what do you use your 22's for?

eurekacreek22 · #1 10-15-2010, 01:11 AM

i was told the other day by a good friend that in todays world, a 22Lr is a waste of money. Apparently they just suck nowadays. I thought hmmm, my grandfather has shot MANY of small game with his ol' cooey and even a few coyotes with it. Even I killed my first yoter with a 22Lr rem 597 last month. 40 yard headshot while hunting rabbits! idunno, whatya think? Are 22's outdated?

Homesteader · #2 10-15-2010, 01:52 AM

Chickens, Gophers, the odd Beaver. Used to use it lots for muskrat when I had a fur license in the old days, even thought I trapped most of them.

The best reason to have one is the cheap, quiet practice, instead of a highpower. The more you shoot, the better you shoot.

smith88 · #3 10-15-2010, 02:41 AM

I don't know how many thousands of 22 bullets I shot before moving on to a centerfire rifle. I wouldn't start anyone hunting without them killing a few boxes of 22 shells and some gophers.

pitw · #4 10-15-2010, 06:41 AM

We use them for multitude of reasons. After BB and pellet guns they are the next step up for the younguns to shoot with. Gophers are probably the animal of choice to hunt with them but chickens are legal as well. I've shot a lot of coyotes with them and for trapping they are the dispatch weapon of choice. I use one for shooting the cattle, pigs and sheep for butchering. The shells are cheap and easily found so I can't find anything bad to say about them.

catnthehat · #5 10-15-2010, 06:46 AM

I used one on the trap line for years for small game for the pot and shooting stuff in snares. Used one for a bit for beavers as well.
Other than that I have not used my .22's for anything but shooting targets.
I use shotguns or center fire rifles or muzzle loaders for recreational hunting .
We don't have gophers this far north!

Cat

thebuckshow · #6 10-15-2010, 06:46 AM

If you can find a good pasture with 1000+ gophers in it... you will be thanking the lord you have a 22 and can actually afford the 1000 rounds you need to kill every one haha.

Frans · #7 10-15-2010, 08:19 AM

Biathlon. My .22LR is the most expensive rifle I have!

But I also have a single shot Cooey with which my kids shot some gophers in the past. It doesn't see much use nowadays.

Rockymtnx · #8 10-15-2010, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eurekacreek22

i was told the other day by a good friend that in todays world, a 22Lr is a waste of money.

Wow that is quite a statement by your friend.
I use my .22 for gophers, magpies, skunks, crows, grouse, and even managed to get a fox that was living in my hayshed, this summer.

Most importantly though I use my .22 for target practice. I believe that shooting a .22 weekly for the past three years has improved my shooting a lot. Last year I shot over 3000 rounds through a new 10/22 and this year 1500 rounds. Even though there isn’t much bang every time you pull the trigger, it’s still practice in my opinion. Practice makes perfect. Plus its cheap to shoot!

I almost forgot another important use of a .22. A .22 is a great firearm to teach the youngsters on. It makes a bang, and allows them to shoot without all the recoil of other firearms.

It's definitely is not a waste of money in todays world!

theycallmeNoah · #9 10-15-2010, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockymtnx

I almost forgot another important use of a .22. A .22 is a great firearm to teach the youngsters on. It makes a bang, and allows them to shoot without all the recoil of other firearms.

It's definitely is not a waste of money in todays world!

That's what our girls are learning on. In fact, our younger daughter has a nice pink .22

Anything bigger would probably knock her on her azz (she's little for her age)

And, most importantly for us, we can afford to take them to the range for the day!

HunterDave · #10 10-15-2010, 09:52 AM

As much as I like my 17 hmr for an afternoon of gopher shooting, the ammo for my Ruger 10/22 is allot cheaper. It may not be able to make the longer shots but consistant accuracy out to 100 yds is good. All of the shooting that I do with the 22 during the summer is good practice for my centre fires in the Fall. It's now my truck gun for chickens.

marlin1 · #11 10-15-2010, 01:16 PM

magpies,gophers,jack rabbits,crows,even a partridge if I get the chance or grouse. Usually have one on hand all year except when the bigger stuff comes out

Okotokian · #12 10-15-2010, 03:39 PM

Heck if I know... I have a beautiful CZ 452 Lux in .22WMR that just sits in my gun cabinet. I'm not real big on going out and shooting gophers or other animals just for the sake of shooting something, so there it sits. I doubt it's had 100 rounds through it. I keep thinking I should sell it but I can't. It's just too purdy... and maybe I'll need it for something someday LOL. I dunno....

catnthehat · #13 10-15-2010, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Okotokian

Heck if I know... I have a beautiful CZ 452 Lux in .22WMR that just sits in my gun cabinet. I'm not real big on going out and shooting gophers or other animals just for the sake of shooting something, so there it sit. I doubt it's had 100 rounds through it. I keep thinking I should sell it but I can't. It's just too purdy... and maybe I'll need it for something someday LOL. I dunno....

