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Alternatives to 22lr?

5K views 23 replies 21 participants last post by  Psycareyo 
#1 ·
So with the 22lr situation the way it is, have any of you gents turned to other calibers to plink with? Shorts? 17hmr? Or even air gun pellets? I've started looking at purchasing an air gun just so I can plink round without having to stress about getting my next box of ammo. Anyone got any suggestions?
 
#5 ·
.32 roundball
 
#8 ·
I have been getting all my old air guns in shape. Have one vintage Benj 310 to do yet and they will all be rebuilt and good shape. Another pumper, a spring action both .177 and a .22 CO2 pistol. I haven't shot them a lot yet because of weather but plan to. 750 rounds of premium .177 pellets for less than $10.

Luckily I stocked up on .22 last year and now I'm just rationing so they will last through the drought.

I am thinking about a 22 Magnum but haven't checked out local availability of ammo yet.
 
#11 ·
I have eleven handguns to choose from to shoot and have a moderate amout of ammo for every caliber I have. I buy a box or two and will shoot that caliber.
I have about a dozen 22 cailber rifles and some shoot the 22 shorts, at the gun store they have a good supply of high velocity CCI 22 shorts for $33 a brick. I'm going to pick up two bricks next thursday or friday for plinking, I have two bricks of 22 long rifle that I'm going to set on pluse about twelve hundred rounds of 22 long rigle in the plastic containers of different grades, Stingers, pistol match, rifle match, viper.

The Cheapest alternitive
Until the prices drop I cut back on going out shooting, I bought a Gamo 177 caliber pellet rifle that will throw the Alloy Pellets a 1000 feet per second, Lead at 800 feet per second. It came with a 4 power rifle scope (Not the little BBgun-22caliber scope) It's fun to shoot and I shoot it right in the back yard, I live in the city. My neighbor has a Crossman 760 Pump (up to 10 pump) He said his pellet gun was a lot more better then mind because he can pump it up to ten times, Mine you break the barrel open incert the pellet and shoot. I filled two coke cans up with water and let him shoot first. It took three shots to know the coke can over, It just put pellet holes in the can ant the water leaked out then tipped over. My Gamo with the lead pellets split the front of the can over and knocked it off of the post it was setting on. Shooting at a target stapled onto a full size rough-cut 7/8" cedar board the pellets will go all the way through and it's cheap to shoot. I've shot and killed several gray squirrels, crows & other cat sized animals with one shot kills. Very cheap shooting from buying the Gamo Peller rifle with scope aboutb $150 and lead pellets less then $10 for 500 pellets. I have several different types of lead pellets, Regular,hollow points,pointed. A great alternative to 22 Long Rifle.

I also have two Marlin rimfire rifles, a Model 882-22 magnum (An old one) blue barrel wood stock and a new Model 882-17HMR stainless bull barrel & laminated wood stock. They both cost about the samre to shoot about $15 for fifty rounds, 30 cents a shot. In my local area the 17HMR is readily available more so then the 22 magnum, but both are available. A marlin 22 magnum or 17HMR will cost ypou about $375 if you can find one. The 17 HMR is by far my favorite rimfire rifle for shooting over fifty yards, very accurate out to two hundred yards more so over the 22 magnum. A GREAT squirrel gun, varmit gun, crow gun, target gun. If you small game hunt it's the prized possession. I do not like Savage rifles at all, I wouldn't want one of any caliber for free, but they sell a lot of them and people love them. They are a little cheaper to buy then Marlins and are more readily available. I have a 3X9 scope on my 22 magnum and a 6X18 power scope on the 17 HMR, so depending on how far I want to shoot depends on what I take. If you have the funds and can use a 17 HMR after the 22 long rifle crises is over it is a fun gun to shoot acurately out at a reasonable distance. A great wood-chuck gun!
 
#12 ·
I have eleven handguns to choose from to shoot and have a moderate amout of ammo for every caliber I have. I buy a box or two and will shoot that caliber.
I have about a dozen 22 cailber rifles and some shoot the 22 shorts, at the gun store they have a good supply of high velocity CCI 22 shorts for $33 a brick. I'm going to pick up two bricks next thursday or friday for plinking, I have two bricks of 22 long rifle that I'm going to set on pluse about twelve hundred rounds of 22 long rigle in the plastic containers of different grades, Stingers, pistol match, rifle match, viper.

The Cheapest alternitive
Until the prices drop I cut back on going out shooting, I bought a Gamo 177 caliber pellet rifle that will throw the Alloy Pellets a 1000 feet per second, Lead at 800 feet per second. It came with a 4 power rifle scope (Not the little BBgun-22caliber scope) It's fun to shoot and I shoot it right in the back yard, I live in the city. My neighbor has a Crossman 760 Pump (up to 10 pump) He said his pellet gun was a lot more better then mind because he can pump it up to ten times, Mine you break the barrel open incert the pellet and shoot. I filled two coke cans up with water and let him shoot first. It took three shots to know the coke can over, It just put pellet holes in the can ant the water leaked out then tipped over. My Gamo with the lead pellets split the front of the can over and knocked it off of the post it was setting on. Shooting at a target stapled onto a full size rough-cut 7/8" cedar board the pellets will go all the way through and it's cheap to shoot. I've shot and killed several gray squirrels, crows & other cat sized animals with one shot kills. Very cheap shooting from buying the Gamo Peller rifle with scope aboutb $150 and lead pellets less then $10 for 500 pellets. I have several different types of lead pellets, Regular,hollow points,pointed. A great alternative to 22 Long Rifle.

