Do you think .22 Rimfire is becoming obsolete?

[TruthTellers]

With all the pistol chambered carbines coming out and those that already exist it seems clear that the popularity of pistol carbines that the sky's the limit. Magazine compatibility with handguns, low noise, cheaper ammo, availability of ammo, etc. are all appealing factors of the pistol carbines, so much so that I'm wondering if they are going to become the "new .22" for this century.

The .22 is the last rimfire cartridge that still exists and that's largely been because of the inexpensive price, the small size of it, recoil, and the low noise. The .22 also has its drawbacks in its reliability and amount of residue it leaves in the gun, but the past several years the issue with .22 is being able to get it for a decent price.

If you look around, you can get 9mm for under under 20 cents a round while the cheapest .22 will run you around 10 cents per round. For less than double the price, a shooter could get steel case 9mm and be on his way and in return he'll get to shoot a real gun that could be a legit decent defensive gun.

Add to that, if they're into reloading, they could buy brass ammo for a bit more, save that ammo, and go home and make their own ammo for just a bit more than .22.

I'm starting to think people are getting fed up with the .22 shortages to the extent they will abandon it and go with a 9mm or other pistol carbine that matches their preferred handgun round. Am I wrong? Do you think the .22 still reigns king as the sport/recreational cartridge?

 

[ColtPythonElite]

No.......

 

[Comrade Mike]

Yes you're wrong. .22 production has done nothing but increase since the shortage and it's still flying off the shelves. If you want any indication of what people want, watch how they vote with their dollars. .22 isn't going anywhere.

 

[rcmodel]

As long as there are guns?

.22 RF will be a driving force for inexpensive guns, entry level guns, small game hunting guns, cheap ammo, accuracy training guns, and Olympic level accuracy in high level competition.

The cost to produce them is but a fraction of what it costs to make any center-fire cartridge.

rc

 

[GRIZ22]

22 rimfire will be around forever. Cheap to shoot. A 9mm carbine would tear up a lot of small game.

 

[TruthTellers]

I have no doubts about .22's superior nature in small game hunting and other SHTF capabilities, but I'm talking about general shooting. How many regularly use their .22's to harvest small game as a regular food supplement?

 

[rcmodel]

That's a pretty far out question.

How many of us use anything other then cash or a credit card to harvest our regular food suppliments?

I used to hunt rabbits, squirrels, quail, dove, prarie chicken, and anything else that walked or flew as a boy to supplement our families food supply in the early 50's.

But we had a big farm then, with access to more hunting land then one man or boy could hunt, and money was short some years but game wasn't.

Not many of us are in that same situation now days!!

The fact remains that the .22 RF is, and always will be the most widely used, and useful cartridge there is.

rc

 

[Traffer]

With all the pistol chambered carbines coming out and those that already exist it seems clear that the popularity of pistol carbines that the sky's the limit. Magazine compatibility with handguns, low noise, cheaper ammo, availability of ammo, etc. are all appealing factors of the pistol carbines, so much so that I'm wondering if they are going to become the "new .22" for this century.

The .22 is the last rimfire cartridge that still exists and that's largely been because of the inexpensive price, the small size of it, recoil, and the low noise. The .22 also has its drawbacks in its reliability and amount of residue it leaves in the gun, but the past several years the issue with .22 is being able to get it for a decent price.

If you look around, you can get 9mm for under under 20 cents a round while the cheapest .22 will run you around 10 cents per round. For less than double the price, a shooter could get steel case 9mm and be on his way and in return he'll get to shoot a real gun that could be a legit decent defensive gun.

Add to that, if they're into reloading, they could buy brass ammo for a bit more, save that ammo, and go home and make their own ammo for just a bit more than .22.

I'm starting to think people are getting fed up with the .22 shortages to the extent they will abandon it and go with a 9mm or other pistol carbine that matches their preferred handgun round. Am I wrong? Do you think the .22 still reigns king as the sport/recreational cartridge?

Today they had 525 round boxes of Golden bullets by Remington at Fleet Farm in Central Wisconsin for $23 a box. Unless they stop production of 22 rim fire, It aint goin no where.

 

[ROAshooter]

"Do you think .22 Rimfire is becoming obsolete?"

NO...NO...NO.....


thought about it some more.....


NO!!!!!

 

[pockets]

Which question do you want answered? You asked four different ones.

Do you think .22 Rimfire is becoming obsolete?

No, I do not think it is becoming obsolete.

