.22 practice equate to larger caliber practice?

[TheMiz]

I have been trying to shoot my .22 pistol more for practice. I tend to have A.D.D. at the range and can get bored easily. I have found that if I go to the range with a challenge in mind I stay more focused. If I succeed at the challenge I need to move on to another or build on a skill. My question will probably have a lot of different answers, but does .22 practice equate to the same amount of time with a larger caliber as far as fundamentals building and muscle memory for trigger control..etc?

[Steve RA]

I'd say so.

[tortuga]

I hope so, as I plan to use .22 for practice as well! Have a Kadet kit for cheap practice with my CZ pistols. Not ashamed to say that I can't afford to burn off 100 rounds of match ammo every time I want to practice.

It seems logical that getting the first shot off on target is pretty much the same; transitions from target to target, reloading,etc. should be about the same. Getting the follow-up 2d shot off is not the same.

Can't hurt.

[MarkCO]

I read this yesterday and it has taken me this long to respond as I have been thinking about it all day. This is greatly qualified as I started to use .22rf for steel challlenge just recently and I use a .22 upper for AR practice with most of my personal focus on 3Gun followed by USPSA Production. Also, I've been trying to switch my focus from an intense front sight focus to using the front sight as the accelerator and understanding what sight pictures are "good enough" to get the desired hit.

Shooting the .22rf pistol was just too easy at first, so I started to switch stuff around. I went lighter and lighter and got my sights as close to my M&P9Pro as I could. I played with grips and such as well. The lighter gun is more twitchy, but the recoil can actually be seen and felt a tad. I was not honest with myself and was hammering doubles, so in additon, I went only to steel, and with that small steel, to keep the practice as real as I could. So I work on everything except the 2nd shot on paper with the .22 and do a short prqactice with the centerfire at the end. Now, I think it is helping. YMMV

With the AR, the practice feels closer to my centerfire and I use it the same as I would my competition rifle out to about 100 yards.

Edited January 26, 2013 by MarkCO

[Matt in TN]

I use a .22LR conversion kit for my Glock, and it allows me to double my rounds downrange at every practice session. I would NOT say they are "equal" as you ask, but they are very helpful and I think definitely worthwhile. For example - if you practice only with a .22LR and then show up for a match with a centerfire you will have a rude awakening.

I've found it works best for me to switch back and forth frequently. For example, I'll shoot a drill with the .22LR, and then immediately after that with the .45. It's a bit of a pain to switch back and forth, but I think I get more out of it that way.

[kevin c]

I shoot groups, SHO and WHO drills, and various movement drills with a .22 conversion in the first part of my regular practice. The second half starts with draws with my competition pistol top end back on the same receiver (the drawstroke is very different as the center fire has a much heavier and longer slide with a different balance point. I do some Burkett timing drills with my centerfire practice ammo, and usually finish with runs on a practice stage.

So I always end with what I'm going to shoot in the next day's match.

[Hi-Power Jack]

Everyone else who has already posted on this have hit on some great ideas, that

I never thought of when I tried a .22.

I didn't see any benefit to it at all - the grip was different, the trigger was different,

couldn't find a good holster for it - felt totally different - etc etc etc.

Guess it depends on your needs, and how close you can get the .22 to be like

your "other gun" - certainly makes sense if you have a .22 adaptor kit for YOUR

gun - esp. the .223's - that makes a lot of sense.

And it's quieter.

[P.E. Kelley]

The AR in 22LR can be a big help. I have never had a problem with speed, but my practice partner "used to".

Several years ago he had one of the first (and now gone) DPMS 22 uppers (the one with proprietary 10 rd.mags) it was

fun to shoot (my motivation for shooting in the first place) and I was burning 10 round bursts into the upper panel at

the length of the indoor range (50'). He remarked "how in the heck do you do that" I responded with "a…like this…buraaaappp!"

This is where the 22 made the difference.

Just learning to run the trigger (at or near .13 splits) was the first hurdle.

Through cheap repetition the "light came on" and as he was able to "let loose" of his "need" to have each shot break in the center of the aiming

area. He witnessed first hand that he too could keep the his shots in upper panel at full speed. And that you only need to see what you need to see

to make the shot in front of you.

The low cost of 22 (both in ammo and barrel life) allowed him to spend enough time in the gun to see and feel the what the sights do at the upper end of speed.

Once your brain gets past a barrier it is no longer one.

This is just one example of why the 22LR, at least in an AR, is a great learning tool.

[Matt in TN]

Amen - the first time I shot my .22LR conversion I got the same speed and score as the full power .45ACP. That proved to me that it was a mental block holding me back. My .22 speeds have improved dramatically since then, and I'm working to get my .45 speeds to match.

[M118LR]

Last year I picked up two ruger 10/22's. One I put in a Nordic Component AR kit and the other I bought a 24" heavy barrel and Bell and Carlson A5 stock. I also bought a S&W 15 AR in 22 and also a Colt rail gun in 22. All for these guns are fun to shoot.

These 22's make a good gun to practice with and is cheap. I also will say that you can go through some ammo because they are FUN to shoot.

[TheMiz]

All of these posts have great information, thanks. I am far more consistent with a .22 and the ammo is much lighter on the wallet. I use mine to try and build proper mechanics and fundamentals. I use the old line from The Patriot "Aim small, miss small."

[Steve Anderson]

In .22 handguns, make the targets more difficult.

Much more difficult.

Otherwise, it's too easy and you will get lazy.

SA

[StjepanK]

I think it helps especially in AR platform. I got a .22 kit for my Stag 3g and I can tell you that is a load of fun but also helps me with target aquisiton and transition drills and keeps cost in check. Going back and forward .22 .223 is a must.

[old506]

I tried it but was frustrated in no time. It is too easy and my timing was way off once I went back to the "big gun". I also got sloppy with my grip because it didn't make as much difference. I would ask myself "why can't I do this with Major PF ammo"? If you can see your sight lift and track it with a "big gun" then why shoot a .22 other than for fun?

If you can't call your shot yet, maybe. I originally used it as I thought I would be "saving money". What I found out was that anything I needed to do with a .22, I could do in Dry Fire which is free, so I was actually spending more money and shooting the "big gun" less.

[Keepkool]

I have a .22 converstion for my production and limited guns , the only thing thats diff is the recoil. other than that all the same feel. practice with a .22 is the way to go.

[pjb45]

Steve is so right. I use a 4 inch plate rack for a great majority of my .22 work. Small targets have no mercy. This is really needed (for me at least) to stay focused on the fundamentals.

I spent a great deal of time on shooting strong & weak hand only drills. As a B shooter, at this year's WSSSC, I was 11th on the Standards stage. I was 17th on stage 10; two strings, string 1, six shots on paper, reload, clean a plate rack strong hand; string two, the same except weak hand only. On Robbie's all steel stage I was 33rd.

This performance is directly related to .22 practice. With a .22 you can focus on the mechanics and not deal with recoil and muzzle flip. It can train you subconscious mind which will play out during a match. It is very satisfying to walk up to a 50 yard standards and know that weak/strong hand shooting is a strength.

Taran Bultler said it during the Mid Coast Dual Championship a few years ago, "I want to be known as the guy who can shoot the difficult shots."

Since .223 ammo is so expensive, I will be using my .22 AR more in tuning up for SMMM3G this year as well as RM3G.

[GuildSF4]

To work on speed and accuracy I used to shoot empty 12 gauge shells at 7 yards. I found that this translated to larger guns.

I also noted that I could clean a standard size plate rack faster with my 22 than I could with an open gun, so I would have to agree with Steve Anderson and Paul that you must use smaller targets for practice with a 22.