Using .22 as a trainer?

[jackknife88]

Anyone one use a .22lr as a trainer? I love my centerfire, but have gotten a Bergara Carbon BMR to sub for cost effectiveness and short distance training.

 

[mollerdan]

I’m curious about this as well! I have not purchased a 22LR yet for nrl22 but already have one in AR platform for Appleseed weekends. Would you bug the BMR again if you had to do it over?

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I have a Tikka T1X and CZ 457 I use for trainers. Mostly for offhand practice at 50 yards (shooting at 3.5” target).

 

[WyldGoose]

@THLR just posted videos on his YouTube about this very topic.

 

[Aussie Dan]

I had a vudoo 360 as a prs trainer, was absolutely fantastic out to 300yds.

Also had a cz457 varmint that I used for off hand being that it was a helluva lot lighter than my vudoo/mpa chassis combo.

22s are just plain fun. Wouldn't hesitate to get another.

 

[left hunter]

Absolutely! I’m way more comfortable not peeing off my neighbors at my house by shooting my suppressed .22’s. I shoot either a left hand Bergara or cz452. My daughter shoots a left hand tikka t1x.

It’s nice to just be able to shoot at my own place whenever I feel like it.

We also shoot suppressed Ruger handguns which has really been helpful for my wife and daughters to get more proficient with a pistol

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Absolutely. Great for cheap practice. I take mine on hikes and work on shooting off my pack and off rocks and stuff.

If nothing else is super fun. Shooting suppressed 22 is one of my favorite things to do.

 

[jackknife88]

I’m curious about this as well! I have not purchased a 22LR yet for nrl22 but already have one in AR platform for Appleseed weekends. Would you bug the BMR again if you had to do it over?

Would do it all over again. I bought it to hunt (small creatures) and to train and it's stellar for both. I have taken it out to small "weekender" target competitions, and with Eley Target, shot well. Put some Eley Match (black box) flat nose in it, and it shoots insane.

 

[LCguy]

That's what I do. Train with my 22 out to 50 yards and then the 223 for longer shots

 

[TradLife406]

@THLR just posted videos on his YouTube about this very topic.

Makes me want to drop $1200 on a 22 UPR

 

[Steve O]

As a younger man I shot a lot of Model 70s. I had a few Ruger 77/22s that I used for training. Same 3 position safety. 100 yard shooting with .22 makes you pay very close attention to your mechanics. Wish I would have been loose enough with my wallet to get a Kimber 22 as a trainer.

 

[huntsman22]

I have a bighorn TL3 and a little brother bighorn RimX as its trainer.

 

[RockAndSage]

Anyone one use a .22lr as a trainer? I love my centerfire, but have gotten a Bergara Carbon BMR to sub for cost effectiveness and short distance training.

They're great to mix in, but try to also add in a few rounds of centerfire in the middle and at the very end of a session.

Rimfire can't replicate some of the training challenges that come with recoil. And it can lead to not realizing you're building in some bad habits or inappropriate technique, without that recoil feedback.

Recoil reveals bad technique. Recoil also adds in several variables to any shot. So removing recoil to focus on other things, like trigger control and target focus, helps in isolating improvement. Isolating in on specifics for improvement, then mixing it back up together with recoil, is where you get big gains and keep fewer bad habits from creeping in.

 

[43.6N]

They're great to mix in, but try to also add in a few rounds of centerfire in the middle and at the very end of a session.

Rimfire can't replicate some of the training challenges that come with recoil. And it can lead to not realizing you're building in some bad habits or inappropriate technique, without that recoil feedback.

Recoil reveals bad technique. Recoil also adds in several variables to any shot. So removing recoil to focus on other things, like trigger control and target focus, helps in isolating improvement. Isolating in on specifics for improvement, then mixing it back up together with recoil, is where you get big gains and keep fewer bad habits from creeping in.

Agree.
I consider 22lr training to be enhanced dry fire, or to put it differently, dry fire with consequences.

And just like actual dry fire, I think it’s an important step in any firearm training. For any given range session, I’m usually about 50% 22lr while I get warmed up. Then move onto the center fire practice for the last 50%.

 

[RockAndSage]

I consider 22lr training to be enhanced dry fire, or to put it differently, dry fire with consequences.

I like how you put this, it works well, thinking about it as dryfire with feedback/consequences. Going to have to steal it.

 

[Buckmarkhunter]

I have a Bergera b14 trainer that I put a nightforce on. I can shoot steel out to 300 yds with sk long range match. Cheeper to shoot and a lot of fun to get range time in.

 

[Castle Rock]

In past generations every one got a 22 at 10 or 12, and progressed to a centrefire in their teens, marksmanship was real then.

 

[WoodlandCritter]

90% of shooting practice can be done in dry fire. A .22 is essentially dry fire but cost money and necessitates a range trip (unless you can shoot in your yard). The things that require actually firing a gun to practice also require either the recoil of a centerfire or the external ballistics of a centerfire.

I love shooting .22s and they're better practice than browsing Instagram in your recliner. But realistically, they're not very helpful for making major improvements in centerfire shooting.

 

[Aussie Dan]

I love shooting .22s and they're better practice than browsing Instagram in your recliner. But realistically, they're not very helpful for making major improvements in centerfire shshooting.

At 50 yards perhaps. Even 100 when its windy is challenging.
Try stretching it out to 250yds+

IIRC a 22 at 300yds has similar wind call characteristics as a 308 at 1000yds.
As someone said above, its dry fire with consequences.

Chasing sub moa groups at 100yds with a 22 requires extensive ammo testing, good form and better than average wind calling if its windy. Plus a little luck because even the best 22 ammo can be extremely inconsistent.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

90% of shooting practice can be done in dry fire. A .22 is essentially dry fire but cost money and necessitates a range trip (unless you can shoot in your yard). The things that require actually firing a gun to practice also require either the recoil of a centerfire or the external ballistics of a centerfire.

I love shooting .22s and they're better practice than browsing Instagram in your recliner. But realistically, they're not very helpful for making major improvements in centerfire shooting.

I disagree because dry fire doesn't provide feedback at all. The target doesn't lie. Go out and shoot a .22 at a 1" dot, 50 yards away, from field positions, and you will improve more than simple dry fire.

The absolute best practice for big game hunting (apart from big game hunting) is squirrel or rabbit hunting with a .22. It's so easy to work on so many aspects of field shooting and hunting doing that, while putting a bit of meat in the pot.