[northhike]

I was reading an article recently that said the biggest reason the .22 is still around is because the ammo is cheap and the guns that shoot them are inexpensive. While I am sure there is much truth to this the article did not mention its sentimental appeal. I would guess that even if the larger caliber ammo was reduced to the price of a .22lr we would still be shooting our .22's. Like most....my dad introduced me to this caliber. It was my first "real" gun and as such there are many fine memories attached to those days. Thats why I spend most of my time in this section of the forum and why I own several .22's. I cannot say the same for my larger caliber guns. The only other gun that may come close is the 1911 given that many of our grandfathers, fathers and maybe even us have carried them through wars. If all my guns were to dissapear today my .22 rifles would be most missed and it has nothing to do with cost.

[stoppingpower]

Just gotta love 22s. I mean they are just fun to shoot with. And yes i have my first shooting memories with a 22

[mrt8110]

Well stated,I have more 22's than any other caliber. Cliff

[SSGN_Doc]

Because it is inexpensive to get into, both the ammo and guns are inviting for new shooters. The low recoil, quieter report, lighter weight, and often smaller dimensions, just make even more reasons that it is good for kids and first time shooters.

And yes, people are sentimentalist. In the last few weeks, while Hostess has been going through threats of shut-down, people were actually worried about losing Twinkees for good. That was mostly sentimentalism, because those of us who remember taking luch to school in a lunch box and being pleasantly surprised to find a Twinkee or other Hostess cake in there, get attached to that type of "good feeling" on a snetimental level.

So, why not be nostalgic about your first gun and caliber that you learned to shoot with.

[Blueguns]

Yep .22s kinda just feel like home.

[beaglesam]

I shoot my Remington Model 582 once or twice a year. I've had it for 45 years will never let go of it. My son and grandson will own it next. In a few more years, that is.

[hiwall]

Also it is a very accurate round

[Mosin]

If regular ammo was as cheap as.22, I'd lock my .22's away for a long time. Ugh... Not that I don't like the .22, I've just had a lot of cool guns doing nothing for the past 4 years because ammo is too expensive.

[northhike]

Originally Posted by Mosin

If regular ammo was as cheap as.22, I'd lock my .22's away for a long time. Ugh... Not that I don't like the .22, I've just had a lot of cool guns doing nothing for the past 4 years because ammo is too expensive.

You know your response brings up an interesting thought. My guess is that you are probably younger than I am (I'm in my late 40's). If you take my generation and those previous the .22 was the gun most of us grew up with introduced to us by our fathers/dads. I don't believe its as prevelant in today's younger generations. AR15's and more tactical weapons were introduced to them through video games. Your sentimental journey is probably vastly different then mine. This of course begs the question...."will the .22's have the same sentimental appeal years from now with the younger generation?" My guess would be they will not. There will be a good number of us passing down the .22 tradition, but most of the generation behind us may see the black guns as their sentimental gun of choice. Just a perspective....

[Mosin]

Originally Posted by northhike

You know your response brings up an interesting thought. My guess is that you are probably younger than I am (I'm in my late 40's). If you take my generation and those previous the .22 was the gun most of us grew up with introduced to us by our fathers/dads. I don't believe its as prevelant in today's younger generations. AR15's and more tactical weapons were introduced to them through video games. Your sentimental journey is probably vastly different then mine. This of course begs the question...."will the .22's have the same sentimental appeal years from now with the younger generation?" My guess would be they will not. There will be a good number of us passing down the .22 tradition, but most of the generation behind us may see the black guns as their sentimental gun of choice. Just a perspective....

I believe you are right on most of your sentiment. However, I am younger than you (32), so I didn't grow up on video games, especially games that emphasized modern rifles.
My first rifle was a .22 as well. I'm a fan of recoil, and big bangs. Also very interested in long range shooting and do a lot of hunting. It's just that the ammo is too expensive to go out and blast away all day.
I do agree with what you're saying though, and if I ever have kids, I'm going to start them on .22s as soon as possible.