Is a .22 Pistol really any good for practice.

[ATLDave]

I actually think a .22 is a great tool for learning a lot of aspects of shooting a pistol including recoil management.

Wait, don't walk out! Let me explain! Shooting fast and accurately - controlling recoil - is partially about physically managing the recoil with a good grip. The .22 won't really test that part of it. But the other part of the equation is learning to see the sights all the way through recoil. That's a lot easier to learn on a .22. Many shooters NEVER have seen the sights of a gun in recoil, and that's a limiting factor in shooting fast. Some shooters simply cannot learn to do that with even a 9mm first. But learn to do it with a .22lr and it transfers easily.

Do it. Buy a .22lr pistol. One with good sights. Get good. It won't be hard to move up to a service caliber gun at that point.

 

[tipoc]

It is, but interested in shooting in general. Essentially, I figured a might get a .22 eventually, so maybe I should just start with one, and make use of the cheaper ammo to practice?

Very good plan!

 

[sean m]

I carry a Ruger sp101 in 357 as my primary ccw, but use a Ruger sp101 in 22 as my range gun. Saves a great deal on ammo costs, and if I loaded only 5 it mimics the fundamental handling.

 

[walnut1704]

The .22 will help you a lot, it will teach you sight picture and trigger control without the distraction of the recoil of a center fire. When you switch to center fire you'll only need to learn to deal with recoil. When people start with center fire sometimes they can't figure out what they are doing wrong because they are trying to deal with everything at once.

Shoot the .22 until you reach your "goal" whatever that may be, then and only then should you start taking up center fire. Even then, start your range sessions with the .22 to be sure you have your act together before trying the center fire. In the long run, you'll get there quicker starting with a .22.