PRACTICE with a .22 ????

[CigarStix]

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?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Richard58]

Great idea if you can find the ammo to buy to practice with now....

[Blue Thunder]

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.

[Ghost1958]

I tend to train with the same firearm i carry but 22 practice is good. As long as you dont do it to the exclusion of never training with your carry weapon.

[Tally XD]

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.

[Snub44]

...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...

[SmokinFool]

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.

Absolutely. .22 practice is economical and allows you to practice the fundamentals which sometimes get a bit mucky when shooting centerfire pistols. I find that I shoot better with my centerfires after a session with a .22. I have benefited from air gun practice as well. I have even considered setting up an air gun range in my basement.

[vardog]

Of course you should always practice with the weapon you're going to carry, but using a .22 for practice is perfectly fine. It will still keep the fundamentals sharp (i.e. smooth trigger pull, breathing, etc.)

[RoadRunner71]

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!

[kelcarry]

Somehow the term "common sense" comes to mind.

[archer51]

Use a .22 as a training tool to supplement your EDC.

[wjh2657]

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.

8FB402241AE34016BC01045BF5AE0888-0000317266-0002133051-00640L-F58FD5A140834D06A7904A3779ACA78D.jpg

[Snatale42]

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?

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.

[OldVet]

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.

[bigmacque]

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.