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Range shooting with .22

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  • ZIG

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    Sep 16, 2018
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    I never owned a .22 pistol but I have been told recently by some folks that shooting .22 improves your aim as much as other calibers and economically much more beneficial.

    My concern is, i assume .22 would produce almost no recoil compare to .40 or 9mm. In a situation where you have to defend yourself (hopefully we won’t be in that situation), I assume people won’t be as accurate as they were in the range, which makes the following shots more very important. I would shoot the same caliber as my personal defense bullets just to make sure I am extremely comfortable with my recoil.

    Anyone can share his thoughts about practicing with .22? And maybe also recommend a .22? I don’t think my range has a .22 pistol for rental.

    Appreciated



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    benenglish

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    You can improve shooting a .22. You can improve shooting no ammo, i.e. dry firing. Both are extremely valuable and should be a part of your practice regimen.

    If you want a recommendation for a .22 pistol, that could be a long thread and you might want to do a forum search. The most common recommendation for a general-purpose .22 is a Ruger Mk. Some may prefer something else but there's a solid, near-universal consensus that the Ruger is never a bad choice.

    However, since your primary interest seems to be in getting better in a defensive context, I'm a believer in having a .22 that mirrors your self-defense pistol. If you use a revolver for defense, get a .22 revolver as similar to it as possible. If you use a 1911 for defense, a .22 conversion is money well spent.

    Am I right about your priorities when selecting a .22? If so, what are you using for your self-defense gun now?
     

    ZIG

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    Hi Ben I really appreciated your input and you are 100% right about my primary interest.
    I carry P320 subcompact, P938 when I am wearing tees, P320 compact, P226, P229 and Glock 22 when i am wearing jackets. I guess 938 would more resemble a 1911 in my case.
    I do have a few 1911 and revolvers but mostly for the range fun.

    You can improve shooting a .22. You can improve shooting no ammo, i.e. dry firing. Both are extremely valuable and should be a part of your practice regimen.

    If you want a recommendation for a .22 pistol, that could be a long thread and you might want to do a forum search. The most common recommendation for a general-purpose .22 is a Ruger Mk. Some may prefer something else but there's a solid, near-universal consensus that the Ruger is never a bad choice.

    However, since your primary interest seems to be in getting better in a defensive context, I'm a believer in having a .22 that mirrors your self-defense pistol. If you use a revolver for defense, get a .22 revolver as similar to it as possible. If you use a 1911 for defense, a .22 conversion is money well spent.

    Am I right about your priorities when selecting a .22? If so, what are you using for your self-defense gun now?
     

    Sam7sf

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    My two cents are practicing to be a better shooter and managing recoil are two different issues. Along the lines of what Ben says, buy snap caps. I like them because you don’t just work on trigger pull and trigger finger placement but you get to manipulate the gun and you can pretend it’s a malfunction. I mean the reality is with good ammo my cz 75 compact shouldn’t need a second primer strike and I can only imagine the look on my face lol.

    An example of something I do with new shooters is I get them used to not flinching by them not knowing if a spent case is in the chamber. This works great in bolt action practice. Also I don’t consider a .22 to be only for practice. Be it a pistol or rifle, it has it’s place in actual use. Mostly with critters for me. I love my ruger sr22. I have read about other members having issues but mine runs like a champ. Over 1400 rounds, typically 400 between cleaning, and no malfunctions not even limp wristing on purpose. But I hear good things about the sw victory. Will be one of my next buys. Is cheap and did the easy take down long before ruger.
     

    toddnjoyce

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    I’ve got an M&P22 and a full size M&P9. The 22 is an ergonomic analog for the full-size, except for trigger pull. When I transitioned to the M&P9 (first striker gun) and a completely new platform for me, I spent a lot of of time running drills with the 22 just to get used to the new way it feels.

    To this day, range trips with the full-size start with a box of .22s before moving over to the full size.

    I feel this combination has value. Just wish the 22’s trigger pull was representative of the full-size.
     

    AZ Refugee

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    I have the Advantage Arms 1911, and Glock 19/23 conversions and have now put them on their own dedicated frames, they are a blast to shoot, also have the Macs conversion for my Hi Power. Great way to practice for less. Although the recoil is less, it is still there and transitioning to the full size caliber is not terribly different. I also have a Browning Buckmark that is a great pistol to practice with as well as a Ruger Single Six.
     

    jrbfishn

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    The technique for accurate shooting is the same for any caliber. Be it rifle or pistol shooting. Accuracy comes first, recoil managemet second. Once accuracy is established, recoil management for faster follow up shots will come and will get better with practice with the full size. How fast depends on technique and physical stature and strength. But follow up shots mean very little if you can't hit the target with the first shot. Much cheaper to learn with a .22lr.

    I have 1911s in both .22lr and 9mm. Revolvers in .22lr to .45 Colt. Quite often I will take both the .22lr and full size version on the same range trip.

    from an idjit coffeeholic
     

    SloppyShooter

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    Well, a lot of good info here. My 2 cents:
    Practice with ANY pistol is going to make you a more proficient pistol shooter, what level you are at, determines the need for your range pistol to mirror your carry.

