.22 Rimfire Semi Auto's

Be carefull with up the but tubular magazines....
I had a semi auto.22 that had this feature once
When the tube slide and spring are removed
it sometimes leaves a round just ready to enter the chamber...

...and flicking the bolt while the barrel is down
will occasionally allow the round to chamber..

now you have just loaded a "safe" empty rifle.

reply to post by Doc Gator


Its everyones own choice what to carry. But try carrying 1,000 rounds of the ammo type you choose and you will soon know why I would choose the .22LR with hollow point rounds.Not everything is about power, you need to consider the weight as well.

Its my personal preference, but that's the great thing about choice, you can make whatever one you want.

reply to post by smokeythabear


I agree, not much knock down power with .22; certainly not humanely for even a medium size animal (e.g. a small goat) at decent range.

If 6.5x55 were in more abundance I would say it was the ideal round for SHTF.

I love to shoot that cartridge; its flat, accurate (even with factory loads) and has little recoil. However in Australia it costs about the same as .308 but we have about a quarter of the stock levels (.308 is true aussie imo).

Originally posted by Quickfix
reply to post by Doc Gator

 

Its everyones own choice what to carry. But try carrying 1,000 rounds of the ammo type you choose and you will soon know why I would choose the .22LR with hollow point rounds.Not everything is about power, you need to consider the weight as well.

Its my personal preference, but that's the great thing about choice, you can make whatever one you want.

True enough. Carry what you want, it's your life.

It's great to be able to easily carry 1000 rounds, but they don't do you a bit of good if someone takes you out at 1000 yards.

As you said, it's personal preference, there is no absolute answer. I will trade range and penetration for weight.

Thanks for the input folks, looks like lots of recommendations for the Ruger, so I'll do a bit of research for that one too.

As for me being a girl for shooting wabbits, they're vermin. Population control on a estate/farm tends to be rather important. So I get to have a little target practice, take a few for the pot and provide a free service on my family's land

I'm well aware of the capabilities of the .22 calibre if it were to be used in a SHTF scenario. My choice basically boils down to price / portability and weight / availability. It's kinda the best of a bad bunch of compromises I have to make.

Ruger 10/22 all the way. Rugged, reliable, and you can customize the crap outa them.


Deebo

reply to post by Highlandlad


In a place where the majority of firearms are of the "sporting" variety like shotgus for clays and upland and more traditional 22's I'd probably steer clear of the "tacti-cool" stuff.

You'd just be standing out as if screaming "shoot me first!" to anyone in ear shot. Plus, the look can make the uninitiated wet their pants encouraging more legislation. Just look at how many of America's laws and bans are based on nothing more than aesthetics. It's just more "black" fear. Black man, black dog, black gun.

Plus, idiot kids and petty thugs love to steal "cool" things. I always get a kick out of idiot criminals skipping over really valuable stuff to grab the hot plastic space gun thing.

Just something to consider.

reply to post by Doc Gator


That's great! I am glad you can hit a moving target at a 1000 yards, most people won't be able to do that.

As most people aren't marksman as yourself.

And you have to consider training with your weapon as well, so its also about economics as well for some.

reply to post by smokeythabear


rifle or pistol...... cause i bullet through a rifle and a bullet through a pistol have completely 2 different type of trajectories and velocities due to powder burn times behind it you get higher power through a rifle over a pistol.... 22LR in a pistol is pretty week seen it bounce off prey at less than 15 yards ... and don't for get ammo age manufacturer long term in clip in a oiled gun....... one or 2 experiences are not worth discrediting a type of ammo that has been used longer than you have been alive.... and a round that has continued to deliver since original production of the ammo.

Marlin or Ruger semi auto is a great choice if you are looking for utility. If you want a cool looking gun, then by all means, the Sig, or MP22 by Smith and Wesson, or the SR22 by Ruger are all good choices. I wasn't aware that you could have a gun in the UK unless it was at a shooting club. Can you have the gun at home?

Originally posted by Quickfix
reply to post by Doc Gator

 

That's great! I am glad you can hit a moving target at a 1000 yards, most people won't be able to do that.

As most people aren't marksman as yourself.

And you have to consider training with your weapon as well, so its also about economics as well for some.

That's true, most people can't make a first shot kill at 1000 yards. But if you can't return fire, you have very few options.

I recognize your sarcasm, but rest assured, I've spent over 30 years training my marksmanship skills and am very comfortable shooting 1000+ yards. Since we train as we intend to fight, this has undoubtedly colored the way that I think both tactically and strategically. I am much more comfortable relying on range and accuracy than on volume of fire. That's just the way I think, ymmv.

Now, given a choice between a 10-22 (which is an excellent platform by the way) and a primitive weapon, I'll take the rifle every time. If budget is the limiting factor (isn't it always, it's why I don't have a 20mm), training and trigger time is more important than saving up for the "perfect" firearm.

The bottom line is, shoot and train with the firearm that you think will best fill your expected requirements. But remember that every choice has pros and cons.

Originally posted by Doc Gator
reply to post by Doc Gator

 

That's true, most people can't make a first shot kill at 1000 yards. But if you can't return fire, you have very few options.

I recognize your sarcasm, but rest assured, I've spent over 30 years training my marksmanship skills and am very comfortable shooting 1000+ yards. Since we train as we intend to fight, this has undoubtedly colored the way that I think both tactically and strategically. I am much more comfortable relying on range and accuracy than on volume of fire. That's just the way I think, ymmv.

Now, given a choice between a 10-22 (which is an excellent platform by the way) and a primitive weapon, I'll take the rifle every time. If budget is the limiting factor (isn't it always, it's why I don't have a 20mm), training and trigger time is more important than saving up for the "perfect" firearm.

