are 22's still worth it?

[Duc]

i'm thinking very hard about getting a new rifle (.223 vs .22lr). really excited about the M&P15-22, but looking around at the LGS near me (LA), I haven't seen any 22lr ammo in stock. And the ammo i've seen is in the neighborhood of 15 cents a round. Compared to the bigger bang of a 30 cent round for a .223, the 22lr is starting to look like it's really not worth it.

[chozenfew805]

22's are still worth purchasing it's just a challenge finding it. I keep checking slickguns, cabelas, and walmart(locally). I've been lucky and have a pretty sweet stock pile!

22's are great gun for first time shooters and occasional plinking but that's my $.02

[BinaryBoom]

I shot more .22 and have more rim fire rifles than center fire. Shooting steel 4"x4" targets at 300 yards to good challenging fun! Get the .22 !

[bluedsteel]

Yes. Still worth it. Shop online. Average seems to be around 7-8 cents.

[rimfired]

i'm thinking very hard about getting a new rifle (.223 vs .22lr). really excited about the M&P15-22, but looking around at the LGS near me (LA), I haven't seen any 22lr ammo in stock. And the ammo i've seen is in the neighborhood of 15 cents a round. Compared to the bigger bang of a 30 cent round for a .223, the 22lr is starting to look like it's really not worth it.

Don't shop at LGS or gun shows for ammo. For now, stick to finding the ammo online. It's there but you have to be quick. I buy my ammo online for .05 - .07 per round and usually sell extra ammo for .08 per round here in the marketplace. If you're paying more than .10 per round, you're doing it wrong.


EDIT: See, .06 per round, less than .07 after shipping.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting/Ammunition/Rimfire-Ammunition|/pc/104792580/c/104691780/sc/104536080/Federal174-22-LR-Rimfire-Ammunition/705665.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fcompare_items.jsp%3FentityId%3D740162%26entityId%3D1624272%26entityId%3D1335717%26entityId%3D1352681%26entityId%3D1413087%26entityId%3D1409699%26entityId%3D705571%26entityId%3D1628258%26entityId%3D1253455%26entityId%3D705665%26entityId%3D1214791%26entityId%3D1305049%26entityId%3D1644522%26entityId%3D1426039%26entityId%3D734676%26entityId%3D740059%26entityId%3D1254554%26entityId%3D1268289%26entityId%3D1281983%26entityId%3D734723%26entityId%3D705405%26entityId%3D1410112%26entityId%3D705570%26entityId%3D753156%26entityId%3D706949%26entityId%3D734725%26entityId%3D1306876%26categoryIds%3D104792580%257C104691780%257C104536080%26avad%3D55963_b4c3098d%26WT.mc_id%3Dal41227%26rid%3D12%26WT.tsrc%3DAFF

[North Bay Guy]

Should be one of your first firearm purchases.

[G21Shooter]

Don't let the lack of .22 lr ammo discourage you from getting the gun you want. If you put in the time online and check things out frequently you can score lots of .22 lr ammo.

In the past two months I have managed to order over 15,000 rounds online most all well under .10 cents a round shipped. Not trying to brag just saying its possible.

[03fatboy]

Only if you like having fun

[usmcchet9296]

Like Binaryboom I have more .22's than centerfire. Most are bench/target guns so I don't blow away ammo but for the money .22's are still the best bang for the buck.

[wjc]

They're still great for plinking and having fun.

One more advantage is the ammo, even scarce as it is, is still cheaper than higher calibers. So you can use the relatively inexpensive .22 to keep your shooting skills up to par without blowing through $250 dollars worth of 7.62 Nato.

[as_rocketman]

The ammo will come back. Maybe the days of $5 bricks from my youth are gone, but it'll still be competitive.

There is also great value in a firearm that has very little recoil as a training aid. 95% of the rifles at Appleseed are .22's, either your basic squirrel rifle, one upgraded into an "LTR," or a black rifle simulator. There is no shooter so good she will not benefit from some trigger time with such a rifle, for such a forgiving rifle quickly reveals the shooter's mistakes.

One thing that may be happening, though, is the .22 LR crunch may make folks rethink other rimfires -- the .17 HMRs and .22 WMRs and so on. Those are great calibers as well, albeit more of a niche thing for varmint hunters. Well, maybe not anymore now that price per round is approaching parity with the venerable .22 LR.

[GoodahSP]

i'm thinking very hard about getting a new rifle (.223 vs .22lr). really excited about the M&P15-22, but looking around at the LGS near me (LA), I haven't seen any 22lr ammo in stock. And the ammo i've seen is in the neighborhood of 15 cents a round. Compared to the bigger bang of a 30 cent round for a .223, the 22lr is starting to look like it's really not worth it.

Best all around for cheap shooting fun with kids, family, and friends specially if you have new/non shooters with you.

If you are worried about finding ammo...come join us up in the rimfire ammo finds section. There are finds almost every day. Even if you only get to order 1 out of every 5 finds you'll build up a nice little stockpile for yourself.

[CSACANNONEER]

.22lrs are way more fun than shooting .223/5.56. Cost has nothing to do with it.

[mshill]

i'm thinking very hard about getting a new rifle (.223 vs .22lr). really excited about the M&P15-22, but looking around at the LGS near me (LA), I haven't seen any 22lr ammo in stock. And the ammo i've seen is in the neighborhood of 15 cents a round. Compared to the bigger bang of a 30 cent round for a .223, the 22lr is starting to look like it's really not worth it.

I get 1000 rounds of .22lr every week at my local Sportsmans Warehouse for no more than 8 cents a round. I'm not seeing .223 for less than 40 cents per round.

I shoot far more .22lr than I do .223. Besides, the women don't care so much for the medium power rounds.

[SonofWWIIDI]

Definitely worth it to have at least one .22. As for ammo, deals can be had, but you have to be diligent and fast when the sales appear!

And, eventually the supply of .22 will begin to replenish. As long as they keep producing it. Prices will never again be as low as they were however! Right now, if you can find deals for under .10 a round, snatch them up!

Good luck!