Firearms In Our Culture
by Glenn Boman
Over the course of many years, it has been my privilege to have been both the receiver and the dispenser of information related to firearms and ammunition. One of the often debated and discussed topics concerns that of effective small game ammunition. When I was in the eighth grade, a buddy of mine declared that his .22 rifle with .22 short ammunition was the most effective ammunition one could get hold of for squirrels. Being in my infancy in the firearms field, I took that as gospel and at face value as I dutifully purchased .22 short ammunition at the local Western Auto store for 59 cents a box.. .back then, it was legal and besides, no one had ever heard of gangs or drive by shootings except for Al Capone and the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre.. .stories that would in that day send shivers up boy’s spines. For years after that, .22 shorts were my favorite load and I shot these as often as my Dad would allow me to squander” another 59 cents on a box. The very first experience of my life with firearms also was with .22 short ammunition but only because that was the only ammunition my uncle Clement had at the time.
The rifle used to shoot up all my uncle Clement’s .22 short ammunition was a Stevens single shot falling block rifle that my grandfather had chewed out my Dad for. Seems that Dad traded his old second hand, balloon-tired bicycle for the rifle. The bicycle is no more, but the little rifle sits to this day, retired from active duty, in my father’s gun cabinet complete with the new varnish finish that I gave the stock when a junior in high school, back when I began to “tinker” with guns. Anyway, Uncle Clement gave me the first box of .22 ammunition that I ever had and told me to, “Go off into the woods to shoot the gun and don’t ever shoot towards the house.” I followed his advice to the “T” and have never fired toward a house to this day.
Sometime during the course of the day, I fired one of the little Federal shorts and it made a “funny”sound akin to a poomp. I carefully looked down the bore of the gun from the breech end and saw that it was plugged. Upon further examination, I discovered the bullet had just made it to the muzzle, but was stuck fast at that point. Uncle Clement took out his pocket knife and worked the slug out of the muzzle for me and I continued to shoot up the entire box over the course of the day. The environmentalists would have not been pleased with my shooting of trees, rocks, and in general contaminating the landscape with lead. The Unabomber would have probably mailed me a package bomb had he been around then and known my address! HA!
I never could shoot the sage hen that would fly from tree to tree in its escaping my stalking. That, too, was my first real hunting experience with a firearm. I still have Uncle Clement’s knife with which he’d pulled the stuck bullet from the muzzle. More importantly, I still remember his simple words of instruction to not shoot toward the house. And, further still, I carry with me the trust that he imparted to me with the box of shells he entrusted to my usage. I still have a fondness for the .22 short ammunition and have used it over the years in one of my Remington 552 rifles that are noted for their ability to shoot “shorts, longs, and long rifle” shells in the same gun. One of those guns would print sub-inch groups at 25 yards when topped with a good scope and I used it one season for small game hunting, but eventually gave it up along with the .22 short rounds.
I discovered that even small game will succumb to carefully placed shots using the .22 short ammo and that they’re just as dead with a head shot, but the shorts just did not have the range and the certain power of the long rifle rounds. I do have stored back a few bricks of .22 short hollowpoint and solid nosed ammunition for “old time’s sake”, so to speak,and even have a couple of Astra Cub pistols that will shoot nothing else. These are tiny little guns and are called “pocket pistols” by some folks. One of these days, I might take up shooting the shorts again if small game is more plentiful that it is now and if I can hone my stalking skills to the “under 25 yards” rule that I’ve imposed on that particular round. I guess that is why I still have the short ammo in my inventory, and I do like to take out the little Astras to plink with from time to time.
I eventually graduated to the .22 Long round as per the advice of some of the old timers who had shot that round as young men and they declared by its effectiveness. On my Fourteenth Christmas Dad blessed me with a Revelation lever action rifle from the local Western Auto store and it would also shoot all the .22 rounds from short to long rifle. I bought some of the Remington .22 Long ammunition and thought I’d arrived as a marksman. These rounds were more powerful than the shorts and they fed better through the action of the Savage made Revelation rifle.
The accuracy was not what I wanted it to be at the longer ranges, however. I took a few small game animals and saw that in essence, these longs were not really that much more powerful, I should say, rather, that they were very little more efficient in taking game than the shorts.
