This is the second ammo hording crisis I’ve lived through in my adult life.
Ammo has gotten stupid expensive. The line yesterday at Larry’s Pistol and Pawn wrapped around the building like people were going in there to vote. The ammo displays were as picked clean as a Venezuelan supermarket.
As Miguel can attest to, even reloading supplies are dry.
This has put a cramp on my shooting. Not just mine but a lot of people’s too. I haven’t done USPSA on months. The matches that are running are spartan.
This is what I want:
Create a USPSA rimfire division, maybe two divisions, for rimfire handguns.
Production is just that. Any stock 22 cal semi auto pistol. There are a lot on the market.
Open is any 22 cal semi auto pistol with whatever muzzle device, optics, etc you want.
Both limited to 10 rounds.
22 Long Rifle is still available, I keep seeing it, and it’s cheaper than centerfire.
I won’t part with my precious 45 ACP at $0.70 a shot, but I’ll burn up half a brick of 22 at a match.
Rules will be pretty much the same except steel doesn’t need to fall, just get hit.
Additional benefits will be more people getting interested as the barriers to entry (mostly costs) are lower. A 22 pistol is cheaper, so is ammo. Lower recoil will make it easier to bring in younger shooters.
I know I have no pull whatsoever, but I’d like to start a campaign to get this done. Perhaps starting as outlaw matches.
At the end of the day, the important thing is practicing the fundamentals. That requires sending lead downrange. If the only way to do that affordability during crazy times is with 22, I’d rather shoot 22 than not shoot at all.
If you are a match director, maybe consider an outlaw rimfire match if your regular matches are getting sparse due to ammo prices.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
“If you are a match director, maybe consider an outlaw rimfire match if your regular matches are getting sparse due to ammo prices.”
Go this way rather than try to argue with HQ. And so people do not have to spend an arm and a leg on equipment, all stages begin with the gun Off Holster.
And to save on lost dropped ammo, no reloads until slide lock
Drawing from the holster is part of the fun. If I limited anything it would be rounds per stage so you only need 3 mags like an IDPA match, but without the IDPA rules.
Its called steel match. Has a rimfire division just like you asked for, Just you don’t draw from a holster in rimfire.
I’ve shot steel. The problem is you shoot from a fixed position. I want to run and gun.
I’ll second J.kb’s comment. Sure, steel challenge is fun but I don’t shoot it for the same reasons I stopped shooting GSSF . . . I want movement/run-and-gun (even if my fat ass doesn’t run too well). Now, I do appreciate them for getting new shooters into the shooting sports (and GSSF has a damn good prize structure). I just want something a little bit less static.
The one issue I do see is magazines. The magazines for .22LR guns aren’t the most robust and are finicky bastards to boot. Not that it would be too much of an issue with me if I could load my TX22 magazines with the TandemKross +5 extensions to capacity. *insert evil smiley*
That would be interesting, and yes, do it as an outlaw match… The powers that be wouldn’t go for it, IMHO.
Sounds like a good time and a great way to get folks in to shooting sports at a low cost buy in or rental to the range/organization it takes place at.
Count me in! I would love this. You got my wheels turnin. I just built a new range. And bought some steel hangin targets. Any one else here from Maine?