Bought myself a new toy

"oldirtybootz" (oldirtybootz)
11/03/2014 at 14:48 • Filed to: None

Taking advantage of a sale at Dick's, yestersay I bought a Savage Arms Mark II GXP .22LR, my first gun.

I've been shooting with a friend once, and I've wanted a gun since I can remember, but I'm pretty much a total noob. I have a few friends and coworkers who shoot and will give me any help I need, but I figured I'd see if you all had any tips for me as well.

DISCUSSION (40)

HammerheadFistpunch > oldirtybootz
11/03/2014 at 14:50

With a .22, my only tip really is to keep the dangerous end away from anything you would like to stay friends with. There isn't much to go wrong with these otherwise, even cleaning isn't too big a choir if done annually.

JGrabowMSt > oldirtybootz
11/03/2014 at 14:50

Not going to lie, I've always wanted to own a sniper rifle. I'm not super into guns, but that long range precision certainly interests me.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > oldirtybootz
11/03/2014 at 14:51

Trigger discipline, don't put your finger on it unless you intend to shoot. Also, the GOLDEN RULE: Never assume it is unloaded. I don't care if you know it's unloaded, double or triple check before transporting or cleaning.

mike > oldirtybootz
11/03/2014 at 14:52

#1 its always loaded... even when you know its not, treat it like it is

#2 dont point it at anything you do not want to destroy/harm, refer to rule #1 for why

#3 its a tool,clean it, treat it with respect and use it properly for ideal results

ttyymmnn > JGrabowMSt
11/03/2014 at 14:52

Not a whole lot of stopping power in that .22, unless you're a chipmunk. But certainly still deadly if you hit somebody in the right place.

Do-Rif-To > oldirtybootz
11/03/2014 at 14:54

Very nice, I just picked up my first Mark II this year as well, though it was the cheapy Wally World model with the black thermoplastic stock. It's still an absolute tack driver, for the price, out to 100 yards though. The only advice I'd give you is to buy ALL the .22LRs when you see them because it's like finding a unicorn to see a stocked shelf recently.

Coty > oldirtybootz
11/03/2014 at 14:57

My deer rifle is a .30-30 Savage.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > ttyymmnn
11/03/2014 at 14:58

While the .22 isn't going to knock down someone(unless headshot, maybe chest shot), they can pierce most forms of body armor.

EL_ULY > oldirtybootz
11/03/2014 at 15:04

noice noice!

Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
11/03/2014 at 15:05

A .22 Long Rifle will not penetrate armor. You can stop that shit with a thick leather jacket. You may be thinking of the .223 Remmington (Very similar to the 5.56 NATO round)

Alfalfa > oldirtybootz
11/03/2014 at 15:06

What many others have said:

Always treat it as if it's loaded

Don't point at anything you don't want to see shot.

Don't stand for any of your shooting buddies to break these rules, either.

As with cars, it will only work as well as you treat it. Most .22's are fairly robust, but don't let that keep you from keeping it clean. You can get a decent cleaning kit for around $15

Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) > mike
11/03/2014 at 15:06

Can't emphasize this enough.

Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) > oldirtybootz
11/03/2014 at 15:08

Personally, I prefer the Ruger 10-22 as far as .22LRs go. However, my favorite rifle has to be my M1 Garand.

T5Killer > oldirtybootz
11/03/2014 at 15:09

Very cool Looks like a Nice rifle. I really need to get something in .22 Everything I own is 7.62x54R or .45.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Biggus Dickus (RevsBro)
11/03/2014 at 15:11

Through steel.

crowmolly > Biggus Dickus (RevsBro)
11/03/2014 at 15:13

Or maybe .22WMR? Not sure how well it penetrates but I've heard it can.

macanamera > oldirtybootz
11/03/2014 at 15:14

First, learn proper safety. Then enjoy it. You might even want to take a gun safety course at a range. It's really important.

That being said, .22 is a perfect first gun and incredibly cheap to shoot.

BigBlock440 > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
11/03/2014 at 15:15

Can't see the video, but no, it's doesn't go through steel (unless it's thin, like a body panel or something). A .22lr doesn't even go through a quarter.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > BigBlock440
11/03/2014 at 15:24

It's a doubled layer steel door, so it in fact does. It has one of the highest velocities of any bullet because of it's size, so that makes it like a needle. Sure, a thick sheet will stop it, but so will some bigger rounds. If it will penetrate a skull, it will penetrate a lot more than you are giving it credit for.

Racescort666 > mike
11/03/2014 at 15:28

#4 finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire. Lots of people (including professionals who use firearms on a regular basis) don't practice this and their accidental discharges are all over YouTube.

Racescort666 > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
11/03/2014 at 15:31

This, every time. Every single time someone hands me a gun the first thing I do is check if it's loaded. I do it with my own firearms too when I take them out of the case and put them back.

Racescort666 > T5Killer
11/03/2014 at 15:33

7.62X54R? Do you have a stash of Dragunov rifles?