My disappointments turned to joy when the man at the Western Auto store told me to try Long Rifles in the gun and see how I liked them. They were more accurate at long ranges, their “crack” was more noticed when firing the rifle, and, they anchored small game better than the shorts and longs had done. I thought that I’d found my “go to Africa for big game” load for that lever action rifle! I used long rifles for years in that gun and fired thousands of rounds over the course of time. The rifle sits in my gun cabinet and is semi-retired though it looks almost new. There is a tiny speck of blood on the stock that dried in place sometime way back in time when I was a teenager. I don’t even remember the hunt or the small game that had been bagged, but that drop of blood dried on the stock un-noticed by me. I just don’t have the heart to take it off now, so have left it over the years to remind me of “things”. What, I really don’t know, but it is still there, a reminder that the long rifle cartridges did their job for me.
Over the course of years and experience, I finally graduated to long rifle hollowpoint loads for all my .22 rifles. They were even more effective and when combined with careful shot placement, small game was brought to bag with a certainty. I use long rifle hollowpoints for almost all my .22 firearms now. I have settled on different brands for different firearms knowing that some of them shoot certain brands better than others for those unknown reasons attributable to factors that even the manufacturers don’t fully understand. This has given me years of pleasure and enjoyment “finding out” which loads shot best in each firearm. Generally speaking, good American made ammunition from trusted manufacturers is reliable, accurate, and effective when used for purposes within the bounds of that caliber’s limitations.
I have found out some other things as well. One is that Federal shorts have more dud rounds than any others in that type of ammo. Thunderbolts, at least in some lots, from Remington are sometimes an embarrassment to that fine company and I’ve literally shot bricks of that ammunition with maybe one in every five rounds being barely able to make it out of the barrel in a few cases, not even out of the barrel!!! That is why I always carry a cleaning rod to the range with me if shooting “bargain basement” ammo of the Thunderbolt brand... I’ve tried to shoot all that ammo up and will NEVER buy it again.
For some strange reason, the promotional ammunition from Federal shoots extremely well for me in several of my guns and one old Ruger Super Single Six will digest it and print groups at 25 yards that are most enviable. It is sold at Wal Mart for about 99 cents a box or so and I have lots of it in the inventory.
As for the CCI ammunition, I’ve never had a misfire of any kind even with the budget priced Blazer rounds. Must have something to do with quality control! For general plinking, the Winchester Wildcat plain-Jane bargain basement rounds are also excellent and cost the same at Wal Mart as the Federal Lightnings.
For more serious work with my .22’s, I go with the Remington Golden bullet .22 long rifle hollow-points, Winchester Power Point HP .22 long rifles that are 40 grains (thus 4-8 grains heavier than most hollowpoint .22 LR’s), the CCI Mini Mag LRHP’s, or the Federal LRHP rounds. For my small game hunting, I now use the Power Points from Winchester due to their being heavier and of the hollowpoint design which gives me more power on target, mushrooming for more certain taking of game, and they have proven to be one of the most accurate rounds I’ve ever used in my guns in general.
I do use Federal’s Gold Medal and Winchester’s T-22 solid nosed ammunition in the guns from time to time to do comparative testing for accuracy, etc., but never for hunting purposes. I know that a squirrel taken with one of those slugs is not going to know the difference, but I believe that the hollowpoint does anchor them with more certainty. With all my hunting .22 rifles, they must be able to shoot sub-one inch groups at 25 yards or they are gone from my inventory! Right now, there is not a single .22 small game rifle in the gun cabinet that will not shoot that accurately at 50 yards or farther with the right ammunition. Little tags strung through the trigger guards help me to remember what rounds to put into each gun’s magazine for most effective accuracy. And, I have one rifle from Marlin that is the most trusted firearm that I have ever owned. Not to say that there are not other brands that will shoot as well or better, but the little Marlin .22 M-l carbine model they discontinued years ago takes my small game every year at ranges up to 70 yards. That is the distance (using “referee” steps) that I have measured to the longest shot I’ve ever made on a squirrel. Most shots are much closer!
