I have to say that I have over the years, promoted the advantages of the .22 cal. as one of the best training pistols available. Fun as heck to shoot, great way to learn all shooting skills, practice those skills. always available ammo, etc, etc. But NOW, the crazy unavailability and cost of this once popular cartridge is now downright insane. We have all talked about this subject for a long time now, and in reality, it is not getting better. Sure someone finds a deal on the net for ammo, and then in a blink of the eye, it is gone. I have quite a number of .22 cal. pistols, and they now just sit in a safe taking up space. This caliber in all rights is dead. Sure the shortage will end. But that could well be decades later if at all. What good is a gun, if you cannot shoot it? Sorry to post what I think is reality, but just feed up with this. Thank God! for my airguns.
The demise of the .22 cal.
- Thread starter davevabch
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Re: The Demise of the 22.cal
I have lots of 22's also. Over the last thirty years I always answered the questions from my five children and wife, "What do you want for your birthday, fathers day, or Christmas" and I always answered, nothing or if you want a gift certificate to Dick's/Gander mt/ Bass Pro/ Cabellas/ etc. Sure glad I did because the certificates generally were spent on ammo. I will not keep a gun without at least 500 rounds or more of ammo, depending on the weapon.
I have lots of 22's also. Over the last thirty years I always answered the questions from my five children and wife, "What do you want for your birthday, fathers day, or Christmas" and I always answered, nothing or if you want a gift certificate to Dick's/Gander mt/ Bass Pro/ Cabellas/ etc. Sure glad I did because the certificates generally were spent on ammo. I will not keep a gun without at least 500 rounds or more of ammo, depending on the weapon.
Dave,
Several months ago you recommended getting a CO2 powered BB pistol for practice. I got the one you recommended (Makarov) and I have had a blast with it. I really think the trigger time on the BB piistol will help with other pistols. And I don't have to worry about the .22 supply. Thanks for the recommendation.
Hoppy
Several months ago you recommended getting a CO2 powered BB pistol for practice. I got the one you recommended (Makarov) and I have had a blast with it. I really think the trigger time on the BB piistol will help with other pistols. And I don't have to worry about the .22 supply. Thanks for the recommendation.
Hoppy
Congrats Hoppy, that Makarov is probably on of the best buys in airguns. I tested mine last week which I keep stored with a co2 cart in it, and it still shoots the same fps as it did years ago.
http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Makarov_CO2_BB_Pistol/1797
Ps hope to send some pics up of some of my other airguns later today, especially my 1911 dead on look and feel of the real Mccoy.
http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Makarov_CO2_BB_Pistol/1797
Ps hope to send some pics up of some of my other airguns later today, especially my 1911 dead on look and feel of the real Mccoy.
LOL....To each his own, but hardly a demise Dave. I grew up shooting a Ruger Standard 22LR and have a stack of 22s revolvers and pistols. Fortunately I started stoking back a few extra rounds in October before the last Presidential Election ended. Just in case.
Since then there's been plenty of dry spells for obtaining ammunition to replace the rounds I've shot on some range trips and it'll no doubt be years before Wal Mart gets back to maintaining reasonable stock levels. But I'm hanging in there.
Since then there's been plenty of dry spells for obtaining ammunition to replace the rounds I've shot on some range trips and it'll no doubt be years before Wal Mart gets back to maintaining reasonable stock levels. But I'm hanging in there.
Maybe this will help you Dave. On this site you can do an ammo lookup at all the WalMart stores in your state. Try it.
http://ammo-can.net/index.php?st=MO&cal=22
http://ammo-can.net/index.php?st=MO&cal=22
I enjoy my air guns and I can go through hundreds of rounds in a sitting, but I'm not ready to concede the demise of powder anything. To just add a couple of random thoughts:
I am softening my views of a possible conspiracy theory spurring this ammo shortage into its umpteenth month. This is just based on an observation and not much more... I'm not seeing the lanes at the local range being occupied or shells on the ground to say anyone has an adequate supply of .22 or anything else. Something is going to change eventually.