I know what you mean- I have 7 22 cal. match rifles in m6y gun locker that haven't been shot in a very long time - but I can't get rid pf them for a muber of reasons - one being that i think match rifles are VERY cool!

Cat

honda450 · #14 10-15-2010, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Okotokian

Heck if I know... I have a beautiful CZ 452 Lux in .22WMR that just sits in my gun cabinet. I'm not real big on going out and shooting gophers or other animals just for the sake of shooting something, so there it sit. I doubt it's had 100 rounds through it. I keep thinking I should sell it but I can't. It's just too purdy... and maybe I'll need it for something someday LOL. I dunno....

Try mosquito's. Its a challenge.

Okotokian · #15 10-15-2010, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by honda450

Try mosquito's. Its a challenge.

For you maybe. For me giant cockroaches would be a challenge LOL

which is perhaps why I should be using it a little more, when I think about it.

Okotokian · #16 10-15-2010, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catnthehat

I know what you mean- I have 7 22 cal. match rifles in m6y gun locker that haven't been shot in a very long time - but I can't get rid pf them for a muber of reasons - one being that i think match rifles are VERY cool!

Cat

SEVEN .22 match rifles? LOL Cat, you got a WAY worse case of the gun-hoardies than I do LOL

catnthehat · #17 10-15-2010, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Okotokian

SEVEN .22 match rifles? LOL Cat, you got a WAY worse case of the gun-hoardies than I do LOL

Yeah, I'm knd addicted!!

here's just the ones on this wall!

Cat

Even the shotguns are actually set up for trap shooting, and the enfield is a rifle that was dedicated for service rifle matches - it went to Bisley twice with my older brother, in fact
The others are a .223 TR match rifle ( scoped for Fclass ayt the moment.

, a 308 Sportco Palma rifle,a 300WSM exteneded range/Fclass rifle. and my rifle rodeo rig in 6.5WSM
Cat

eurekacreek22 · #18 10-15-2010, 08:40 PM

skeeters, flies and other small small game are no challenge... i use federal bird shot lol. its sorta like mini skeet shooting

KegRiver · #19 10-15-2010, 09:05 PM

I don't shoot much anymore. Can't see the front sight so good these days.
But.

My 22 has taken hundreds of Beaver, close to one hundred Coyote, I have no idea how may grouse and squirrel, perhaps a couple hundred grouse and probably over a thousand squirrel. Rabbits, House Sparrows, Magpies, Crows.
The list goes on.

For me and most rural folks that I know, a 22 is as much a part of country life as an Axe is.

I have three.
An Anschutz model 1416 22 Lr
A Mossberg bolt 22 mag ( I inherited )
A Winchester model 255 22 mag

Dick284 · #20 10-15-2010, 09:25 PM

I use my 22's mainly for inexpensive trigger time, one is for small bore silhouette, the other is a bit of a race gun, for a fast shooting competiton we have at our range.

Sure if I get an invite to a gopher patch they see service, I've also taken beaver, grouse, and rabbits with 22 over the years too.

But lets face it, nothing will get the family more involved than a couple bricks off 22, and some ballons or golf balls.

They are cheap too shoot, and provide many hours of valuable trigger time, which equates to much better shooting when the bigger guns come out.

Twisted Canuck · #21 10-15-2010, 09:57 PM

I love my .22 plinkers! I grew up keeping pastures clean of vermin, and it was a job no different then stacking bales. Now it's just good inexpensive trigger time, but I have to drive south 5 hours till I see gophers! But for me, the most important reason to have them is to teach all my kids to shoot. I have 4 .22s (and one .17 hmr, but that's my sniper rifle!), an old bolt action Mossberg that is verrry accurate, a Browning BL-22 lever, a Remington 572 Fieldmaster pump, and a Ruger 10/22. My kids all know and understand the different actions of all of these, and can transition to my shotguns, my Remington 700 (7mm-08), and even understand the workings of my Sig P226 as it relates to the 10/22. Nice to be able to teach them safety and handling on all the actions (other than a single shot or break action, but didn't feel the need to buy any special as they will still have proper background to handle those as well). No better way to introduce and teach anyone about shooting then with a .22.....