I also have two Marlin rimfire rifles, a Model 882-22 magnum (An old one) blue barrel wood stock and a new Model 882-17HMR stainless bull barrel & laminated wood stock. They both cost about the samre to shoot about $15 for fifty rounds, 30 cents a shot. In my local area the 17HMR is readily available more so then the 22 magnum, but both are available. A marlin 22 magnum or 17HMR will cost ypou about $375 if you can find one. The 17 HMR is by far my favorite rimfire rifle for shooting over fifty yards, very accurate out to two hundred yards more so over the 22 magnum. A GREAT squirrel gun, varmit gun, crow gun, target gun. If you small game hunt it's the prized possession. I do not like Savage rifles at all, I wouldn't want one of any caliber for free, but they sell a lot of them and people love them. They are a little cheaper to buy then Marlins and are more readily available. I have a 3X9 scope on my 22 magnum and a 6X18 power scope on the 17 HMR, so depending on how far I want to shoot depends on what I take. If you have the funds and can use a 17 HMR after the 22 long rifle crises is over it is a fun gun to shoot acurately out at a reasonable distance. A great wood-chuck gun!
Great info! Thanks very much
 
#13 ·
Runner
Your very welcome, Shooting is a great past time. I just got off the phone with a shooting partner a couple of minutes ago. His sinuses are killing him so he wants to wait unti llate next week to go shooting. I might go shooting by myself tomorrow morning, I bought a "Impact Seal Ground Bouncing Reactive Ball" that I shot at mid-week last week. It was a blast with the newest Ithaca model 49 that I just bought last Saturday, I also used one of my old Ruger Mark 2 stainless with a ten inch bull-barrel. I just bought an old Western Auto model 110- 22 caliber rifle yesterday that I need to take out shooting as soon as the NICS goes through, I always get delayed. I love old vintage 22 caliber rifles, youth model Mossbergs being my favorite, followed by Marlin. I have atleast a dozen of them.

I like the Syracuse area, I always wanted to go hunting up in that area. When the kids were small we would go up there from the Binghamton area for day trips. One time we went to the Ice Sculpture display years ago. When I make it back there I go to the Dinasour BBQ with my oldest son, Great BBQ. The best in the Country in my opinion, I've traveled all across the Country and tried BBQ shacks all along the way.
 
#15 ·
Honestly, look into a high end AEG or GBB Airsoft gun. I just ordered my first gas blow back (GBB) M4. I tried one out at a store in Vermont. Those things can spin 22LR steel targets. They are accurate but not really as accurate as a 22LR. Everything for them is super cheap.

I bought a King Arms M4A1 GBB brand new. It has significant recoil, like a 22LR, is all metal and is mil-spec. All AR-15 stuff will work on it. I bought all real gear for mine. I will have it setup EXACTLY like my 22LR and my 5.56 rifle.

Mine can run on Green Gas (no order propane with silicone oil added to it) or Propane. I use propane with a silicone oil adder. I use biodegradable BBs and they cost like $40 for 8,000 rounds of premium .25gr stuff.

This gun fires them over 450FPS on propane and about 390FPS on green gas. I can lower the FPS even more if I need to.

I'd take a serious look at an Airsoft full metal gun. I
 
#24 ·
For back yard, close range plinking....you're not going to beat a high end airsoft gun. There is NO WAY that a .22LR can compete. The cost of airsoft rifle is the most significant cost. You can buy a King Arms Colt Trademarked full metal M4A1 gas blow back, high end rifle for $315 shipped. It's the best out of the box. You could spend more but you don't need to. They can run on propane. You can buy four camping sized bottles for $12 at Lowes. You can buy 8000 rounds of ammo that you don't have to pick up....for just over thirty dollars. GBB's are not the best in the cold so maybe invest in an AEG instead. They are actually cheaper. You sacrifice the realistic bolt actuation and recoil. I will have to see for myself but, they say that the King Arms GBB M4A1 has a similar recoil to a 22LR. I never considered recoil to be much of an issue with an AR-15 anyway.

Oh...and it's not an "assault rifle" and you can shoot it in your back yard or your driveway. If you want a decent challenge, buy small targets to simulate greater range.

The other awesome factor with airsoft is that you could go play with other people. You can actually shoot people lol. It's pretty awesome.

I have some work to do before I go run around in VT in the woods with 120 other guys. I'm way out of shape and these small airsoft games are going to be a fun way to get some weight off.
 
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