Needless to say, if you want accuracy, then put a large rifle scope on the .22’s in your inventory and preferably one with at least 3X-9X variable capability. Never equip a .22 rifle with a cheap “.22 scope” even if it comes equipped with one from the factory! You’ll never regret a better quality scope on your small game rifle, you’ll see.
So, where are we in this monologue? I suppose that I am to the point of making some rather firm recommendations to you if I haven’t already. There are dozens of questions and varying degrees of correct answers. “Gunshop talk” is one thing and is flavored by people wanting to make a sale or by others whose exploits are legendary, at least in their own minds, maybe mine are! HA!
I like to think that I can back mine up with experienced facts, however. With my limitations in mind, I’ll try to “answer” some of the frequently encountered questions about the .22 caliber ammunition and firearms from my perspective, which may or may not be acceptable to you. Hey(!), that’s okay with me. Chunk this into file 13 if you need to.
My survival planning has included the acquisition of several .22 caliber firearms including revolvers, pistols (semi-automatic handguns), and rifles of various action types from single actions to semi-automatics. As for handguns, the absolutely most reliable “type” is the revolver. It is not “picky” as to whether or not you’re shooting shorts, longs, or long rifles in it. Good revolvers are almost as accurate as the semi-autos of quality make. If you can find an older S&W K-22 made prior to the 1980’s, by all means, if it is in good condition, buy it!!! Why? Well, back when quality control meant something in our country, these guns were not shipped from the factory unless they had actually fired a one-inch group or less at 25 yards! These are the most accurate swing out cylindered guns ever made in my opinion and they were used almost to the total exclusion of other .22’s for decades in target competition. Latch on to one of these, team it up with its own ammunition that shoots best in it, and you have a treasure that will bring you a lifetime of shooting enjoyment.
As for single action type revolvers, you will never wear out a Ruger Single Six. It is a bit slower to reload due to the single action style with its dumping of spent cases one at a time using the push rod, but you’ll never have to buy another .22 if you put the money you’ve stored in the cookie jar into one of these. Oh yes, get the stainless steel one and never have to worry about its getting wet on your hunt, and give it a cursory wipe down and cleaning every few months and it will be with you or your great-grandkids if you choose to pass it on rather than turn it over to the UN security forces one of these days!
As for semi-automatic firearms, any of the current manufacturers like Browning, Ruger, S&W, and so on have excellent guns. For sheer ruggedness, you won’t beat the Rugers. They are more than competitively priced and will, again, last you the rest of your life even if fired daily. They look somewhat like the old German Lugers, but they shoot very well. If I had to settle for only one of the Ruger Mark II semi-autos, it would be the 4-inch bull-barreled model with adjustable sights. I have one of these with a 2X scope mounted atop its frame, and it will shoot better at 25 yards than will many .22 rifles.
I also have Browning Challengers and others in the inventory, but I always turn to the Rugers when going afield. They have never let me down when teamed with ammunition attuned to the gun through testing at the range.
If one desires to defend himself with a .22, risky at best in my opinion, I’d go with the Ruger Mark II stoked with Winchester Power Point 40 grain hollowpoints or CCI Stingers and try to utilize the rapid fire capability of the gun and team that with careful shot placement, but I don’t recommend the .22 for self-defense unless absolutely necessary. However, in those situations where there is no other choice I’d make do as best I could.
For choices in .22 rifles for hunting and recreational purposes, go with what ever suits your fancy. For me, each type action is unique and I have all types laid back for enjoyment. If you would like to fire several rounds and not be seen working an action like the lever action in a hunting or small game situation where you’d like to stay concealed, go with my personal favorite, the semi-automatic. If that is not a consideration for you, go with whatever you’re most comfortable with or with whatever you like the best. I’ve used them all for plinking, target shooting, and hunting. I simply made my choice years ago when working the action of my Revelation lever action rifle spooked the small game, usually squirrels, that I was after. Now, I simply pull the trigger and let the gun “do its thing” for me. Squirrels don't detect finger movement very well! HA!
