Starting Over With a 22

[mrblenderson]

Hello Everyone

I've been shooting pistols and revolvers for 3-4 years, I took one formal training class when I first got started. Since then have just shot at the range by myself. I haven't really gotten much better, and I am still basically a mediocre shooter.

Over the last year I sold all my pistols while trying to start a business, and only kept 2 revolvers and my AR.

I'm ready to buy another pistol primarily for home defense and almost bought an M&P 9mm.

Then I started to think about the amount of training I can actually do with it, given that funds are still very limited and our toddler takes up almost all my free time.

The most I can possibly get to the range is 2-4 times a month, and if I'm shooting 9mm I can really only afford to shoot about 100 rounds each time.

This led me to thinking about buying the M&P 22 Compact instead, and to spend this year really drilling and locking in all the fundamentals of shooting. By shooting 22LR I could get in 500 rounds every time and get WAY more practice.

Then once I'm actually shooting well add in the 9mm M&P and train with it alongside the 22LR.

In the meantime my AR and 686+ will do just fine for HD duty.

Is this a good route to go?

 

[Al-jim19]

If you’ve got the money: buy a standard capacity auto pistol made of plastic since you don’t have one. I understand some arguments for other guns, but I believe you get the most value from that kind of gun. I’m a Glock fan, but a smith will be just fine if that’s your jam. The P320 and VP9 are also good, but magazines can be a little more expensive.

Once you buy that, put $10 in a shoebox every week and save your coins in a jar. Before you know it you’ll have $300 and you can have your pick of .22s.

A .22 is helpful, but to really improve I believe you need to shoot your go to caliber.

 

[Spats McGee]

I think it's a pretty good plan. I agree that, ideally, one should practice with one's SD or HD setup. Finances get in the way of that sometimes. Right now, .22LR is as cheap as I've seen it in a very long time. If you can increase your trigger time by 3x or more without breaking the bank, that's a win, IMHO.

 

[.308 Norma]

Is this a good route to go?

Well, in my opinion it might be "a good route to go." On the other hand, you might be better off to focus on quality, rather than quantity.
What I mean is, sending 500, 22 caliber bullets downrange in the short period of time you have to practice, might not be nearly as good of practice as sending 100 9mm bullets downrange, if you're concentrating more on what you're doing with the 9mm. Just banging away, seeing how many rounds you can pop off in a given period of time, isn't "quality" practice as far as I'm concerned.

 

[zanders]

I think the 22lr is a fine round for developing fundamentals for a number of reasons. Yes, it's important to practice with the caliber you will carry, but if you can't afford to get your trigger pull, breathing and sight picture down to muscle memory using that caliber you're doing yourself a disservice by training with it.

 

[Rembrandt]

Why not have both, get a 9mm and add a .22 conversion kit. One gun, two calibers.

 

[IdaD]

I'd get the 9mm. 200-400 rounds a month is plenty of practice rounds to get proficient, and as some others have said your best practice isn't going to be doing mag dumps to burn through ammo. That said for home defense I think an AR is generally going to be better than a pistol so you've already got that issue pretty well covered. I think a midsize 9mm is still a really good gun to have, though, because you can take it with you a lot more places and it's a good mix of performance and cost.

 

[Styx]

I think the 22lr is a fine round for developing fundamentals for a number of reasons. Yes, it's important to practice with the caliber you will carry, but if you can't afford to get your trigger pull, breathing and sight picture down to muscle memory using that caliber you're doing yourself a disservice by training with it.

This seems to be the general consensus of those who are trainers or who are very experienced with firearms. Get the fundamentals down first using a 22lr, and once that's down pat, move up. If the OP's goal is to practicing fundamental, I don't see the point in doing that with a more expensive caliber.

 

[thomas15]

Well, in my opinion it might be "a good route to go." On the other hand, you might be better off to focus on quality, rather than quantity.

