I seldom shoot paper with a 22 anymore

Help Support Ruger Forum:

M

Mobuck

Hawkeye
Supporting Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
11,385
Location
missouri
Maybe it's just a phase I'm in at the moment but I have no interest in shooting paper targets with a 22. I'll admit that shooting paper in competition made me the shooter I am now but once I get a 'zero' I like, I switch to 'reactive' targets for my 'fun shooting'. Just keep pushing the target hanger further out until I reach the limit of the rifle. What this doesn't do is show where those misses go so not so good for some shooters.
The Grandkids were here Sunday afternoon to shoot. I asked if they wanted paper or steel and of course they wanted steel ( :unsure: ) which allowed ZERO feedback on where their missed shots landed. I made suggestions which fell upon deaf ears and finally just let them fling bullets. Maybe they improved slightly as far as target acquisition but overall accuracy didn't really improve. Hoping the deer are dumb and patient this season.o_O
 
Mobuck said:
Maybe it's just a phase I'm in at the moment but I have no interest in shooting paper targets with a 22. I'll admit that shooting paper in competition made me the shooter I am now but once I get a 'zero' I like, I switch to 'reactive' targets for my 'fun shooting'. Just keep pushing the target hanger further out until I reach the limit of the rifle. What this doesn't do is show where those misses go so not so good for some shooters.
The Grandkids were here Sunday afternoon to shoot. I asked if they wanted paper or steel and of course they wanted steel ( :unsure: ) which allowed ZERO feedback on where their missed shots landed. I made suggestions which fell upon deaf ears and finally just let them fling bullets. Maybe they improved slightly as far as target acquisition but overall accuracy didn't really improve. Hoping the deer are dumb and patient this season.o_O
Click to expand...

That's very common, I'm the same way although I'm not really into steel. As for reactive targets, I'm better if it's breathing ;). That aside, stationary target shooting can be made a bit more challenging if you have a spot where you can shoot up or down hill at reasonably steep angles. Then there's the really tough shots at moving targets in windy conditions at steep angles and long ranges. :)
 
I've had one of those flipper targets for years, the one where ya shoot the top disc to release the other 4. Then I made a dueling tree. A great big bunch of fun there, standing side by side with another shooter & trying to stay in the game.
Then last year I bought a Know Your Limits(KYL) plate rack. About 6 disc hanging in a row that progressively get smaller, the last one being a 1/4 inch in dia. And like you said, if it gets too easy, just increase the distance. It will eventually beat ya.

I have one 22 that mainly sees paper, but most of the rest are used on the reactive stuff.
 
Last edited:
I'm for the fun shooting also. I'll turn 80 next year and my eyes are showing their age. I have a terrible case of flinching from all my years of trapshooting. I just want to shoot stuff that moves hit it and celebrate that.
 
I'm reversed....lately. Built up a couple 22s for ARA style shoots. One Unlimited and one Factory. That little tiny green dot is a rascal to chase and terminate.

The centerfires, unless testing load work ups or zeroing....handgun or rifle its all steel. My club has really outdone itself building a 100yd carbine range with all types/sizes of steel plates and spinners. Same with handgun they built a very nice steel plate range......lots of 9mm and 45 ACP have been splashed against those plates!

If the steel plate ranges are busy I will just set up a USPA cardboard silhouette and punch out the COM or run FTS drills....but you really miss the DING!

Paper is too stressful anymore.... :LOL:
 
Earlier this year, I told Grandson I would 'teach him to shoot well' but as I described the process, he quickly lost interest. Guess I failed.
My 22 practice targets are 1.5-2" hung from random length strips of 'baler belt' (multi-layer re-enforced fabric/rubber) fastened to a wood 2x4 frame. Spaced alternating high & low requiring re-alignment of aim between shots. The goal is to smack all 5 targets before the first stops swinging. Not that easy with a bolt action. On a good day, I can run 25 rounds (5 sweeps across the targets) keeping all 5 swinging non-stop.
 