As for using the .22 rifle or defensive purposes, they beat the .22 handgun, but again, they are not my first choice by any means. They will, however deliver the tiny slugs on target easier than a handgun since pointability is more “natural” for most folks. And, they will have the bullet exiting the barrel at higher velocity due to the barrel’s being longer. I once read of a rather large man who was hit 14 times by .22 slugs from a Marlin Model 60 rifle, yet, he lived to kill the man with the rifle, walk a mile to his house and then die several days later in the hospital due to complications from his gunshot wounds! I suppose you might try defending yourself with the .22 rifle only on skinny people! HA!
I might as well debunk one writer’s claims that the semi-automatic is worthless, breaks down often, and is most certainly NOT the action of choice when laying aside firearms for the new millennium. He recommends you go with single shot rifles in cache tubes. Fine with me, but I’d rather have a few good semi-automatics laid back and a gazillion rounds of ammo for them!
Okay, which rifles do you need to buy. Ruger model 10/22’s are the most rugged .22 rifle on the market today and are easily equipped with post sale equipment from dozens of companies if that is what you like to do to, doll up your firearms. If you want a rugged, accurate, “plain-Jane” rifle that will do everything a .22 is supposed to do, buy the Ruger, shoot it and mate it with the amino the gun prefers. For more precise shooting, mount a good quality variable power scope on it, add a sling for ease of carry, and go your merry way knowing you have one of the best.
As for more “affordable” rifles, go with the Marlin Model 60 that you can often find on sale at Wal Mart for under $100. The Marlins are, to my way of thinking and in my experiences, the most accurate .22 rifle you can buy off the shelf when teamed with its preference of ammunition by brand and type. These guns are not as “rugged” as the Rugers, but you probably won’t be clubbing to death your small game either! HA! These will last you tens of thousands of rounds and do it with accuracy to spare.
This is not to say that a manufacturer doesn’t on occasion turn out a few lemons from off the production line, however. If you get a lemon from any manufacturer, try to have the maker fix it, if they won’t get rid of it! Nothing is more frustrating that having a gun that won’t do what it is supposed to do and do it very well indeed. There are other makers such as Browning and they even make a .22 shorts only rifle that is fun to shoot and handy, lightweight, and pretty to look at. But, that particular rifle will set you back the price of three Marlins, one-and-a-half Rugers, and burn the heck out of your support arm as it ejects the spent hot brass downward on to your arm!
If I had but one? It would be a toss up between the rugged Ruger and the mostly very accurate Marlin. Your choice, but the Ruger IS easier to reload with its detachable magazine that holds ten rounds. The tubular magazine on the Marlin holds 14 rounds in the Model-60. You pay your money and get what you want!
What about if you had to have only one brand/type of ammunition for your .22’s? Good question. My personal choice right now would be the Winchester Power Point hollowpoints closely followed by the Remington Golden Bullet .22 LRHP. The Federal Hi-Power LRHP rounds are an old favorite of mine, but I haven’t seen anything lately on the market except the “newer” bulk packed rounds sold in the 550 round boxes at Wal Mart. Quite frankly, these pseudo-HP rounds are a waste of your time to buy having proven themselves to be full of dud rounds and are inaccurate at best in all my firearms. They seem to be made simply to be sold in bulk to people who have forgotten what quality control is supposed to mean! If you can find the higher priced Hi-Power LRHP rounds, however, try some of them in your guns. As I said, I used to use only these in all my small game rifles and they were superbly accurate and reliable for me. Alas, my old stock is now depleted and I haven’t found another source locally.
What about shooting target ammo in my guns? If you want to pay too much, fine! I have found that in some guns, the bargain basement .22’s will actually out-shoot the high priced target stuff! Again, it is my personal belief that there are “characteristics” of each single firearm that lend themselves to determining just how accurate the particular gun is.
A good gun will shoot most any quality .22 round accurately and will shoot one or two brands and types better than others! You will simply have to test different brands and types in your own gun to determine which works best in that particular firearm. When you find a brand/type that shoots really well, go right then and buy as much of that as you can afford. It is not uncommon for some target shooters to buy tens of thousands of rounds of a single production run that shoots extremely well in their gun. I just have to buy what few I can at a time like most folks! HA!