The good ol .22 Long Rifle...

[O.S.O.K.]

I was at the range today testing loads for my Marlin 30-30AI but I also needed to shoot three .22 rifles to zero them for the ammo that I want to use squirrel hunting. The ammo is plain lead round nosed Winchester Wildcats. I've found this to be good ammo in the past and won't blow big holes in the squirrels. Seems every other .22 round that I have in sufficient quantity is hollow point... My boss will be hunting too and I don't think he's got a .22 rifle so I wanted to have one sighted in for him. Of course, I'll suggest that this is the perfect opportunity for him to get a new rifle.... and it is. Business you know (we'll be hunting with a customer).

The three rifles that I have are a modified 10-22 (Hogue overmold stock, Butler Creek graphite barrel and Nikon 4x rimfire scope), a stock Rossi pump and a Romanian trainer. All of these rifles are accurate but the 10-22 and the Romanian are tied for accuracy. They are all now sighted in for dead-on at 50 yards which should do for rodent stalking.

The thing is, I really enjoyed the .22 shooting. Seems like every time I take a .22 to the range I really enjoy shooting it.

Good thing as ammo has gotten so expensive and you can still shoot all day with a 22 and hardly make a dent in your wallet.

[salvo]

Sounds like a good day at the range! I always seem to have at least one .22 with me at the range. The last time was only .22's my new to me Marlin 39A and a Single Six, had a great time! I could not imagine not having a .22

[RKrodle]

I also have a Romanian trainer and it's a good shooter but, not quite as good as my CZ 452 FS. That CZ just WANTS to shot.

[jdad]

90% of what I shoot is strictly rimfire. There is just something the old Marlin levers, Winchester & Remington pumps/bolts/semi autos, S&W & Colt revolvers that can be just hours of fun.

[Andrew]

When I pack up and hed to the range I always have a surplus load of .22 to go along with the other "big" guns like my 7.62x54R. I tend to use it to warm up and then again when I run out of the centerfire ammo. There are always clay pigeon chunks on the burm that need recycled into smaller pigeon chunks.

[piller]

My range session yesterday included my new Henry in .22lr. That was the only thing I could hit with worth admitting to. That Henry lever is a beautiful little gun. I grew up with the .22lr, and still enjoy it.

[Bigahh]

The .22 LR just cannot be beat for shooting while the big barrels are cooling off!

[awp101]

The lowly .22LR is hands down my favorite round. Even so, I don't get them out at the range as often as I should.

I plan to correct that tomorrow as long as I remember to pack the BL22...

[Jaguarundi]

I luv my Romanian training rifle.This is my second Romanian.I was foolish to give away the first one to be later rewarded with a mint condition 2nd rifle two years later.My other 22 is a stainless Ruger Bearcat.Both guns are work'n guns for food or pests.The Romanian has (which is unscoped) nailed 15 possums and 53 skwerls in the last 2 years.If I am luck with a possum visit tonight another will bite the dust !The Bearcat is a good trapper dispatcher.In search of a Marlin 39.

[O.S.O.K.]

Yep to look at the Romanian 69 you wouldn't think it could shoot as well as it does. Mine was shooting 1" groups at 50 yards with winchester wildcat ammo. It has way cool sights - the front is a shrouded pin and the rear is a three-leaf flip-up sight - 25, 50 and 100 meters - like a safari gun. The action is very rough and the trigger stagey and stepped but that doesn't keep it from shooting. Fix that trigger and feed it some good match ammo and I bet it could put em all in one hole at 50 yards.

And to think, these were selling for $70 and less. I really wish I'd of purchased about 5 more - this is the perfect boy scout training rifle.

[Nath]

A 22 lr never fails to satisfy, I love chucking them around 300yds on a dusty field sometimes. It never ceases to amaze me just how close you can get to a rock.

Nath.

[GEOFF]

Well said above! The old Marlin advertisments often say, accuracy out to 200 yards. They really do amaze me how you can walk them in!!

Just got an 1897 Marlin made in 1902. Thanks go to Jdad for the heads up. Well I've been TOTALLY enjoying this sweet old rifle with the standard velocity rounds that are safe for it. I can actually hear the hammer strike over the explosion of that quiet little round.

Then the 1952 vintage Marlin 39A that I got from Jdad is just beautiful and boy does it shoot, just with the factory sights it is just perfect, comes up quick and aligned and the trigger is also just perfect. Going to leave this one just factory stock cuz it does so well just like she came from the factory.

Then the 39A that marlinman93 got for me, first year of the microgroove barrel, going to put Jdads Redfield receiver sight on that one and see how she does set up like that.

Then the 39As that we got for my 4 year old boy, I've got a Marbles tang sight on that one. My boy always knows which gun is his, THE ONE WITH THE GOLD TRIGGER DADDY!

Yep, I've got the .22 bug too. So doggone relaxing. No reloading and don't have to pick up the brass. Can't wait until summer ground hogs and the small bore silhouette season.

Geoff

[AndyM]

I really enjoy the 22 also. My last firearm purchase was a 22 (Winchester 69A Match rifle). Probably my next rifle purchased will also be a 22 (Savage Cub single shot for my 4.5 year old twins). In fact I just picked up another 1,100 rounds of 22 last week, Federal bulk at Wally World.

[Ysabel Kid]

I learned a long time ago to never head to the range without at least one .22 in tow, and a box, or two, or a brick along for the ride. No matter what I am shooting, and how the gun, ammo or I am doing that day, I know I will have fun when I pull out the .22!!!

[mescalero1]

I think the greater majority of us owe our lifelong pursuit to the .22 Long Rifle.
" son, you better put that ol guitar away, there ain't no money in it; and it will lead you to an early grave."

[MikeS.]

Off the top of my head I can't tell you how many .22s I own. Maybe a dozen? A bunch anyways. Some days I'll pack up 5 or 6 and head down to the range for a few hours. Just about every time I go to WM I buy a few boxes of Federal bulk.

I think tomorrow will just such a day.

[O.S.O.K.]

WM... West Miami?

[t.r.]

The lethality of 22 LR can be improved easily with a flat file. Simply make the round nose into a flat nose. Accuracy is not affected at all but small animals such as jack rabbits are thumped noticeably harder.

TR