consider the 22 rifle the tool that lives a legacy in your ancestral tree in which your forefathers carried and used firearms not in as much as a tool for self defense but as a tool to feed the family, a tool that gave passage from boyhood to manhood as the 22 was passed down from one generation to the next.

The 22 cal is an excellent choice to learn windage, trajectory, trigger control, sight picture and other marksmen skills which is only done with practice, practice, practice, in which other calibers might not allow you the practice required because it is too costly. The 22 will allow you to become an expert marksman because you will shoot it often.

The 22 can allow you to teach your children without fear about basic marksmanship while learning good safety habits from you, allowing you to form a more solid nuclear family because you will spend quality time with your family, bringing years of fond memories which will be passed on to future generations.
 
#26 ·
Thanks to all of you for some great insights. Like I mentioned in my original post, I own a
Winchester Model 1890. This gun has been used multiple times by a number of family members over the years and as ms6852 stated "you will spend quality time with your family, bringing years of fond memories which will be passed on to future generations". This is so true, now my kids who shot this 22 are grown and their kids are shooting the same gun. All this wouldn't have happened with a larger caliber rifle. Thanks again!!!
 
#27 ·
Exactly what ms6852 mentioned above. All my kids started out on a Ruger 1022 with a decent set of iron sights and a sling that can be utilized as a shooting aid on thier way to becoming riflemen and eventually hunters in thier own right.

Other reasons= ammo and weapons are light in weight and typically compact in design. Take down models such as the 1022 and ar7 for 2 examples of rifles, along with several handguns chambered in 22lr. My. Ruger2245 lite is always with me while hunting with my favorite 308 chambered rifle.

I have a few friends who were seriously injured while serving our country overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. A 1022 custom built for them allows them too stay active when it comes to shooting as compared to most centerfire rifles.
 
#28 ·
.02-.05 a round.
No ear protection.
No recoil.
No destroyed targets.
No destroyed backstops.
Gun is still cheaper than most centerfire.
Shoots better with a dirty barrel....yeah, for my lazy a$$ barrel cleaning is a chore :)
 
#29 ·
I bought a 77/22 when they first came out, paid $275 for it. took in to show my dad he handled it looked it over real good, he said real nice rifle what did you pay for it? $275 I said, he said $275 for a 22 what the heck is wrong with you. some time later we were doing some plinking and he shot mine some. later I went to see him he said look here, what does he have but a 77/22 of course I ask what did you pay he answers $275 I said $275 for a 22 what the heck is wrong with you? my dad, hunting buddy and best friend passed away in 1990 I now have 2 77/22s one I still use and one that is retired. sorry for the long post.
 
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