Everyone Needs a good .22

Am Shooting Journal ^ | 5/3/2017 | Larry Case

[w1n1]

The new Savage A22 impresses with its accuracy and volume.

Dotzie was telling me to hurry. Treed at the base of a big white oak, my little mountain cur barked impatiently to inform me there was a squirrel up above that required my undivided attention. Out of breath from hurrying to her side, it took me several minutes to spot the gray squirrel pinned to a limb. Still a little shaky, I pulled a miss on my first shot and the squirrel darted through the upper limbs to begin his high-wire act. I settled down by the third shot, and after I squeezed the Accu Trigger on the Savage A22, the bushy tail tumbled out of the tree. I was happy, and more importantly, Dotzie was happy.

IN MY MISSPENT YOUTH, I knew an old codger who I thought of as my mentor when it came to rifles. He had survived Korea and a battle that took place in a location now called the Frozen Chozin. He had a house full of guns, and was always shooting, reloading, or doing something with a rifle. I tried to learn as much as I could from him, while staying out of his way at the same time.

"Boy," he told me, “everyone needs a good .22 rifle, if for nothing else than just to shoot.” By "just to shoot" he meant target practice, can plinking, hunting small game, pest control, and anything else a body would need a rifle for in a caliber below a .3030. To him, a dependable .22 was a tool much like an axe or a wrench; and when you needed one, it had to work and work well. Read the rest of the Savage A22 Review here.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***The first .22 rifle you purchase should be a Ruger 10/22,***

Maybe so today, but I still prefer the Remington Nylon 66. Super accurate! Wish they still made them.

[hanamizu]

Does yours have the shoulder strap that comes out of the stock?

---

That was my Christmas present in 1956. Got stolen some 40 years ago. Shot a lot of jackrabbits in the desert in Southern Idaho.

[Yo-Yo]

The only jams I've ever encountered with my 10/22 have been when using third party extended magazines from ProMag and Butler Creek. Never had a jam from the factory 10 round magazines.

Ever since Ruger came out with the BX25 magazines, I've thrown away those other pieces of excrement.

Try finding replacement parts for a Nylon 66. http://www.brownells.com/parts/Remington/Nylon+66/index.htm?psize=96

Now you want a real POS jam-o-matic, try my original Armalite AR-7. Won't eat anything but CCI Mini-mags, and even then it's hit or miss (pun intended.)

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***Have you priced 45 colt lately? Nearly $1/shot.***

Back in the Dark Ages of 1969 I purchased a Winchester 30-40 rifle. Hunted everywhere for ammo and found ONE Box of fifty which cost (at that time) $20. And the cases would split when fired. At that time, regular .38 was $3 a box of fifty.

Today, real Winchester hunting ammo, for that rifle is close to $100 a box.

[Kickass Conservative]

I had a .22 Bolt Action from Sears (I think) and a .410 Shotgun (single shot) when I was eight years old.

Kept them in my Bedroom Closet where my Older Brother kept his Pistols and Rifles.

Never thought a thing about it.

[Lurker]

Really? I have two. One a standard and the other a Take Down model. Both are topped with Nikon scopes. I feed them both High Velocity ammo.

I don’t believe I’ve had more than one FTF in thousands of rounds through them. Are they as accurate as a bolt gun? Nope. But if you’re inside 75 yard or so I can definitely ruin your day.

Best,

L

[Yo-Yo]

Time to dust off your Ruger.

Range .45 Long Colt at $0.50 per round: http://www.sgammo.com/product/45-long-colt-ammo/50-round-box-45-long-colt-200-grain-lead-bullet-american-cowboy-ammo

[stevio]

Something I consider more is the price and availability of ammo.

[eastforker]

I have this in 22 magnum. I was hesitant at first, as most semi auto 22 mags I have ever shot were not dependable. This on however is the cats meow. 3 round shot group at a hundred yards I can cover with a quarter. 10 round rotary clip. The 22 mag semi auto will set you back about 4 bills.

[DesertRhino]

I cannot find a single comment he has posted. Even about the articles he posts. Kinda odd.

[TexasGator]

Here is another:

http://freerepublic.com/tag/by:seananthony/index?tab=comments;brevity=full;options=no-change

[Georgia Girl 2]

Pretty happy with my Ruger 10/22.

[SparkyBass]

I have the .45 long colt choke in mine right now. You are right, it is a hoot to shoot!

[Lazamataz]

I’m just pullin people’s legs.

[Comment Not Approved]

Thanks, USMCPOP.

A gunsmith told me there were several manufactures that made guns for Sears under the J.C. Higgins brand. He said mine was one of the best.

I love that rifle.

[Lurker]

You succeeded! Have a good day.

L

[Thank You Rush]

Learned to shoot a .22 on the farm to kill the snakes on the trees at the old swimming hole. I was probably 12..Didn’t do any plinking as I don’t believe we had any cans to shoot. The older siblings and hired men used them on the woodchucks, I think - pinned the tails on the silos..Must have been a macho thing - females not included. Female shooters, that is.

Used them in the Mojave Desert years and years later...and we did have cans to shoot plus plastic milk jugs.

Would love to test my skills on the thousands of squirrels here on our property in GA - against the law I hear. We moved from CA where we never saw one - they were all here the whole time, I think!

[Thank You Rush]

“”My dog catches his own squirrels. But he always spits them right back out.””

Then that’s what I need - a dog.....If I can’t shoot them, turn the dog loose..

[Mr Ramsbotham]

Then that’s what I need - a dog.....If I can’t shoot them, turn the dog loose..

The only problem with a dog is that it's too easy for a squirrel to go up a tree or dart underneath some structure where the dog can't follow. You need a dog that will patiently lie in wait for them, like a cat, then pounce when they get up close.