Mobuck said:
Earlier this year, I told Grandson I would 'teach him to shoot well' but as I described the process, he quickly lost interest. Guess I failed.
My 22 practice targets are 1.5-2" hung from random length strips of 'baler belt' (multi-layer re-enforced fabric/rubber) fastened to a wood 2x4 frame. Spaced alternating high & low requiring re-alignment of aim between shots. The goal is to smack all 5 targets before the first stops swinging. Not that easy with a bolt action. On a good day, I can run 25 rounds (5 sweeps across the targets) keeping all 5 swinging non-stop.
Click to expand...
Sounds fun, a lot like a portion of the NRL22 course of fire.
 
I've shot pretty much every competitive shooting there is. Not crazy about bullseye to slow. But the action shooting sports are the most fun. I've shot USPSA, IDPA, Two and Three gun. And am just getting into Steel Challenge. That said Steel is my favorite target. I actually had a steel target business before COVID hit. One of the above comments was about shooting paper for accuracy. Try shooting a 3" piece of steel off hand at 50 yds with a Ruger KMK678G you'll find out how accurate you are. Here's a pic of my back yard.
20191224_162932.jpg
 
I definitely prefer steel. My aging eyes combined with my bad knee make paper punching too difficult. Steel gives that instant feedback that is visible from a distance.

1729699010359.jpeg


I've got three of these steel silhouette targets setups and a fourth that is stop sign shaped. Some serious fun can be had setting them up at various distances and running a drill, using the stop sign as the end plate. They are just steel plate- after several hundred rounds of heavy stuff they develop a "bow" and I turn them around and shoot the other side- I reverse them as needed to keep them straight.
 
Last edited:
Steel is good therapy as well....something about the sound make me feel all warm and fuzzy.....I have purchased/built a few guns specifically for the steel plates. GP100 4" w/compact grips, action job, red dot optic is fun. Ruger MKIII 22/45 with optic and a MKIV spiffied up and comped are fast dingers. PSA had a sale on stripped Dagger frames. I bought a compact and full size and built them to my preference with red dot optics. The full size is comped and is fast and fun. I still use open sight 1911's, M9, M18, P226 and such but the red dots are easier for my eyes. For the carbine steel plate range they have some little spinners and 8'' silhouettes on posts. Tons of fun with the M4 and A2.....out ARs with red dot optics are fun on the spinners. The 22's not so much...you can barely hear the ding and at 100 yds they barely move the spinners.
 
I love ringing steel, but my nearby ranges are all indoor.

You can still have fun and give yourself a real challenge, if you want to, with a little game. Mark a regular size target sheet with 6 targets (I use 5" circles) and mark them 1 to 6, in any sequence (vary it with each new target). Use a couple of standard dice (different colors work best); one to decide which target you shoot first and the other to decide which order to go in (odd to go forward; even to go in reverse).

This can really help you to improve your skills as you try to go faster and still not mess up on the order of fire.

I like to make my own targets, so they're not so standardized, but you can find targets available to purchase that would be suitable for this type of game...
1729701047564.jpeg
 
4 years ago I started buying steel gongs. Rifle and handgun, once I have them zeroed and grouping to my satisfaction. I then leave the paper target stands at home. It's a big time saver just set up steel, reapply some paint when done. No buying all them paper targets, tapping paper or tossing paper targets.
 
I like to walk through the woods with a suppressed .22 LR rifle and shoot sticks and dirt and stuff.
 
My '350 meter' gongs are in place year round. The 22 swinger target stand is always somewhere on the 100 yard range. We just acquired 3 large, heavy (anything short of 338 Lapua/50BMG) gongs that haven't been hung yet--planning to have those located in the 500-600 yard zone. Neighbor is planning an 800 yard plate and backstop which will end up being right close to 1000 yards from my front porch (handy ;)).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
Info on this what I was told was a limited addition 10/22
2
Replies
21
Views
655
contender
contender
A
Scored a .22 Bisley
Replies
9
Views
668
gnappi
gnappi
AzShooter1
Steel Challenge With 10/22 Today
Replies
1
Views
408
contender
contender
T
Bisley .22
Replies
10
Views
435
rammerjammer
rammerjammer
B
Ruger Mark I Question?????
Replies
7
Views
491
Bad Barlow
B

Latest posts

Top