Being laughed at shooting a .22 at the range?????

[blackcloud45]

The opposite happens when I shoot my .44 mag. They all get mad and leave. It's a 'shooting' range, where am I supposed to shoot it? I paid my money too. You can't make everyone happy

 

[waffenmac]

I shoot 10x the number of 22 bullets versus centerfire its the way people kept up their markmanship skills without busting the wallet.I have seen plenty of pics of jeff cooper and skeeter skelton both enjoying the little bitty 22 and I would dare say they are the 20th centurie premier pistoleros.

 

[pharmer]

While I am usually the only one shooting .22's at a public indoor range, I've never been laughed at. Typically have the 17-3 or the KMKII 512. I can't see the top of any gun so I run a sheet of paper with a 1 1/2" orange dot pasted on. Usually as many holes in the paper as I have fired. I have watched folks blast away with 9's .40's .45's (not too many revolvers ever) and miss the lifesize "Osama" target from 10 ft. Joe

 

[Brian41]

I got back into shooting 22s a few years ago. First with a couple 10/22s then an 18 and pre 18. I finally spent the money on a 41 and love them all for the cheap shooting and probally shoot them more than anything now.
Yesterday I built a DPMS AR-15 lower and put a CMMG M-4 style 22 lr rifle upper one it. I later test fired it and it's going to be a fun one and much cheaper to shoot than my 5.56 ARs.
I shoot alone at my own range but would take my 22s to any range regardless of what they might think.

 

[loknload]

I just started to shoot .22 again after many years, didn't like doing it because the only .22 was my Ruger and I simply dispise taking that down for cleaning!
I had purchased a Browning Buckmark a number of years ago and I recently found it burried in my safe.
Took it to the range and had a great day and it was cheap and the Browning is easy to clean.
Now the only time I shoot the big guns is when I want to practice with them.
Nobody laughs at me!

 

[SixGunHunter]

Never have I seen a shooter give another shooter grief for shooting .22 or have I even heard about it until this thread.

What shooter has not pulled the trigger on a .22??

 

[rilkil23]

Guess I don't worry about what other people think. We have all made a few comments without the knowledge to back it up. I had no idea why anyone would own a j frame revolver and have since assigned mine to be my primary carry weapon. I thought you had to carry the highest capacity semi known to man. I was sure it had to be carried IWB and needed to be two tone, for the cool factor. Love my semis but find the wheel gun to be a ton of fun to learn and reliable as heck. Knowledge is gained slowly in time, if at all. I'm sure I'm still pretty stupid on a lot of subjects too.

 

[rilkil23]

The opposite happens when I shoot my .44 mag. They all get mad and leave. It's a 'shooting' range, where am I supposed to shoot it? I paid my money too. You can't make everyone happy

I almost peed when the guy down from me pulled the trigger on his. Wow was that thing loud. I moved to the other end of the range and continued shooting with my little guy. The only thing that bothers me is the black powder pistols because my son has asthma. Now to clarify "my little guy" it is bigger than some and smaller than others.

 

[feralmerril]

A 22 is probley one of the greatest guns ever made. First the ammo is ridiculously cheap compared to anything else, they are the best gun to learn with, they are accurate, they dont recoil, they are quiet, and they can and will kill. I seldom clean mine! I dont carry one for SD, but would if thats all I had. They are NOT toys!

 

[Bob R]

I always take a 22 to the range with me, usually a Ruger but every now and then a long rifle. When I pull this one out I always have people asking about it, and shooting it. I always let the kids shoot it.

bob

 

[Raiden]

The two old-timers who used to work the shop and range in town, where I was growing up, would look for any opportunity to criticize customers and their choice of firearm / ammunition. Woe is the shooter that came in with any "toy gun" not chambered in something starting with a .4 or higher. On the flipside, a lady could single-hand fire a .600 Nitro Express revolver, and they'd still be calling her "buttercup." It was like having hillbilly versions of Statler and Waldorf, from The Muppet Show, running the place. Even as a kid, I generally don't sweat the opinions of others, but they were a real detriment to the business. I'm fairly sure nobody was sad to see them moved from the storefront, to the back.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Let them laugh.

