# Is a .22 worth it for practice?



## LowPro313 (Sep 6, 2010)

I recently bought my first gun and am loving it. It is a G23. I bought it for self defense purposes but the first time i went to the range I loved it. So I went again, and again. So after just over a week of owning the gun I have shot over 500 rounds. That is way to expensive to do in a .40 cal. I do not feel like spending so much in ammo so I thought of getting a 9mm because the price of ammo seems right. Than my friend said a .22 is kinda fun for practice too but I am afraid it just might not be enough. I do not want to feel like I have a BB gun in my hands. Should I do the .22 or would I be alot more satisfied with the 9mm? It will be for range shooting only.


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## crazy charlie (May 3, 2010)

From a cost standpoint the 9mm is not that much more of a savings over the .40 IMO-YMMV (I buy Walmart when it's on sale Winchester 'white-box'). I like to practice with what I carry for self defense.
There's no doubt about it .22 ammo is much cheaper than 9mm or .40. Depending on what you get in a .22 some models are 'ammo fussy' especially in semi-autos.
My Sigma .40 and my Springfield XD-45 Tactical are not ammo fussy.


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## LowPro313 (Sep 6, 2010)

Wal-mart has 9mm federal $10 for a 50 rd box. Its $17 for that many rounds for a .40 cal. So with almost splitting the cost in half I would say a 9mm's ammo cost is low enough to make a difference. That right there will save me $100 bucks a month. After a few month's there is the cost of the 9mm itself. So thats why I am thinking a 9mm would be good for the range. But I see that .22 as a baby's toy. I might just have to rent one for a session to see what I think.


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## Kharuger (Jun 19, 2010)

My feeling is that if you burned through 500+ rounds in your first week, you obviously love shooting handguns as much as the thousands of people who visit these forums so you might as well just plan on getting BOTH a 9mm AND and a .22 like the rest of us... for starters...


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## LowPro313 (Sep 6, 2010)

Kharuger said:


> My feeling is that if you burned through 500+ rounds in your first week, you obviously love shooting handguns as much as the thousands of people who visit these forums so you might as well just plan on getting BOTH a 9mm AND and a .22 like the rest of us... for starters...


For starters, Thats so funny. I bought my gun thinking it would be atleast to six months to a year before I even thought about buying another one. It took just over a week to make me want another. I do not understand how I did not catch this bug earlier. If I get a 9mm I know it will be a glock to match my carry so I do not lose the feel for it. But what is a good .22 that is not to small or girlie looking to say.


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## MitchellB (Aug 14, 2010)

You may want to consider a .22 double action revovler to practice trigger control as most of the .22 autos I'm familiar with have a pretty light trigger. Either way you'll can spend less money and shoot more often with a .22. Heck, even a BB pistol in the basement can be practice or just plain fun time shooting. With the cost of ammo, I just can't affort to practice as much as I'd like to with any of my large caliber handguns.


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## Kharuger (Jun 19, 2010)

Since you're such a Glock fan, I'm just wondering if you're aware of the ISSC M-22... a glock-like 
.22 made in Austria. If you just google it, you can easily see it and find out all about it.

PS: I agree about the BB gun idea... I also have a c02 type and it's a hoot... nice thing especially is that I can shoot it at home whenever I feel like it and without all the restrictions like at the range... i.e. draw and fire, fire from odd positions, etc.... Click on the link below if you want to see more about mine:

http://www.handgunforum.net/tactics-technique/25272-anybody-else-like-bb-pistols-practice.html


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## Couch Potato (Jun 3, 2010)

LowPro313 said:


> Wal-mart has 9mm federal $10 for a 50 rd box. Its $17 for that many rounds for a .40 cal. So with almost splitting the cost in half I would say a 9mm's ammo cost is low enough to make a difference. That right there will save me $100 bucks a month. After a few month's there is the cost of the 9mm itself. So thats why I am thinking a 9mm would be good for the range. But I see that .22 as a baby's toy. I might just have to rent one for a session to see what I think.


That same $17 will get you 500 rounds of .22 LR ammo. Anyone who sees a .22 as a "baby's toy" should be kept far away from other children. I fully agree a .22 would be a very poor choice as a self defense weapon except in the most unusual of circumstances, but it is a very good choice for learning and practicing many aspects of pistol shooting. When you get to where you can put 30 rounds of .22 in a one-half inch group at 10 yards, you will find you can do some very good work with a .45 too.


