Which is why you shoot a .22. Down here a brick of .22 is like $25-30 tops. The most annoying part is just reloading.
Yeah but where's the fun in that? It's like buying a Ferrari and never doing more than 65. Yeah ammo price is a big concern of mine. It's what stopped me from seriously considering getting a gun the last time I was interested in it.
It can get expensive no matter what you shoot. .223/5.56 or 7.62 are usually the calibers of choice for sport shooting if you want a "real" rifle because of the price and availability of the ammo, but in my opinion everyone needs a .22. It's easily the most fun plinking gun I have, I use it on vermin more than any of my other calibers by a factor of 10 at least, and you're always going to find the ammo. When the infamous ammo crisis was going on a while back, everything was hard to find and everything was expensive. But .22s were still around, and it still didn't break your wallet if you wanted to go to the ranch or a buddy's place and have an afternoon shooting the shit. First rifle I get my son will definitely be a .22 bolt action just for safety and to get him used to the motion of "traditional" rifles (first BB gun will be a lever action Daisy Red Ryder, and he's getting my 870). But everyone needs to own a 10/22. Just a blast.
10/22? Pffft! You lot obviously haven't experienced the heavenly-smooth lever action and beauty of a Henry. Never put a scope on it.
My first .22 was a Henry. Still have it, love it to death. The lever action is fantastic and a great call back to how guns were first made (my son's name is Colt after all -- I have an appreciation for it). But I've never been a fan of the tube magazine and the lever action pulls you off target much more than pump and especially semi-auto. It's comparable to bolt, I think, accuracy-wise as far as how the action effects your follow up shot, but if I'm doing that I'd rather just have a bolt action for both training purposes and safety.
Anyone else remember when a brick of .22 cost less than $10? I miss those days. I tend to prefer bolt guns and my Marlin probably see's the most use of all my .22's.
I hear you about the follow up shot. I had a 10/22 when I was younger. I'm like Kato, I'd buy something else simply cause my gun preferences have changed over the years. I don't buy them for protection, they are all unloaded and locked away, useless in that situation. They don't put food on the table. I buy guns that are more pleasing to look at and feel and handle. "Not as clumsy as a blaster. An elegant weapon, for a more civilized age.” - Obi- Wan Kenobi
I used to have the Henry 22 lever gun.(gave it to my dad for Father's Day a few years ago). It's a phenomenally built, inexpensive gun. Fit and finish is pretty much perfect and it can usually be had for about $250.00. They have other models with hexagonal barrels and different finishes on the receiver if you want to spend a good bit more. But it's not necessary. You can also drop a good bit on their bigger caliber rifles. Beautiful as well.
A Henry is just one of those things you need to own. Like a Daisy Red Ryder. Gotta have one, doesn't matter if you use it or not. It makes you more of a man just to say you own it. Show it to people and your dick will double in size.
Indeed. A person can join the millions and millions of others who own a 10/22. It certainly isn't a bad choice. Or, you could buy a Henry and have something fit to be proud of.
Great. Just as soon as I go down to my local sporting goods store and look at a first rifle to buy and zero in on a 10/22 I liked, (the most expensive one there, of course, because no matter what I'm looking at, whenever there are a set of things to choose from,I always seem to like the most expensive one) I come back to TIB and learn that buying a 10/22 would make me nothing more than a filthy peasant. So now I gotta buy two guns? This is how it starts, isn't it?
Pretty much. There really is nothing like a nice lever action rifle. I was kind of addicted for a bit. I had my Henry 22, a Marlin 336 made before Remington took over, and a beretta renegade made by Uberti chambered in 38 spl/357 mag. I loved them all. That Beretta shot like a BB gun but gave a serious wallop when plinking. Zero recoil.
Yes. How much was the most expensive 10/22? Like I said, it isn't a bad choice. But what else is comparably priced?
It was $380. It was the most expensive because it had a stainless steel barrel. I liked it because I liked the looks of the barrel against the stock (which I also liked more than the other stocks). I didn't really like the looks of the other rifles there so if I do buy it'll probably be that one. What's the maintenance requirements on a 10/22? And by that I mean, how much maintenance does it require? Google's not being very helpful with providing answers.
Clean it after you shoot it and you're good to go. Or don't, my buddy hasn't cleaned his since he bought it and it'll still empty as fast as you can pull the trigger. Not that I recommend not cleaning it, .22 is a dirty round and will gum up an action with the best of them.
Depends on the round... sure, if you're shooting cheap Eastern Block shit, it'll eat your barrel while you watch. Use high-end match grade stuff, and you almost don't want to clean it.
Regularly clean, oil and lubricate plus any other manufacturer recommendations. I've never known anyone to wear one out. If you're not comfortable really taking it apart, my local gunsmith charges $35 to do it, which I do occasionally. I tell him to replace any worn parts as well. Most I've ever spent on a repair is $78 cause I got all new screws that were marked up from a previous owner using the wrong tool on them.