I agree with Brother .308 Norma

I know shooters that have sent literally 1000s (10s of 1000s) of rounds down range and are really terrible. Shooting well is an acquired skill. It takes effort to acquire the skill. As for the plan you can try it, you really don't have much to lose. As long as it is realized attendance at a gun range and/or making a firearm go bang may or may not do anything to the skill set. It really depends of the effort.

 

[mrblenderson]

I agree with Brother .308 Norma

I know shooters that have sent literally 1000s (10s of 1000s) of rounds down range and are really terrible. Shooting well is an acquired skill. It takes effort to acquire the skill. As for the plan you can try it, you really don't have much to lose. As long as it is realized attendance at a gun range and/or making a firearm go bang may or may not do anything to the skill set. It really depends of the effort.

This is EXACTLY where I'm at.

I've sent thousands of rounds down range and am not much better to show for it.

This is why I'm leaning towards the 22LR so I can really focus on the fundamentals with more repetition.

 

[Pudge]

First, your AR/686 absolutely cover your home defense needs. A 9mm will only provide redundancy. A handgun to acquire skills? Nothing better than a .22 in my opinion. Look at what a used Ruger MK II, or Single Six costs. Then figure 14 cents per 9mm vs 4 cents per .22, that's 3000 rounds and the savings pays for a $300 Ruger. Hopefully, your shooting fundamentals are improving, and financially you've got a free handgun for the training invested.

 

[thomas15]

I've sent thousands of rounds down range and am not much better to show for it.

All of the books that I've read that are geared towards increasing marksmanship skills will make a statement that could be summarized hence: it is better to spend 10 minutes 6 days a week handling your firearm than to spend 60 minutes 1 day per week.

If you want to be really expert at tying your shoes then you need to spend a lot of time actually tying shoelaces. One of the really nice things about firearms is you can get a lot of good handling time by dry fire practice. I have never heard anyone say that they dry fired their handgun every day for 2 weeks and didn't see any improvement. Not saying it hasn't happened though.

 

[sparkyv]

I think it's a pretty good plan. I agree that, ideally, one should practice with one's SD or HD setup. Finances get in the way of that sometimes. Right now, .22LR is as cheap as I've seen it in a very long time. If you can increase your trigger time by 3x or more without breaking the bank, that's a win, IMHO.

I agree, this is a good, cost-effective plan, mrblenderson. Work hard at improving with that .22; it will pay off. Also, I would consider taking the 686+ out to the range occasionally and sending three or four cylinders full down range to get in a little familiarity practice with it.

 

[Labguy47]

I love .22s and now so does my daughter. Some of the best father/daughter memories I have are times we spent plinking and talking at the range. She absolutely shoots better with my M-77/22 than I do. I always keep some .22 on hand just in case she wants to go with me. She reloads shotgun shells and spends time with me doing other stuff but some of the best times we have bonded where at the firing line. IMHO .22s are great family guns. You can do way more than just train with one.

 

[mgresh]

First, your AR/686 absolutely cover your home defense needs. A 9mm will only provide redundancy. A handgun to acquire skills? Nothing better than a .22 in my opinion. Look at what a used Ruger MK II, or Single Six costs. Then figure 14 cents per 9mm vs 4 cents per .22, that's 3000 rounds and the savings pays for a $300 Ruger. Hopefully, your shooting fundamentals are improving, and financially you've got a free handgun for the training invested.

Agree.

If you just want a fun, cost effective, gun to practice and hone in skills, a .22 is the perfect choice.

 

[Bottom Gun]

I would buy the full size M&P22 instead. Then, when you can afford it, buy the M&P9. I’ve shot the compact version and it doesn’t feel enough like the full size for my taste. I went with full size on both and I feel my practice sessions with the .22 are more useful because it feels exactly like the M&P9.

 

[mgresh]

I would buy the full size M&P22 instead. Then, when you can afford it, buy the M&P9. I’ve shot the compact version and it doesn’t feel enough like the full size for my taste. I went with full size on both and I feel my practice sessions with the .22 are more useful because it feels exactly like the M&P9.