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## cougartex (Jan 2, 2010)

Couch Potato said:


> That same $17 will get you 500 rounds of .22 LR ammo. Anyone who sees a .22 as a "baby's toy" should be kept far away from other children. I fully agree a .22 would be a very poor choice as a self defense weapon except in the most unusual of circumstances, but it is a very good choice for learning and practicing many aspects of pistol shooting. When you get to where you can put 30 rounds of .22 in a one-half inch group at 10 yards, you will find you can do some very good work with a .45 too.


I agree.


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## Packard (Aug 24, 2010)

The .22 will not give you the feel of the recoil, but will let you practice sight picture and hand steadiness.

A air gun will allow you to practice the same in your own basement--and advantage. Good air guns are as expensive (or much more expensive) than standard pistols. The ammo is not that cheap either for quality pellets.

For information about air guns (rifle and pistol) see: http://www.targettalk.org/index.php


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Why not learn to reload your empties?
As long as you stick to jacketed bullets, your reloads will be OK in your Glock. (But don't use lead-alloy bullets. Gotta be jacketed.)
If you buy a decent press and dies, the payback begins at about 1,500 rounds of reloads. Of course, that's not counting your time, which you contribute "free." But the simplest Dillon machine will give you 300-to-500 reloads an hour, once you have learned to do the job, so payback comes quickly if you continue to enjoy shooting.

In my personal philosophy, it's better to practice with reloads which closely approximate your daily-carry cartridges, than it is to practice with a .22 or an air-pistol.

(Jean and I will be away in Noo Yawk, gawking at our new granddaughter, from Sept. 15th through the 29th. See you when we get back...)


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## zebramochaman (May 6, 2010)

I started out like you, two years ago, buying a Glock G-32 as my first sidearm. I took the advice of many of the more experienced shooters on this forum as well as others and my second handgun purchase was a Browning Buck Mark.
Although today I am fairly competent with all of my handguns (I'm up to 10 so far) it took a lot of practice and hundreds of rounds sent down the range. The Buck Mark is still one of my favorite pistols to shoot. Shooting this gun, I was able to develop my stance, grip, sight picture, breathing and trigger squeeze. I spent hours at the range shooting Federal Bulk ammo (550 packs) at a fraction of the cost of the 357 SIG ammo my Glock eats.
To date I have pistols and revolvers in .22, .32, 9mm Luger, 9mm Makarov, 357 SIG, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .45 Colt and .410 shotgun. Regardless of the caliber the basics of what I learned shooting my .22 apply.


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## James NM (Jan 4, 2007)

LowPro313 said:


> Is a .22 worth it for practice?


Yes.


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## Teuthis (Apr 9, 2008)

The more you can practice with any firearm, the better shooter you will be. Get a .22 and fire as many rounds as you can afford. The aim, trigger, fire exercise is invaluable.


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## propellerhead (May 19, 2006)

No. A .22 can get boring and you'll end up spending more time loading mags than shooting. You don't grip a .22 like you do a 9mm/.40 or higher. You don't even have to grip it. Just hold the gun and it stays put. All that practice goes out the door when you shoot your .40 since you'll be holding onto that gun with a lot more effort. It's a different ball game. Practice with a 9mm.


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## recoilguy (Apr 30, 2009)

It never stops amazing me how there can be so divergent opinions from people who do or think they do know alot about anything. Most of the time their opinion is presented as gospel. 

On this subject my opinion is a .22 is a good practice tool If you don't grip the gun the same you are doing it wrong, in my opinion. It may be better to practice with a different caliber closer to your daily carry but it is better to practice with a .22 then to not practice. I think.

RCG


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## Couch Potato (Jun 3, 2010)

propellerhead said:


> No. A .22 can get boring and you'll end up spending more time loading mags than shooting. You don't grip a .22 like you do a 9mm/.40 or higher. You don't even have to grip it. Just hold the gun and it stays put. All that practice goes out the door when you shoot your .40 since you'll be holding onto that gun with a lot more effort. It's a different ball game. Practice with a 9mm.


Given that it takes less than 5 seconds to load a .22 magazine I don't see how one would spend more time loading than shooting.


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

propellerhead said:


> No. A .22 can get boring and you'll end up spending more time loading mags than shooting. You don't grip a .22 like you do a 9mm/.40 or higher. You don't even have to grip it. Just hold the gun and it stays put. All that practice goes out the door when you shoot your .40 since you'll be holding onto that gun with a lot more effort. It's a different ball game. Practice with a 9mm.