I'm starting to think people are getting fed up with the .22 shortages to the extent they will abandon it and go with a 9mm or other pistol carbine that matches their preferred handgun round.
Am I wrong?

I dunno....are you wrong? I can't tell you if what you are starting to think is right or wrong. They are your thoughts, based on your observations.

Do you think the .22 still reigns king as the sport/recreational cartridge?

For basic hole punching, small game, and general plinking fun....Yes I do.

How many regularly use their .22's to harvest small game as a regular food supplement?

Not sure what your add-on question has to do with the original post.



.

 

[bannockburn]

No I don't believe .22LR is becoming obsolete or irrelevant. I mean there are quite a few people out there still using black powder and that should have become obsolete quite some time ago. The other thing is that guns chambered for .22LR seem to last forever; at least I haven't been able to wear one out yet. As long as consumers keep buying .22LR guns and the ammunition that goes with them, it will always be around.

 

[hovercat]

Far to many people have fond memories of the .22 as their first firearm. Like the first kiss, it is never forgotten.
So when our children get to an age, we purchase them a .22, because we want something so sweet, gentle and wonderfully good in their lives also. And it continues generation after generation.

 

[guyfromohio]

Where are there .22 shortages? I trip over it in Columbus.

 

[e rex]

I haven't pulled the trigger on a .22 rimfire in years and I do have one in the cabinet. I get lead at the salvage yard and pour my own 38 bullets and reload the .357 and .38 Special for about the same price or less. .22s are hard to find in our part of the country and I don't have time to run all over the state looking for them nor will I buy a shed full of them for "pride of ownership".

 

[Doogle]

The .22LR shortage seems to be mainly a US thing...>

..from what I read. I've not noticed any such shortages in Australia, nor significant increases in pricing beyond normal inflation over recent years.

I don't know why there should be a shortage of such common mass produced ammunition, unless it has been artificially created in some way. I don't expect it will be that way forever.

.22LR (don't know about Shorts or Longs, never had need to buy them) in normal circumstances is still by far the least expensive common ammo to shoot, aside perhaps from some reloading. It's inexpensive and accurate - I can't see it going away too soon.

 

[Sav .250]

Never going to happen! No matter your logic..................

 

[chicharrones]

As long as we have cartridge firing firearms, I believe we will have .22LR.

 

[Stuffs]

I hope not, I just got into .22s

 

[Onward Allusion]

No. Not going anywhere anytime soon. Too many guns out there in 22LR. Too many shooters who don't reload. Too many new shooters not comfortable with recoil. It's still 1/2 the cost of 9mm.

I save all my brass and pick up any free range cases around me. When I do start reloading 9mm, it will be the cost of 22 or slightly less.

Personally, I haven't shot 22LR in almost a year. 9mm is my new 22.

 

[jmorris]

Not only is .22lr not the last rimfire in existance its not even the last to be indroduced, forgot about the .17's?

If it were on the way out and there were no longer any demand, why would it be the last ammunition to come back into stock everywhere?

 

[ATLDave]

So your theory is that demand far, far, far outstripping supply of a mass-manufactured good is a sign that said good is soon to be obsolete? Seems odd...

In my experience, a large fraction of people who try to learn to shoot (especially pistols) skipping 22's and going right to "service caliber" cartridges gets a flinch and never learn to see their sights at the moment of firing, much less through recoil. .22's are simply invaluable as a learning and teaching tool. They're not going to be replaced for that.

It's also very easy to find an extremely accurate .22 firearm at a small fraction of the expense to find a gun of equivalent accuracy in centerfire calibers. They're not going to be replaced for that.

You can go for a walk in the woods and carry 500+ rounds of .22lr in a coat pocket. Try that with 9mm or 38spl or .223, and your coat may not survive... and you may get sciatica.

There are just some aspects of a .22 that aren't readily substitutable with other guns/cartridges.

 

[GBExpat]

Do you think .22 Rimfire is becoming obsolete?

Of course not ...

 

[Choctaw]

Heck yeah, it is obsolete. Who wants to shoot the piddly little .22 anymore? I will gladly help forum members dispose of their unwanted and obsolete ammunition because that is the kind of guy I am.

 

[rule303]

The .22 Long Rifle is the most produced cartridge ever. It is still the #1 selling caliber of firearm and ammunition by a large margin. It is 1/2 or less the price of even the cheapest factory 9mm or 5.56mm ammo, and is better than either one for many tasks.

 

[FL-NC]

Absolutely. From the traditions of training new shooters, small bore competition, small game hunting (squirels w/ 9mm?)pest control, etc. 22 isn't going anywhere.