By Glen Wunderlich
USA –-(Ammoland.com)- At long last it’s official: The .22 rimfire ammo shortage is over. Little by little the big supply houses, such as MidwayUSA, Brownells and Cabela’s, are getting more and more quantities of some America’s favorite, inexpensive plinking ammo; it’s even showing up in local hardware stores.
The new normal means inexpensive in relative terms, however.
It doesn’t seem that long ago when we could pick up a box of 50 rimfire rounds for under a buck. Now, that same ammo has skyrocketed to about 4 times as much or more! Compared to any centerfire fodder – or, for that matter, even the more quality-controlled rimfire target and match offerings – the lower-cost rimfire rounds are today’s bargain for economy-minded shooters.
If you’ve contemplated introducing a youngster to shooting, the .22 rimfire is a great way to begin. Month after month, the new rimfire firearms have been introduced, although some of them are mere variants of other models. Nothing wrong with that, but I wondered how popular any new gun would be, if ammo was unavailable. With supply catching up with demand, we are about to find out.
One of the more innovative .22s introduced during the ammo shortage is the Mossberg Flex-22 Youth. I had an opportunity to try one out a couple of years ago, when Linda Powell of Mossberg brought one to the shooting range at a media event. I found it to feed reliably and with an inexpensive red dot sight, it was downright fun to shoot. With a free-floated barrel, grooved receiver scope rail and 10-round magazine, the approximate cost of $200 seems reasonable.
But, the Flex stock system makes it a gun that can be adjusted to fit a youngster’s length of pull, as he grows up – a decided advantage over fixed-stock platforms.
Noise and recoil can turn off a beginner and neither is a concern with the little .22s, although the use of hearing protection is still warranted. Sub-sonic, target, standard velocity, or match ammo brings the noise level down, as well, and is readily available and well-suited for the beginner. And, that’s how 6 year-old Landon got his start.
I broke out some ancient CCI CB shorts – ammo that is about a quiet as ammo gets. Of course, it doesn’t have the power or velocity of even sub-sonic target ammo, but when sighted in properly, it is a good short-range alternative for a newcomer. Landon’s first shot was about an inch from the bull’s eye and the second shot was perfectly centered. We then moved on to some reactive steel rimfire targets and the young man didn’t miss from the sturdiness of a solid sandbag rest.
It wasn’t long before I loaded some sub-sonic ammo into the tubular magazine of my 79 year-old Marlin model 81 bolt gun. The youngster began thinking he was the greatest shot alive, as his confidence grew. Oh, he still missed at times, when he wanted to peek at the results before pulling the trigger. I explained that he had to keep looking at the target after shooting and he got the message.
The concept was now cemented and a new shooter had emerged.
I don’t know who was having more fun between us but it didn’t matter. It was just plain fun!
About Glen Wunderlich:
Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA). Outdoor writer and columnist for The Argus-Press (www.argus-press.com) and blog site at www.thinkingafield.org Member National Rifle Association (NRA), Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC), member U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA), Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA), Commemorative Bucks of Michigan (CBM).
It may be official for you, but the shortage is not over in Albany, NY. Wal Mart gets one unannounced shipment every every two or three weeks. The selection is one brand per shipment The .22 ammo gets into the locked display cabinet around 10:30 on a week day & is long gone before 3:00 pm. Sales are limited to two boxes per customer. Dick’s had a grand opening for a new store; no supply there. One gun store has about 20 boxes of ELY Target (50 round boxes) on the shelf for $19.95 each. Also, due to New York… Read more »
Not sure how you can say the shortage is over. The shelves in my area are still bare. And the places online that do have it in stock are all at ridiculous prices. You must just be trying to make people feel better about future 22lr firearms purchases. The shortage is still in full swing.
Nice timing. I learned shooting my dad’s Marlin lever action .22 when I was about 8 yrs old, out on the farm. My task was to rid the fish ponds of fry eating turtles. I took my job very seriously and never (nope) let on that I was having the time of my life! Learned how to use iron sights shooting these targets the size of a quarter. Also learned about safety, always having a safe backdrop and understanding where you bullet COULD go. Obviously I grew out of that & moved on to ducks, deer, turkey & quail. College… Read more »
I enjoyed this short piece. That is everything except the opening picture of the youngster shooting without ear and eye protection. Then I took a second look and noted the overloaded electrical receptacle. Perhaps it was meant to give us a sense of nostalgia for the good old days when no one cared.
Gentlemen,
I have no way of knowing how many pairs of “Ammoland” eyes reviewed this article prior to publication. The photo of the young lad aiming, and (theoretically) about to fire, I would expect to see in a 1956 gun magazine, not a respected 2016 on-line firearms publication. No hearing or eye protection? C’mon guys, wake up & pay attention!
The photo caption should have read: “Rifle student taking dry-fire practice.”
With Respect,
John Moore
NRA Certified Firearms Instructor
Ruger’s fine Compact American .22 carbine is a great choice for introducing the youngsters to shot one round at a time. The Ruger 10/22 is also fine but I advise loading one round in the magazine. Having to drop the magazine every shot will slow the pace and instill When the boy or girl can put all the shots into the black, one at a time, let them load two rounds. Stale crackers or expired prescription plastic pil bottles full of water make interesting action targets. On the price of .22 ammo going up, it really hasn’t. I recall that… Read more »