What are the Pros and Cons of Training With 22 LR?

[M4Fundi]

Shooting anything makes you better... train with your duty rifle as much as you can and then shoot your Red Ryder or Lego Rubber Band Gun or whatever as much as you can.

I was in a shooting competition one night with my nephews (10, 10, 12yrolds) using a Red Ryder with SF light ducktaped on... had a blast and my trigger control was tested and I suffered no training scars

[Failure2Stop]

I deceided to go the .22 route a while ago, simply didn't want to outright buy another gun, so I waited until I could do a trade.
I was torn between a dedicated platform (M&P 15-22) or a drop in upper. I was sure that I did not want to do a conversion kit through my primary 5.56 barrel for numerous reasons.

I wound up with a CMMG upper.
I initially dropped it onto my primary carbine's lower with a T-1 I had floating around.
I really liked that the selector, trigger, stock, and grip were exactly the same as on my primary (sort of a "duh", since it IS my primary).
What I DID NOT LIKE was how absolutely filthy it made the lower, and the odd wear that it put on my buffer retainer pin.
I wound up putting on a dedicated lower (old-ass Eagle Arms w/ a MIAD grip and MOE stock that weren't otherwise tasked), but there are still enough similarities between the two that it works for what I want it to do. I am probably going to snag another 45 degree selector for it to round out the feel though.
The old-style CMMG mag isn't quite as good as the Black Dog mags.
I was initially experiencing stoppages in the 1 per 150 range (stove-pipe, failure to feed).
The ammo I was using initially was giving me terrible groups at 25 yards, but I narrowed the ammo down to 3 or 4 types that give approx 1" groups at 25 and fairly reliably operate the gun.
I had issues with one particular ammo source that caused me to never purchase it again. It would slightly short-stroke occasionally, just enough to eject and chamber, but not enough to catch the hammer on the disconnector. Well versed readers will understand what the probable outcome from this situation is, and will agree that it isn't something that a smart shooter would want to randomly occur. Anyway, with the right ammo the gun shoots as precisely as I need and functions well enough. I bought around 10 different types of ammo to figure out what works the best/most economically.

I focus on drills that require only a single shot per target OR are not recoil management dependant strings. I also strictly avoid manipulation centric drills since they are so different in just about every respect.

My favorite way to use the .22 is at close range on steel.
I do a little presentation work with it (3x5 card at 3,5,7,10,15,25, and on the move from 25 to 3) for a few hundred rounds per session, but I primarily work target transitions.

I zero about 1.7" low at 25 meters/yards, which matches it very closely to a 100 meter 5.56 POA/POI zero from muzzle to 30 yards.

Things that annoy me:
.22 LR takes forever to pick up at the end of the range session, especially if you burn more than 500 rounds or so.
Magazines take forever to fill, and the rim rubs my thumb worse than any other ammo when jamming mags.
Stance and grip can get lazy if I don't keep it in mind.
As noted before, manipulations are drastically different.
Much higher rate of stoppages than with a dedicated platform.
Ammunition sensitive (not much of a factor once you figure out what works).
Dirty. Resorted to spraying out the lower after every range session (I shoot at least 500 rounds when I pull it out.
Counter intuitive lubrication requirement. These need very slippery, very light, very thin lubrication to work. WD-40 (yeah, I know) works well in mine, and I am testing out a new lubricant/cleaner (again, yeah, I know) that holds promise.
Mine is not EXACTLY the same as my primary, which is merely a nagging sensation that generally goes away within the first 5 rounds fired.

Overall, I am very happy with the upper (though it morphed into something I did not forsee), and I do not see myself ever getting rid of it.

[Robb Jensen]

I use a S&W M&P15-22 with an A2 flash hider upside down. This rifle has a working bolt catch, safety is the same as a standard lower and with CCI Mini-mags I actually can see the reticle slightly lift. I use a Burris XTR 1-4x scope in a Bobro mount. I use this as cheap 3gun rifle practice. Just like in my 3gun rifle I have a Geissele SD3G trigger in it and use the S&W hammer spring. The rifle obviously weighs a lot less than my nearly 10lb 3gun rifle but trigger time is trigger time.

[Ed L.]

What I DID NOT LIKE was how absolutely filthy it made the lower, and the odd wear that it put on my buffer retainer pin.

Could you expand on the odd wear that it put on your buffer retainer pin?

I have a Spike's Tactical .22 upper that I have not used in a while and was thinking of using it more. But I would like to know what I need to look out for on my 6940 Lower.

thanks

[Failure2Stop]

Could you expand on the odd wear that it put on your buffer retainer pin?

I have a Spike's Tactical .22 upper that I have not used in a while and was thinking of using it more. But I would like to know what I need to look out for on my 6940 Lower.

thanks

You can see the wear (shiny part on the front top on the pin).




I think that the back plate of the adaptor somehow got in front of the pin instead of on top of it. Might have been my fault, might just be a fluke, but I didn't want to chance putting excessive wear on the pin on my primary carbine.

[Ed L.]

Thank you, Failure2Stop!

This will give me a valuable inspection point on my lower as I use the Spikes .22 upper in the future.

[currahee]

Here is an example of something that would be very hard (logistically) to do with a full power rifle but pretty easy for most folks to do with a 22.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmYuU_DZ6nM

Here is a drill where having a full power rifle is way more important

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpmO-qWMkUs

[NCPatrolAR]

For some; use of the 22LR allows them to do carbine work on ranges that restrict centerfire calibers

[M-Bear]

I was watching a video of 2011 steel challenge. The guy who won practices in his garage with an air soft pistol every day. Several top shooters train with 22's and air soft.

The more gun time you have the better.
Buy a 22 that is as close to your gun as possible and practice. I use a SW 15-22 for AR practice all the time. I can afford to shoot it a lot more than the AR.

[Richard Belott]

+1 trigger time is always a pro