I have to disagree with the gist of this statement. To benefit from practice with a .22, it helps a lot if you get one that resembles your self-defense gun as closely as possible, so that you can use the proper grip. It takes the same discipline to fire a .22 accurately as it does with a center fire handgun, so how can you not benefit by the extra repetitions?

When I was not satisfied with my marksmanship with compact type pistols, I went out and purchased a Walther P-22 so I could spend more time and less money practicing with a small pistol. It took me approximately three range sessions to improve my abilities enough to put full magazines from a 9mm compact (CZ RAMI) into a paper plate at 25 yards, at a fairly brisk firing rate. That may not be one of the goals for a purely self defense shooter, but if you can do it, it's only a small step to scoot up to seven yards and practice rapid fire, using the same marksmanship principles, but simply shooting much faster.

A lot of the new shooters that I see at the range seem completely content to just spray a silhouette at 7 yards. But for those who really want to learn to bear down and hit their targets more precisely, a .22 can only help.


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## Packard (Aug 24, 2010)

Time v.s. money. If you have the time to shoot the .22 and the Glock, then go ahead and get the .22 and work on your hand steadiness, sight picture and trigger pull. But if you only have time to shoot one gun each week, practice with your primary weapon.


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## charger5579 (Nov 6, 2010)

I know your feeling man! I did the same thing with my 45 acp. Shot till i just didnt want to spend no more on ammo! So i bought a 9mm, and shot it to a point it was the same way even though ammo was cheaper for the 9mm. I then bought a smith and wesson 22a 22 caliber pistol. I paid 281 out the door with it and have over 1,000 rounds through it in the last 6 months. Super accurate, and will eat anything i put in it.


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## charger5579 (Nov 6, 2010)

propellerhead said:


> No. A .22 can get boring and you'll end up spending more time loading mags than shooting. You don't grip a .22 like you do a 9mm/.40 or higher. You don't even have to grip it. Just hold the gun and it stays put. All that practice goes out the door when you shoot your .40 since you'll be holding onto that gun with a lot more effort. It's a different ball game. Practice with a 9mm.


You can buy a 22 pistol in the exact same shape and form as a 9, 40, or 45. They have several of them out that are identical to the 1911 frame


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## propellerhead (May 19, 2006)

charger5579 said:


> You can buy a 22 pistol in the exact same shape and form as a 9, 40, or 45. They have several of them out that are identical to the 1911 frame


I know. I have a 22 conversion kit for my Sig P220 and I've owned and sold a Walther in 22. The point of my post was to say that I don't apply the same grip strength when I'm shooting 22 or 45. Sure you can learn how to aim with a 22 but when you go to a 40 or 45 after that, it's a different ball game because now you're squeezing the pistol much harder and the mechanics of your trigger finger change. That's why I still recommend practicing with a 9mm instead of a 22.


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## charger5579 (Nov 6, 2010)

propellerhead said:


> I know. I have a 22 conversion kit for my Sig P220 and I've owned and sold a Walther in 22. The point of my post was to say that I don't apply the same grip strength when I'm shooting 22 or 45. Sure you can learn how to aim with a 22 but when you go to a 40 or 45 after that, it's a different ball game because now you're squeezing the pistol much harder and the mechanics of your trigger finger change. That's why I still recommend practicing with a 9mm instead of a 22.


Thats a good point for sure!!


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## Packard (Aug 24, 2010)

I have an Olympic-style airgun (Baikal 46M) that I use on a regulation 10 meter range (33 feet) that I have in my basement and using that gun has helped my shooting significantly. If you have access to a basement where you can set up the range (it makes no noise), then I would rather go with the airgun than a .22; you will have more opportunity to shoot (it's in your basement) and it is vastly more cost-effective (500 rounds costs less than $10.00).


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## C1 (Sep 25, 2010)

propellerhead said:


> I know. I have a 22 conversion kit for my Sig P220 and I've owned and sold a Walther in 22. The point of my post was to say that I don't apply the same grip strength when I'm shooting 22 or 45. Sure you can learn how to aim with a 22 but when you go to a 40 or 45 after that, it's a different ball game because now you're squeezing the pistol much harder and the mechanics of your trigger finger change. That's why I still recommend practicing with a 9mm instead of a 22.