I am softening my views of a possible conspiracy theory spurring this ammo shortage into its umpteenth month. This is just based on an observation and not much more... I'm not seeing the lanes at the local range being occupied or shells on the ground to say anyone has an adequate supply of .22 or anything else. Something is going to change eventually.
Whether or not the .22 cal. will rise from the dead in the future I do not know. I rarely go to the range anymore. I use to go about 3 times a week or more, now maybe once every 3 months. Since the shortage or whatever you call it has happened, I have moved forward with the airguns, so I really have become involved in shooting them to the extent that I am slowly just losing interest in 22 rimfires and other powder burners.
Airgun shooting really opens a lot of doors for avid shooters. It is hard to convince many shooters of this fact. Airgun shooting IS A VERY BIG SPORT. I mean there are a ton of folks that really get into it. Some really nice airguns, field target shooting, matches, hunting etc. I would bet that the percentage of airgunners that own a crony are about 10 to 1 compared to powder burners. The airgun manufacturers are going full time now and always great new shooters at the annual Shot Show. I would say that hunting with airguns is getting really popular. My state recently passed legislation to allow hunting with airguns.
Get a kid a nice German R7 pellet rifle and I bet he would still be shooting it as a adult. (Only more). I just bought another air rifle for this summer shooting. A Hammerli 850 with a lothar Walter barrel and am sending it up to a tuner that specializes on this particular rilfe. The accuracy on these rifles stock is unbelievable to say the least. I have a "Shroud" on this rifle that is so quiet you can only hear the hammer spring when shooting it (very neighborhood Friendly).
I often try to convert other shooters, but it is hard to get them started. Most that do start become addicted very quickly. I have not given up my 22 cal's, just and hopefully things will change. Something has got to change for sure, because the is obviously a big market for this caliber. Some manufacturers will eventually start adding new loading equipment to pick up the demand.
ONE THING FOR SURE, I WILL BE DOING A HECK OF A LOT OF SHOOTING THIS SUMMER. Which reminds me, need to log on to Pyramyde Air and order more ammo!
Here is a dude that really gets into it. See some nice pics from Shot show 2014
http://tedsholdover.com/2014/01/17/shot-show-2014/
Airgun shooting really opens a lot of doors for avid shooters. It is hard to convince many shooters of this fact. Airgun shooting IS A VERY BIG SPORT. I mean there are a ton of folks that really get into it. Some really nice airguns, field target shooting, matches, hunting etc. I would bet that the percentage of airgunners that own a crony are about 10 to 1 compared to powder burners. The airgun manufacturers are going full time now and always great new shooters at the annual Shot Show. I would say that hunting with airguns is getting really popular. My state recently passed legislation to allow hunting with airguns.
Get a kid a nice German R7 pellet rifle and I bet he would still be shooting it as a adult. (Only more). I just bought another air rifle for this summer shooting. A Hammerli 850 with a lothar Walter barrel and am sending it up to a tuner that specializes on this particular rilfe. The accuracy on these rifles stock is unbelievable to say the least. I have a "Shroud" on this rifle that is so quiet you can only hear the hammer spring when shooting it (very neighborhood Friendly).
I often try to convert other shooters, but it is hard to get them started. Most that do start become addicted very quickly. I have not given up my 22 cal's, just and hopefully things will change. Something has got to change for sure, because the is obviously a big market for this caliber. Some manufacturers will eventually start adding new loading equipment to pick up the demand.
ONE THING FOR SURE, I WILL BE DOING A HECK OF A LOT OF SHOOTING THIS SUMMER. Which reminds me, need to log on to Pyramyde Air and order more ammo!
Here is a dude that really gets into it. See some nice pics from Shot show 2014
http://tedsholdover.com/2014/01/17/shot-show-2014/
davevabch said:
Wow! Didn't realize that airguns had evolved that far! Thanks for the link, very interesting. I have a couple of cheap .177 cal springers that are fun to shoot......in fact I'll be messing around with one today as it needs the scope adjusted. And the weather here is finally decent.
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