    Undoubtedly, the recoil is going to be a big factor in how you shoot with a larger caliber pistol. So, here's where I say mimicking your carry pistol could possibly be detrimental. If you become intimate with a .22 copy, you could ingrain habits that work for that pistol that your carry pistol doesn't work with.

    Now, on to snap caps....awesome advice. I took out my shotgun a few years back and "shot" at passing doves in my back yard. It was a real eye opener. I wasn't deliberate, I failed to properly shoulder the shotgun, jerked so bad, or just screwed up the swing so bad, that it was clear I wasn't even close. Practicing improvements went a long way to be more prepared on opening day.

    I used to shoot pool, and frustrating pool sharks was a hobby. I would practice on a snooker table. When I went to play on the coin slots, it was like sooooo much easier.

    I spent a lot of time working on my golf game. Swinging in the back yard without a ball was very helpful. I practiced putting in the living room by trying to roll the ball over a Q-tip at 10', and having it stop 2-3" behind the ball. I got very proficient at this. Then, at the course, it almost didn't seem fair to have that HUGE hole.

    Point being, get the snap caps, and practice in your living room, accessing and "shooting". There's no substitute for practice, and no such thing as too much, depending on your expectation of proficiency.
     

    avvidclif

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    Having personally known several LEO's that were involved in shootouts. Three things stand out.
    1. They didn't know how many rounds they shot.
    2. They never heard the sound.
    3. They never felt the recoil.

    Adrenaline blanks it is the best guess I have to allow you to concentrate on what is important.
     

    BillFairbanks

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    I have a .22 PPK and a .380 Bersa. Since the Bersa is PPK clone I can shoot a lot of cheap.22 rounds and it helps me improve my shooting with the Bersa. I usually take both to the range.


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    SloppyShooter

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    Having personally known several LEO's that were involved in shootouts. Three things stand out.
    1. They didn't know how many rounds they shot.
    2. They never heard the sound.
    3. They never felt the recoil.

    Adrenaline blanks it is the best guess I have to allow you to concentrate on what is important.

    Deer hunting, you never hear the sound or feel the recoil.
     

    toddnjoyce

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    So, here's where I say mimicking your carry pistol could possibly be detrimental. If you become intimate with a .22 copy, you could ingrain habits that work for that pistol that your carry pistol doesn't work with.

    Now, on to snap caps....

    Same could occur with snap caps, if you’re implying it’s a recoil management issue.

    Other than recoil management, which really ain’t that big of a deal, I can’t think of any negative habit transfer. But, I won’t say it can’t happen.

    ...I practiced putting in the living room by trying to roll the ball over a Q-tip at 10', and having it stop 2-3" behind the ball. I got very proficient at this. Then, at the course, it almost didn't seem fair to have that HUGE hole...

    Aim small, miss small.
     

    SloppyShooter

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    Same could occur with snap caps, if you’re implying it’s a recoil management issue.

    Other than recoil management, which really ain’t that big of a deal, I can’t think of any negative habit transfer. But, I won’t say it can’t

    Aim small, miss small.

    I said for gun handling...ie....drawing, target accusiito, and snap firings , (or at least meant to) and said range work with the real McCoy.
     

    Andyd

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    Mar 11, 2018
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    When I was still seriously competing in accuracy events, I used an air pistol. The slightest mistake will show and it is good training. For action event training, I also used air soft guns for training.
    IMG_3413.JPG


    Airguns and airsoft guns aren't only cheaper to shoot, they help to save on driving and cleaning time.
     

    Kingarthur777

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    Sep 22, 2018
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    I collected a boatload of .22 back when it was cheap. I started the kids on the S&W .22 AR's because they function the same. They also have .223's but my daughter even with flat ear pro complained they were too loud. But, that was about a year ago. I am probably going to be in trouble when mama finds out how much I spent on a Ruger .22 LR. Last year I got everyone 686 .357's, but ordering more .357 and .38 gets expensive, so I wanted them going back on how to properly hold a revolver vs. a pistol. If it doesn't rain like cats and dogs, I plan on taking my son to the range Thursday (one in town). He has been aching to go.
     

    Kingarthur777

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    Sep 22, 2018
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    You can improve shooting a .22. You can improve shooting no ammo, i.e. dry firing. Both are extremely valuable and should be a part of your practice regimen.

    If you want a recommendation for a .22 pistol, that could be a long thread and you might want to do a forum search. The most common recommendation for a general-purpose .22 is a Ruger Mk. Some may prefer something else but there's a solid, near-universal consensus that the Ruger is never a bad choice.

    However, since your primary interest seems to be in getting better in a defensive context, I'm a believer in having a .22 that mirrors your self-defense pistol. If you use a revolver for defense, get a .22 revolver as similar to it as possible. If you use a 1911 for defense, a .22 conversion is money well spent.

    Am I right about your priorities when selecting a .22? If so, what are you using for your self-defense gun now?

    Back when I had to use LEM and DAO, I would put a dime on the front sight and dry fire until the dime eventually fell off. When you have a mile long trigger and seconds to fire, on a qualification, it taught you not to jerk the trigger.

    I think you are right about the .22LR, especially now that they are plentiful again. You can burn up a lot more ammo cheaply than getting a ton of expensive ammo to burn through. With as many .45's around here, I am going to have to order more Gold Dots. It isn't hard to blow through a lot of .45 when that is the main caliber in the house in handguns.
     
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