Good point about the size. It will match the larger calibers. However, the Compact is 85% of the full size and it is made by S&W in the US. The full size is imported and made by UMAREX.

 

[Bottom Gun]

Good point about the size. It will match the larger calibers. However, the Compact is 85% of the full size and it is made by S&W in the US. The full size is imported and made by UMAREX.

I didn't know that. My full size M&P22 is marked Smith&Wesson on one side and Carl Walther ULM/DO on the opposite side. It was made in Germany.
In comparison with my friend's compact version, my full size has a better trigger and is more accurate. It also has 12 rd magazines as opposed to 10 rd in the compact.

 

[mgresh]

I didn't know that. My full size M&P22 is marked Smith&Wesson on one side and Carl Walther ULM/DO on the opposite side. It was made in Germany.
In comparison with my friend's compact version, my full size has a better trigger and is more accurate. It also has 12 rd magazines as opposed to 10 rd in the compact.

I don't know how big of a deal it is, but it may be to some. I've heard nothing but overall good things about both. UMAREX makes so many guns for other manufacturers who stamp their name on it. UMAREX owns Walther.

I have the Walther PPQ 22. Its pretty much identical internally to your M&P .22. I think mags are even interchangeable. I love it. Size and capacity are a big reason.

 

[ATLDave]

I like the plan except I wouldn't mess with a tacticool faux-service-caliber .22lr. Get a regular old, purpose-built .22: a Ruger Mk__, a Browning Buckmark (my personal fave), or a S&W Victory. It is not important that it is "different" than a 9mm you might eventually buy... the .22 knockoff will be different, too.

I am a big proponent of doing a lot of work with a .22lr. Some people have no problem learning fundamentals with a service-caliber gun. These are generally people who don't fight a flinch (which is really a blink reflex). Others (myself included) find that stepping back to a .22lr can unlock whole worlds of improvement that can then be carried over to centerfire handguns.

My advice for anyone who wants to learn to shoot pistols would be to get a basic .22lr with good sights and a decent trigger, buy .22lr in bulk, and try to wear out the gun. I learned a lot by putting a quarter-sized sticker on a cardboard target, then shooting it with a .22lr until there was no sticker left. You start out just trying to put holes in the sticker's circumfrence... but near the end, you're having to shoot at little strips of sticker dangling by a thread. This really encourages the shooter to see what is going on when the gun goes off, which is the start of good pistol shooting.

 

[Tallball]

It sounds like a good plan.

IMHO any good 22 handgun would probably work just fine.

 

[Sistema1927]

They say that practice makes perfect, but they are wrong.

Only perfect practice makes perfect. As a result, if you are willing to accept the discipline, 100 rounds of 9mm might prove more effective than 500 rounds of .22.

 

[Boarhunter]

I have been shooting handguns for over 45 years and have a nice accumulation to show for it, but when I need to focus on fundamentals, I turn to my 22 pistols and revolvers. And I put far more 22 ammo downrange than any centerfire rounds.

I think your plan is excellent, and the M&P compact 22 is ideal for the purpose.

By the time you have a little money saved for a nice centerfire pistol, you should have the fundamentals down pat.

BOARHUNTER

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

If you plan on using your 9mm for defensive purposes you need to practice with IT. Dry fire is free and does wonders, but you still need to shoot the thing. 9mm is dirt cheap. You can get 200rds of Federal at Walmart for $30.

That being said I love .22 anything, but it's not a replacement for practicing with a firearm meant to be used for anything other than a range toy.

 

[Keith G]

Unless you have some sort of Superman endurance, then I can’t imagine squeezing off 500 quality shots at one session. I start to deteriorate after about 60. I will shoot 25-50 a few times a week, and I think that is good quality practice.

So as much as I love 22’s, I say get the 9mm. Cheap enough to get quality training, and dry fire to supplement.