BigBlock440 > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
11/03/2014 at 15:41

What gauge is the door? Normal steel doors are usually pretty thin.

And highest velocity of any bullet it's size? At the high end a .22lr is 1,400 ft/sec., a .22 Mag is 1,800-ish. A .17hmr, .223, .243 are all over 2,000 ft/sec with some double a .22's velocity. If you move into handgun rounds, the only thing it beats is a .380. Even a 9mm has a muzzle velocity of 1,600+. And the quarter I was referring to was the coin. Clamp a quarter down range and the .22 will dent it, but not go through. Sure it may penetrate a skull, depending on animal, but won't exit.

BigBlock440 > T5Killer
11/03/2014 at 15:42

Eh, these days .22 ammo is the same price as 9mm.

mike > Racescort666
11/03/2014 at 15:44

i prefer the " keep the booger hooker off the bang switch" nomenclature but i agree

BigBlock440 > macanamera
11/03/2014 at 15:44

Not lately, at least here. $8 for a box of 50 is insane.

JR1 > oldirtybootz
11/03/2014 at 15:47

Good choice. I adore my Savage 7mm rem mag. Cheap rifles with excellent accuracy. If my eyes are not mistaken you have a monte carlo stock on the .22? Nice feature. You will love it.

MountainCommand > oldirtybootz
11/03/2014 at 15:47

Congrats on a fine purchase! And entry into a hobby that is on equal playing grounds as cars... Once you start, youre never gonna stop haha. Investment in a safe at some point would be a good idea as well.

Oh an make sure you check the screws on the scope mount. Id honestly go ahead and put locktight on them before you begin zeroing it in. Cant tell you how many times i went to touch the scope and its loose...

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > BigBlock440
11/03/2014 at 15:54

.22lr is closer to 1800 depending on the round. Anywhere but Wikipedia show that 1500fps is the high end for a 9mm. .223 you are on the low end, but that was a bullet that is specifically designed for muzzle velocity. Plus it's diameter isn't that far off from the .22lr, it just packs a lot more powder.

Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) > BigBlock440
11/03/2014 at 15:56

It has gotten ridiculous the last three years. I used to be able to buy a case (10,000) of .22lr for like $50.

Racescort666 > mike
11/03/2014 at 15:56

That's a very colorful metaphor.

Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
11/03/2014 at 16:02

This guy is trolling for views. He mentions he is using .22 Remington Jet. A totally different and centerfire round.

Second, those entrance and exit holes are far to large to be a .22 caliber hole. Those loook like .30 Caliber holes.

T5Killer > Racescort666
11/03/2014 at 16:09

Mosin Nagants. I have a M91/30, M44 and a Chinese T-53 Also I am looking at a SSG-97/PSL which is a poor mans Dragunov (its a AK action rifle so its no where near as accurate as a Dragunov but its still a good DMR)

Alfalfa > T5Killer
11/03/2014 at 16:18

PSL's are so sweet. A friend of mine had one, but had to sell it when he was forced to retire from the military for health stuff. Sadly I did not have the funds to acquire it from him.

BigBlock440 > Biggus Dickus (RevsBro)
11/03/2014 at 16:21

Just 10 years ago I remember buying a brick of 550 for $8. I hardly shoot my .22 anymore now that is cost 10x as much.

macanamera > BigBlock440
11/03/2014 at 17:15

Dang more like 20 for 400

Alfalfa > Racescort666
11/03/2014 at 17:22

I was taught to always show the open chamber to someone before handing it to them. It's always surprised me how many people don't practice this.

Racescort666 > Alfalfa
11/03/2014 at 18:03

Yeah. My 2 guns are both revolvers but I'll either hand it to someone with the cylinder out or open the cylinder and close it again before handing it off. For pistols, sometimes the slide catch is hard to get to stay but usually it's the same idea.

Also, unless I'm at a range and just loaded it for someone to shoot, I'll never hand someone a loaded gun. It sounds dumb but it kind of blows my mind how many people have handed me a loaded gun.

BigBlock440 > macanamera
11/03/2014 at 18:20

Maybe they've gone down since I checked last, or I've only seen the expensive ones stocked. I just checked Bass Pro Shop's website and they have some boxes listed in the $2.50 range. That's somewhat comforting, even though I'm 3 hours from the nearest Bass Pro.

Stephen the Canuck > oldirtybootz
11/04/2014 at 11:56

That's a nice looking gun. I picked up a Savage Model 11 .308win about a month ago. It's a really nice shooting gun. I went for the black on black.

Always pay attention to where the gun is pointing/aiming. You need to look beyond the target to make sure it's clear beyond. Bolt actions are nice because you can take the bolt right out. Keep it cleaned, experiment with ammo, and have fun. Be safe.

A ssume every firearm is loaded.

C ontrol the muzzle direction at all times.

T rigger finger off trigger and out of trigger guard.

S ee that the firearm is unloaded. PROVE it safe.

—Canadian Firearms Centre, The Four ACTS of Firearm Safety