 The grip should be the same, firm and consistent. Sounds like you may be gripping your .45 too much or your .22 too little.


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## group17 (Jan 4, 2010)

Packard said:


> I have an Olympic-style airgun (Baikal 46M) that I use on a regulation 10 meter range (33 feet) that I have in my basement and using that gun has helped my shooting significantly. If you have access to a basement where you can set up the range (it makes no noise), then I would rather go with the airgun than a .22; you will have more opportunity to shoot (it's in your basement) and it is vastly more cost-effective (500 rounds costs less than $10.00).


KJW G23 METAL Gas Blowback Airsoft Gun - G23 Gas Airsoft Pistol - AirSplat.com - AirSoft Gun Warehouse
Metal gas blow back slide, same size pistol and weight.

I use a PX4 version of my real one during the winter in my basement as well. The controls are all the same. Mine makes plenty of noise!


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## Packard (Aug 24, 2010)

group17 said:


> KJW G23 METAL Gas Blowback Airsoft Gun - G23 Gas Airsoft Pistol - AirSplat.com - AirSoft Gun Warehouse
> Metal gas blow back slide, same size pistol and weight.
> 
> I use a PX4 version of my real one during the winter in my basement as well. The controls are all the same. Mine makes plenty of noise!


The Baikal does not resemble any firearm I know of, and the battery of arms is unique to that weapon too. But it is super accurate (far more so than any Airsoft) and very gratifying to shoot. But the 1.1 pound trigger pull takes some time to get used to.

See: Baikal IZH-46M - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also: http://www.pyramydair.com/p/izh-46M-match-air-pistol.shtml


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## MoMan (Dec 27, 2010)

I agree on getting a .22 for practice. I have a SW 22A with a red dot on it. It gives me the opportunity to shoot as much as I want without breaking the bank.
What I normally do is take the 22 and 1 or 2 of my other guns and start with the 22 then shoot a magazine or two from each of the other guns.
That way I get my larger gun fix while still getting in as much shooting as I want using the 22.
I don't see how anyone would think of a 22 as a baby gun. Remember it's all about practice.

MO:smt1099


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## ronmail65 (Jan 18, 2011)

*There's no doubt that shooting a .22 will save you money.* If your 40 cal costs $17 per 50, you'll spend anywhere from $7 per 100rd (CCI Mini Mags at WalMart) to $17 per 525rd (Federal Bulk at WalMart). That's $0.27 to $0.30 per round of savings, so if you shoot 500 rds per month that will save you $135-$150 per month. At that rate a new .22 semi-auto or revolver will pay for itself quickly, plus the continued savings.

*Of course practice with a .22 will not be the same as with a .40.* Based on the specific .22 gun or conversion kit you choose, the shooting experience can be similar (but not the same) and you're still practicing the same shooting fundamentals regardless of the feel of the gun. The big difference is that you can afford to shoot A LOT MORE.

My personal experience... I purchased my first gun 3 months ago, a 9mm. I found it to be expensive, so I purchased a .22 of the same weight and size. I'm shooting more and saving money. It's definitely different than the 9mm, but I'm still learning and it's still fun. I recommend it.


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## Overkill0084 (Nov 28, 2010)

Don't they make .22 conversion kits for glocks? I just got one for my CZ and it's money well spent.
Airguns are a fine way to improve one's skills. My favorite Air Pistol is a Fienwerkbau 65 that I inherited. But the Daisy 717 is just as accurate. Not terribly sophisticated, but they work well. I've had mine for 20 years.
I guarantee that your follow through will improve with an air pistol. Very slow moving pellet in a relatively long barrel... All of the technique is required, you just aren't getting the recoil. Great way to not develop a flinch, or to fix one if you have. 
Fire a few thousand pellets in serious practice and then say your skills haven't improved. I bet you can't.


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## ronmail65 (Jan 18, 2011)

Overkill0084 said:


> Don't they make .22 conversion kits for glocks? I just got one for my CZ and it's money well spent.
> Airguns are a fine way to improve one's skills. My favorite Air Pistol is a Fienwerkbau 65 that I inherited. But the Daisy 717 is just as accurate. Not terribly sophisticated, but they work well. I've had mine for 20 years.
> I guarantee that your follow through will improve with an air pistol. Very slow moving pellet in a relatively long barrel... All of the technique is required, you just aren't getting the recoil. Great way to not develop a flinch, or to fix one if you have.
> Fire a few thousand pellets in serious practice and then say your skills haven't improved. I bet you can't.


