I am going to start shooting .22 pistols at Massasoit this year. I have talked to several people about pistols, ammo, etc. What do you guys recommend? I don't mind spending money to get results, where will I get the biggest bang for my buck?
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New to .22 target shooting
- Thread starter Skeet732
- Start date
lots of info here "http://www.bullseyepistol.com"
I just started, and so far I have learned: get the best pistol you can afford, grips are important, try a bunch of different ammo till you find the best fit. If your leauge allows red dots, spend the money for good optics.
after that, buy lots of ammo and practice. Getting some coaching will help too.
I just started, and so far I have learned: get the best pistol you can afford, grips are important, try a bunch of different ammo till you find the best fit. If your leauge allows red dots, spend the money for good optics.
after that, buy lots of ammo and practice. Getting some coaching will help too.
It's hard to beat a good used S&W Model 41. You can even find a new one for less than $900. Keep in mind that the Model 41 is very finicky about what you feed it. They usally work best with Standard Velocity.
You can find the answer to any .22 related question at, www.rimfirecentral.com hit forums and you will be amazed at the information you can find there.
You can find the answer to any .22 related question at, www.rimfirecentral.com hit forums and you will be amazed at the information you can find there.
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I'm assuming, as apparently earlier replies have, that you're talking about getting into Bullseye competition. If so, a Model 41 would be a great choice, if you can afford one. Bear in mind that the gun itself is just the beginning of the expense - you're going to want a dot sight (you can compete with open sight, but it's a rare shooter who can be truly competitive with them), and you'll quickly want to add a dedicated Bullseye gun box, spotting scope, spare magazines, maybe some custom grips - the list goes on and on.
A very good alternative to the 41, for much less money, would be a bull barrel Ruger Mark II or III, particularly if you replace the trigger with an aftermarket one such as the Volquartsen. The top shooter last year in one of my two Bullseye leagues used exactly that set up. You can often find used bull barrel Rugers set up with dot sights for a few hundred dollars, and the gun will always be worth that if and when you want to upgrade to something better - but if you're like most shooters it will be a long time before the Ruger is holding you back, if ever. You can use the extra money to buy all the other stuff, or more importantly, lots of ammunition to practice with.
With regard to ammunition, there are those that claim that it doesn't matter at 50', and they would be wrong. There are some pistols that seem to shoot everything well, but they're the exception. Most guns show a preference for one or a few types of ammo, and you can't predict what that will be. Stick with the standard velocity offerings, pick up a variety of the commonly available types, and bench test your gun to check for accuracy and dependability. The most common ammunition on the lines these days is probably CCI SV, which unfortunately has doubled in price over the last year or so. If the gun you end up with will shoot it well, Eley Sport is a money-saving option. The .22 ammo currently sold by the Civilian Marksmanship Program is made by the same manufacturer (Aguila), and that's what I've been running in my Walther GSP and my wife also uses it in her Walther KSP200. Between the two of us, we'll run through upwards of 20,000 rounds per year, so at something less than 2/3rds the cost of CCI the savings can add up.
Finally, get onto a Bullseye team and ask lots of questions. That's the best way to learn. And - since the winter Bullseye leagues shoot indoors - invest a few bucks in a respirator with P100 filters and wear it. The ventilation in most indoor ranges sucks and you don't want to be inhaling all that lead dust. My blood lead levels went through the roof last year, and I'm trying to bring them down before it really causes problems. Many of the guys on the teams I shoot on are starting to wear respirators, and in a few years I think they'll be as common as ear muffs and glasses (which you also must wear, of course).
A very good alternative to the 41, for much less money, would be a bull barrel Ruger Mark II or III, particularly if you replace the trigger with an aftermarket one such as the Volquartsen. The top shooter last year in one of my two Bullseye leagues used exactly that set up. You can often find used bull barrel Rugers set up with dot sights for a few hundred dollars, and the gun will always be worth that if and when you want to upgrade to something better - but if you're like most shooters it will be a long time before the Ruger is holding you back, if ever. You can use the extra money to buy all the other stuff, or more importantly, lots of ammunition to practice with.
With regard to ammunition, there are those that claim that it doesn't matter at 50', and they would be wrong. There are some pistols that seem to shoot everything well, but they're the exception. Most guns show a preference for one or a few types of ammo, and you can't predict what that will be. Stick with the standard velocity offerings, pick up a variety of the commonly available types, and bench test your gun to check for accuracy and dependability. The most common ammunition on the lines these days is probably CCI SV, which unfortunately has doubled in price over the last year or so. If the gun you end up with will shoot it well, Eley Sport is a money-saving option. The .22 ammo currently sold by the Civilian Marksmanship Program is made by the same manufacturer (Aguila), and that's what I've been running in my Walther GSP and my wife also uses it in her Walther KSP200. Between the two of us, we'll run through upwards of 20,000 rounds per year, so at something less than 2/3rds the cost of CCI the savings can add up.
Finally, get onto a Bullseye team and ask lots of questions. That's the best way to learn. And - since the winter Bullseye leagues shoot indoors - invest a few bucks in a respirator with P100 filters and wear it. The ventilation in most indoor ranges sucks and you don't want to be inhaling all that lead dust. My blood lead levels went through the roof last year, and I'm trying to bring them down before it really causes problems. Many of the guys on the teams I shoot on are starting to wear respirators, and in a few years I think they'll be as common as ear muffs and glasses (which you also must wear, of course).
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There's a 41 with the 5.5" barrel that just got posted on the S&W Forum at $550, with 3 mags, claimed to be ANIB. If I didn't already have one I'd be on that in a heartbeat. Also, 2 currently at Four Seasons at $800 and $850.
This is what I'm shooting for 22 bullseye this winter. 10 rnd group of Federal Gold Match 1070fps from the bench. I like the grips as is, added some grip tape to the front strap and back strap, but the trigger will be getting an upgrade.
Sure. It's obviously not the ideal Bullseye gun, but to work on your shooting and get accustomed to how the matches run, it's fine. I would recommend putting a dot sight on it if you haven't already - you can certainly shoot in the matches with open sights, and should definitely learn to shoot open sights at some point anyway, but you'll be at a significant disadvantage in Bullseye matches without a dot.
![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
)Just an update, I gave the gun to Dave Santuri, he built a rail for my cheap ass optic, cleaned the gun and smoothed out the trigger at around 2 1/2 lbs. PLUS he extended the back of the grip to fit my XL hand. I haven't shot it yet, but my guts says this gun ROCKS. Better trigger pull, solid sights, smooth trigger! Its all on me now
.22 Target Scope
Putting together a Mossberg 44US-D .22 for rifle target. What are your opinions on BSA scopes. Can't afford real expensive scope, but have seen a lot of BSA's for sale and heard some bad stuff about them.
Putting together a Mossberg 44US-D .22 for rifle target. What are your opinions on BSA scopes. Can't afford real expensive scope, but have seen a lot of BSA's for sale and heard some bad stuff about them.
My first time shooter experiance with Dot scopes is that they range from pretty simple to ultra expensive, (like everything else) I have a cheap $50.00 scope that I got for $30. I spent 1 1/2 hours sighting it in. Until it craps out, I am good to go. The bigger $$ scopes have multiple everything on them it seems. I need a light source and two adjustment screws. I'm good
