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PRACTICE with a .22 ????

3K views 32 replies 28 participants last post by  CigarStix 
#1 ·
I've seen a few videos where the shooter Practices shooting, tactical, etc. with a .22 to allow for more practice time due to the inexpensive loads. Anybody do this? Good idea/Bad idea?
 
#3 ·
I had a C4-C5 Fusion in my neck in 1995. The doctor said no heavy bumps or stretching for 8 months. I bought a Ruger 45/22 Gun which operated just like my 45ACP Springfield Armory gun which I was shooting in IPSC. Mag release and safety in the same location. All was well and after healing I was back to full load ammo. Still have the gun along with 4 bricks of 22LR ammo and 8 extra mags for the gun. This one is a keeper.
 
#5 ·
Practicing with .22LR is great exercise for trigger and grip control as well as target acquisition. As said above, you will still need practice with your duty or carry weapon though.

.22LR though has become very expensive and harder to find.
 
#6 ·
...my first handgun was a revolver...a High Standard Sentinel Deluxe 4"...$41.50 new...I put a brick (500) through it every weekend for almost a year...when .22 shorts were $5.50 a brick...and got to where I could shoot really well...the gun worked like a S&WM10...the size was a tad less...that practice has helped me be a proficient revolver shooter all my life...with many other styles and sizes...the key to practice is that we're practicing GOOD habits...not bad ones...
...most pistols use .22 LR...a lot more expensive...even in the bulk packs often found at Walmart...but if you're shooting a pistol a lot...I'd say get a pistol of like features and practice with the .22...
 
#9 ·
Provided the .22 is similar enough to your carry weapon, you can do alot of training with one. I find that the only thing they are not good for is multiple shot exercises due to the lack of appreciable recoil. It just isn't realistic. Other than that, .22's are a very cost-effective training tool.

Oh, and they are just a heck of a lot of fun too!
 
#12 ·
My system below. I shoot the .22 at least three times a week and the .38 once every two weeks. Blue gunis for in the house drills and retention practice. I have to travel to the indoor range 30 miles away for the .38 but I shoot the .22 in my garage using a Champion .22 bullet trap. The S&W 317 has the same trigger pull as the 642 so the motions and muscle memory skills are the same.

Gun Firearm Revolver Trigger Starting pistol
 
#13 ·
Bad Idea, while there's nothing wrong with .22's for fun you can't "train" with them. There too drastically different to carry calibers. That would be like "Practicing" to drive an F-350 with a Honda Civic. The basic idea may be the same, but the act different when put to practice.
 
#19 ·
Since pros practice with thousands of dry fire drills, recoil seems to be a low priority.

Lets explore what you can accomplish with NO ammo: draw, sight picture, single and multiple target acquisition, trigger squeeze, reload, movement, stance, non-standard shooting positions. Anyone else want to chime in with dry fire drills?

Busting a cap is the last step in marksmanship. Recoil hides errors. I begin with dry fire warm ups. Then, I move to my Sig mosquito .22. Finally, I move to my carry pistols beginning with 9mm and moving up. I repeat the warm up process with each gun unloaded, then I dry fire, and finally fire a live round. Recoil management is a part of marksmanship, but they're are many other skills as well.

Yes, .22 is a wonderful tool.
 
#14 ·
I use a .22LR conversion slide on my Glock 30. 50-100 rounds of that and 50 of .45s is a good workout. Same trigger, same action, less wear and tear on the hand.

Any practice is good practice.
 
#15 ·
I practice with anything I can including a BB gun when that's all I have time and space for. I bought a BB trap at Wally World and can sit in the neighborhood and practice trigger control all day long. A .22 is just fine for practicing. Any practice is good practice.
 
#16 ·
I have a S&W .38 revolver and a .22 revolver as well as a SR9C and a SR22. Do most of my practicing with the .22s due to cost savings. I do shoot the carry weapons also, but not as often. Now all I need is to get my hands on some .22 ammo.
 
#17 ·
Any and all practice is good practice. While I tend to do most of my range time with the caliber I carry, I very much enjoy .22 plinking. Practice predominately with what you carry but just practicing is more than you can say for some.
 
#18 ·
Trigger-time is trigger-time. .22 ammo has (generally) a 10-to-1 cost advantage over mainstream centerfire ammo. The most important parts of practice are; front sight, front sight, front sight...press. Your eyes & your finger have no idea what caliber you're shooting. Yep, .22 practice is a GREAT idea!
 
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#21 ·
Lets explore what you can accomplish with NO ammo: draw, sight picture, single and multiple target acquisition, trigger squeeze, reload, movement, stance, non-standard shooting positions. Anyone else want to chime in with dry fire drills?
Not a whole lot to add to this. :smile: You can also do weapon transitions and malfunction drills.
 
#23 ·
But no complaints I expect

I have a Bersa that I carry a good bit. They make a 22 that is very similar, been thinking about buying one. Don't see how it could possibly hurt anything to shoot the 22 version and I can see all sorts of advantages to any range time with any weapon.
 
#26 ·
Was going to chime in as well on dry fire drills...there's a lot of benefit from there...but a .22 really shows you how you're doing on fundamentals. I shoot bullseye with .22s in the winter, and nothing quite emphasizes the fundamentals like that. Once I get back to the my other pistols when the range thaws and dries out enough to not lose boots in, the winter of practice really shows!
 
#27 ·
You could also practice with a green gas blowback airsoft gun. They make plenty that function just like "real" guns. I have one made to function like a glock. I use it to practice home defense tactics when the family is out and i have the place to myself.
 
#32 ·
Advantage Arms Kit for Glock 19/23,Glock 21,Glock 30 and 1911.
Ciener Kit for 1911
Ciener kit for AR
Military M261 kit for M16

As you can see I am a firm believer in .22 Conversion Kits
I alway fire a few of full caliber, install kit, shoot ever how many .22's, remove kit and shoot a few more of full caliber to finish
 
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