I also have a Glock and my first instinct was to purchase a conversion kit. Unfortunately, conversion kits for the Gen4 Glocks are not available yet. In addition, I found that the cost of a conversion kit was relatively close to acquiring a second gun.

Pellet guns are a great idea -- even cheaper than a .22, plus you don't have to go to a range or other special location. But, they don't go BANG. :mrgreen:


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## Overkill0084 (Nov 28, 2010)

ronmail65 said:


> I also have a Glock and my first instinct was to purchase a conversion kit. Unfortunately, conversion kits for the Gen4 Glocks are not available yet. In addition, I found that the cost of a conversion kit was relatively close to acquiring a second gun.
> 
> Pellet guns are a great idea -- even cheaper than a .22, plus you don't have to go to a range or other special location. But, they don't go BANG. :mrgreen:


Many people recommend dry firing. That's not supposed to go "bang" either. Loud isn't a requirement to improve technique. It could be argued that it may actually be a hinderance in some instances.
I would imagine that Gen 4 conversion kits are forthcoming in the not too distant future. 
Good kits aren't cheap, but it's nice being able to bang away with my CZ and not worry about hunting for the brass. I have a Ruger MK3, it's a fine gun, and it was cheaper than the CZ kit. I think there is something to be said for being able to use your SD gun for both. The controls don't move and the trigger is the same. I'm seriously considering one for my 1911 down the road.


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## EliWolfe (Nov 20, 2010)

LowPro313 said:


> EDITI recently bought my first gun and am loving it. It is a G23. I bought it for self defense purposes but the first time i went to the range I loved it. So after just over a week of owning the gun I have shot over 500 rounds.
> 
> That is way to expensive to do in a .40 cal. I do not feel like spending so much in ammo so I thought of getting a 9mm because the price of ammo seems right.
> 
> Should I do the .22 or would I be alot more satisfied with the 9mm? It will be for range shooting only.


You bought a Glock 23 .40 for self defense. Step one, is to get some professional basic training.
The fact that you loved to shoot it at the range doesn't change your need for SD training. You have already put 500 rounds downrange. That's the horse before the cart IMO.

Forget the 9mm in this equation. It is not THAT different than the .40 and you already got one of those that you love!

Your best bet in the long run if you want to shoot a lot, is to reload. I know this from trying to compete in SASS with factory ammo!!! DUMB! Reloading will allow you to practice with the gun you are going to use for SD, AND you will be shooting the same general round as well. Practicing with a .22 is a distant second choice from a self defense point of view IMO. A "conversion" while being costly, is your best bet .22 because it keeps you using your actual weapon.

Could be you will find that you enjoy both target shooting and self defense practice. The thing to remember is that these are two distinctly different modes. Your best to keep it that way!
Eli :mrgreen:


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

ronmail65 said:


> ...I purchased my first gun 3 months ago, a 9mm. I found it to be expensive, so I purchased a .22 of the same weight and size. I'm shooting more and saving money. It's definitely different than the 9mm, but I'm still learning and it's still fun. I recommend it.


Trouble is, when you switch back to your 9mm, its recoil will come as an unpleasant surprise, since you've been training with a low- (or no-) recoil pistol. That will make your second shot, and subsequent shots, slow and inaccurate as you try to compensate for the unexpected recoil impulse.
If you want to shoot your 9mm defensively, then practice with it, and not with a similarly-configured .22 LR rimfire.


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Trouble is, when you switch back to your 9mm, its recoil will come as an unpleasant surprise, since you've been training with a low- (or no-) recoil pistol. That will make your second shot, and subsequent shots, slow and inaccurate as you try to compensate for the unexpected recoil impulse.
> If you want to shoot your 9mm defensively, then practice with it, and not with a similarly-configured .22 LR rimfire.


This is probably true for a newbie, for the first few times. But I just can't see an experienced shooter, who practices enough to be credible at defending himself/herself, being affected much, if at all.

Practice with whatever is available, that you can afford, and learn not to be affected by recoil, if you want to be any good at all with a pistol. If you're concentrating on sight picture and trigger pull, a powderpuff like the 9mm is not gonna be that hard to adjust to, after firing a .22...in my opinion, of course. :mrgreen:


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