We believe in the benefits of rimfire cross-training. With a rimfire rifle that has the same ergonomics and “feel” as your centerfire rig, you can practice more often and more affordably. You can get good rimfire ammo now for under $5.00/box (ten cents per round). Compare that to centerfire factory ammo at $1.40/round or handloads for about $0.70 (bullet, primer, powder, and brass depreciation). We know some successful PRS shooters who shoot five rimfire rounds in practice for every centerfire round.

For a tactical cross-trainer, you want a rimfire rig that feels like your centerfire rifle. McMillan now offers a stock that fits the bill. McMillan’s new A5-22 stock shares the same look and feel as McMillan’s popular A5 centerfire stock. The A5-22 is able to accommodate 10/22 type actions including KIDD 10-22 models with rear tang attachments. McMillan says: “The A5-22 is dimensionally the same as our standard A5 with some minor changes in the tang and floor plate areas. It is available in a fixed comb configuration or with an adjustable saddle-type cheek piece.”

While the new McMillan A5-22 stock was designed expressly for the Ruger 10/22 barreled action it can be inletted to fit other rimfire actions: KIDD 10-22, Volquartsen VCL (Sporter and Magnum), and Volquartsen WSM. With a basic inlet, the A5-22 costs $390.00. Uninletted (flat-top) version costs $338.00. Available options include cheekpiece, pad, studs, and rail.

Rimfire Cross-Training Resources

Quality Affordable Ammo for Rimfire Cross-Training

Looking for good, affordable .22 LR ammo for your rimfire training rifle? We suggest Norma’s Tac-22. This has shown very good accuracy in both bolt-action and self-loading rimfire rigs. The target photos above come from Champion Shooters Supply, which reports: “We have found this to run very well in Ruger rifles, handguns, and target pistols. These are 5-shot groups at 50 yards with an Anschutz 1913 rifle. This is an incredible value.”

Tac-22 ammo is available from many vendors. MidwayUSA currently offers it for $4.49 per 50rd box or $34.99 for 500 rounds. That’s just seven cents per round with the 500-count box — a great deal.

Rimfire Practice Targets

SPECIAL BONUS–Rimfire Tactical Precision Targets These FREE targets by DesertFrog are offered in Adobe Acrobat format for easy printing. CLICK HERE to download all six targets as a .ZIP archive.

The Concept Behind the Rimfire Tactical Match
Many guys who shoot long-range tactical matches practice with .22 LR rifles of similar configuration. Rimfire ammo is way more affordable than centerfire, you do not need a big range facility, and shooting rimfire saves wear and tear on your centerfire rifle. Further, for learning how to read the wind, there really is no better training tool than a .22 LR, even as close as 50 yards. In California, various clubs have been running rimfire tactical matches for more than a decade now. Hit/miss reactive targets are typically placed from 50 to 150 yards. Some matches combine steel plates with bullseye paper targets so accuracy is important. An accurized 10/22 can be competitive in these matches.

Rimfire Tactical Series
A new .22 LR rimfire shooting discipline has been developed, copying the PRS series. The ELEY Practical Rimfire Challenge series matches are positional shooting events in field conditions out to 300 yards. You can use either a bolt-action or semi-auto .22 LR rimfire rifle. Much like PRS (Precision Rifle Series), competitors will shoot from a variety of positions: prone, strong/weak shoulders, standing, sitting, and kneeling. There will be shots from barricades, and movement from position to position during stages.