I'm noticing that you didn't say how far away you were when shooting those groups......just thinking out loud........................

 

[YogiBear]

Aloha,

I usually bring a Beretta M-87 (in 22) to the basic firearms class that I

assist teaching. Women and a lot of guys like the look and feel of it.

I wanted to get a "full size" 22 but the Wife wasn't too keen on one.

Well, Beretta had a sale on their 22 cal Kits for their 9mm and 40 SW

semi autos. I didn't tell the Wife and bought one. Set it up on my 96

Centurion and let her shoot it. She liked it enough to tell me to get

Another 90 series Beretta and make a Dedicated full size 22. As a result

a retired ex police 92 got new life as a training 22.

FWIW, Beretta Can Not keep the 22 kits in stock. As soon as they come

in, they're Sold out immediately.

 

[ChuckS1]

I'm noticing that you didn't say how far away you were when shooting those groups......just thinking out loud........................

And you keep missing those coins....sheesh!

 

[stanleyds88]

I don't like getting laughed at. That's why I only fire live hand grenades at the range. Nothing more manly than some hand grenades.



I love plinking with a .22, nothing like some good cheap (and easy on the wrist) fun.

 

[blackcloud45]

I almost peed when the guy down from me pulled the trigger on his. Wow was that thing loud. I moved to the other end of the range and continued shooting with my little guy. The only thing that bothers me is the black powder pistols because my son has asthma. Now to clarify "my little guy" it is bigger than some and smaller than others.

I kind of mix it in with other handguns so it's not like it's a constant barrage but man, people still flinch on the first couple of rounds. Honestly, it's not even like a macho thing either. I enjoy shooting .22's as well and have only recently come to love the .44 mag. It's kind of like driving a car w/ a big block. Definitely cool and different from the other stuff

 

[NKJ nut]

I could care less what stupid people think. I shoot what I want to.

 

[red14]

If I cared about what people thought of me,
I'd have killed myself many years ago.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Years back, my old boss and I would occasionally take an afternoon to do some serious .22 shooting at the local strip-pit dump (I miss the old illegal pit dumps-all have been reclaimed and closed). We were both very good shots and had a blast challenging each other to hit tiny bits of junk. I always had my .357 Magnum with me loaded with a HOT load of W296 under a 125 GR JSP, but I rarely shot it.

Every once in a while guys would show up and start blasting away with their wondernines. They couldn't hit the side of a barn. They would, however make snide remarks about to big grown men with their little kid .22's. We could shut most of them up by shooting a tight group around one of the 9MM holes in an old fridge. When that didn't work, I would quietly switch from my 617 to my Ruger GP100. Waiting until the scoffers were aiming their crunchentinkers (Jeff Cooper-woot!) to fire six quick, accurate shots with the ear splitting W296 loads from my Magnum. One guy dropped his Nine he was so startled

I recent years, I've not had anyone question my manhood for shooting .22's. People realize the value and fun to be had form the little rimfire.

This reminded me of shooting at the open town dump. Shot lots of wharf rats and GLASS bottles........no better targets.......anywhere.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I got back into shooting 22s a few years ago. First with a couple 10/22s then an 18 and pre 18. I finally spent the money on a 41 and love them all for the cheap shooting and probally shoot them more than anything now.
Yesterday I built a DPMS AR-15 lower and put a CMMG M-4 style 22 lr rifle upper one it. I later test fired it and it's going to be a fun one and much cheaper to shoot than my 5.56 ARs.
I shoot alone at my own range but would take my 22s to any range regardless of what they might think.

Mostly shoot alone at my personal range too...........And the .22 hulls are ankle deep under my bench.