The bottom line is, shoot and train with the firearm that you think will best fill your expected requirements. But remember that every choice has pros and cons.

I wasn't being sarcastic. I don't have the training to do that..so I know I can't do it..its pretty amazing some people can. So props to you

And aren't most gun's primitive? Just saying, except that new one that came out recently which can hit targets behind cover ever see it? It programs the munition via a laser to explode when it hits a certain range, now that's a weapon worth having

Cost is another reason why I chose the .22LR cause I have to be realistic about my expenses *sigh* I wish I could afford a higher caliber rifle, or I would have my wall full of the many kinds, but sadly I am not Mr. Money bags so to speak



Also like i said, most people don't have the training to make shots like that, so we have to do with what we can.

the AR-7 should do fine.

reply to post by Quickfix


It's tough to get tone from the written word. Sorry for reading to much into your words.

There is nothing magical about long range shooting. It's just a matter of training and practice. If you are accurate with a .22, you can shoot long range. You already have most of the skills, just need to practice a couple more.

I shoot my 10-22 more than any other rifle I own. I have a 25 yard indoor range 5 minutes from my house. To get to a 500+ yard range I have to drive over 2 hours. I spend far more time at the indoor range. Any shooting keeps skills maintained, so shoot what you can.

I know it doesn't help with the cost of a centerfire firearm, but you might want to look into handloading. Despite what people say, you won't save any money but you will shoot A LOT more for the same amount of money.

I currently have a Colt .22 M4 Spec Ops Carbine as my small caliber. Its great for beginners, and first time shooters. Taught the lil ones to shoot with it, and I think they like it more than I do. I particularly like the velocity adjustment on it. If I wanna try out some new ammo with a different velocity than my old ammo, I just simply adjust a screw in the action. Simple, and fun to plink around with. Thats what I suggest.

To those who are debating the effectiveness of a 22 rifle against a human, let me throw in my $.02, since I have seen 1st hand what one of these weapons can do. I used to work in ER in another life, and saw more than my share of these wounds. One was a 90 year old woman who had been shot in the head with a .22 during burglary. She was appeared to be unhurt, other than a small entry room on her forehead near the hair line.
We did a skull series to see what damage was done. The bullet shattered leaving bits of lead approximately the size of a grain of sand under her scalp.
A fourteen year old was not so lucky. He and a buddy were target shooting. They got careless and one was hit in right mid clavicular line. The .22 caliber bullet is fairly high volacity and tends to take the path of least resistance. After it bounced around in his chest, perforated his stomach and several loops of intestine, it exited about one inch above his left illiac crest. He lived because of a good surgeon and good nurses, but ended up addicted to pain meds.
Don't underestimate what a small caliber weapon can do. The damage done to the fourteen year old was done by ONE bullet. If I was being threatened, I would be intentionally aiming for center mass, which means the odds of hitting a major artery or two, or even hitting the heart, would go up tremedously.
I don't advocate using a small caliber for self defense, but I would if I had to.

reply to post by Doc Gator


No worries, I know it’s hard to get tones from just reading words on a website.

Yeah, surprisingly with a .22 you can shoot 400 yards
Pretty far for a .22 but there is so much drop on the round you need to be ontop of something high up, then the likely possibility of hitting a hue-man, then doing enough damage is slim to none, but I wouldn’t know, I have no experience in shooting at a hue-man at that range. Nor at 100 yards, but I am smart enough to know it has a higher probability at that range of doing more damage.

There is a video on youtube of a guy doing it at 400 yards, it’s how I know it can get there, I wouldn’t try to shoot any further than that, even though the projectile can travel a very long distance if you arc it way up.

I actually have looked into hand loading, it sucks that .22’s can’t be hand loaded, but ohwell.

I was thinking about trying it anyways, but not putting it in my gun, that could be dangerous, or maybe try to develop a reloadable shell for .22’s

Worth a shot I would think, it’s on my lists of projects to do when I get more free time and more resources.

Originally posted by kettlebellysmith
To those who are debating the effectiveness of a 22 rifle against a human, let me throw in my $.02, since I have seen 1st hand what one of these weapons can do. I used to work in ER in another life, and saw more than my share of these wounds. One was a 90 year old woman who had been shot in the head with a .22 during burglary. She was appeared to be unhurt, other than a small entry room on her forehead near the hair line.
We did a skull series to see what damage was done. The bullet shattered leaving bits of lead approximately the size of a grain of sand under her scalp.
A fourteen year old was not so lucky. He and a buddy were target shooting. They got careless and one was hit in right mid clavicular line. The .22 caliber bullet is fairly high volacity and tends to take the path of least resistance. After it bounced around in his chest, perforated his stomach and several loops of intestine, it exited about one inch above his left illiac crest. He lived because of a good surgeon and good nurses, but ended up addicted to pain meds.
Don't underestimate what a small caliber weapon can do. The damage done to the fourteen year old was done by ONE bullet. If I was being threatened, I would be intentionally aiming for center mass, which means the odds of hitting a major artery or two, or even hitting the heart, would go up tremedously.
I don't advocate using a small caliber for self defense, but I would if I had to.

And that is the problem with depending on the .22LR to be a tactical round. The same conditions and shot placement can produce an instant kill, or a superficial wound or anything in between. There is no predictability with this round. Granted, it is better than trying to take out a bad guy with a spork, but I have a high level of confidence that if I put a .30 cal rifle round through them, they are out of the fight.

reply to post by Quickfix


It's possible to reload .22lr, but it is extremely dangerous and far too expensive to work with. Many of the .22 centerfire family of rounds (.222, .223. all the wildcats, etc.) are very inexpensive to load and shoot. Some are accurate and effective out to 400+ yards. Also, single shot .22 centerfire rifles are readily available, reasonably accurate and relatively inexpensive.