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October 6th, 2014
In the “good old days”, if you needed rimfire ammo for fun shooting, you could just head over to Walmart (or a local sporting goods store) and find a wide variety of offerings, including low-cost bulk packs from Federal, CCI, and Remington. These days, there are “slim pickings”, even at Wally World. You need to “cast a bigger net” to find rimfire ammo these days.
One of the most efficient ways to locate rimfire ammunition nationwide is to use Ammoseek.com, a specialized search engine. On its home page, Ammoseek has a handy 22LR PAGE link. With just one click you can search dozens of ammo vendors.
If you click the 22LR Page link, Ammoseek instantly calls up current ammo inventories located by Ammoseek’s automated search bots. Then Ammoseek plots ALL the available rimfire ammo, sorted from least expensive to most expensive. Here are search results from this morning, October 6, 2014. We found some CCI Blazer at $4.99 per 50-rd box (40gr LRN). That’s just want we needed for a plinking session at the range.
Click Image to see full-screen version.
August 19th, 2014
Anschütz now has its own importation hub in the USA. This new facility, located in Trussville, Alabama, will operate as a direct extension of the parent company, J.G. ANSCHÜTZ GmbH & Co.KG of Germany. Having its own importation facility will help Anschütz supply rifles to the American market more efficiently. Steven Boelter, President of Anschütz North American (NA) operations, tells us that that the new Alabama facility will allow Anschütz to import a wider range of products and carry a larger standing inventory. That’s good for rimfire and air rifle customers.
The new importation/distribution center will soon be supported by an in-house Anschütz service center that will handle warranty repairs and custom upgrades. This will offer Anschütz after-sales service for all company products, as well as warranty support, repairs, spare parts, and tech info. (This new service center will operate as an adjunct to other existing target and air rifle service centers within the USA.) Learn more about the soon-to-be launched service center at www.anschutznorthamerica.com.
Anschütz NA does not sell directly to consumers, but if you are interested in a particular Anschütz product, you can contact the Anschütz’s staff in Alambama. They will answer your questions or connect you with a current Anschütz dealer. The established Anschütz distribution chain and main dealer network in the US will continue to operate as before.
Anschütz North America
www.anschutznorthamerica.com
7661 Commerce Lane
P.O. Box 129
Trussville, AL 35173-2837
Phone: 205-655-7500
July 27th, 2014
Everyone needs a few good .22 LR firearms for fun shooting, target practice, and cross-training. We found two exceptional deals right now at CDNN Sports, a large wholesaler that specializes in inventory close-outs. CDNN acquires products at low cost, so they can sell well below MSRP.
The first item that caught our eye was a nice 1911-style target pistol. These full-size, German-made GSG rimfire 1911s often sell for $400.00 or more (MSRP is $427.95). This item is currently on sale for just $279.99. Plus a $30.00 distributor’s rebate is available for purchases made through July 31, 2014 (so you’ve got a few more days to grab one for $249.99 after rebate). Because the GSG is the same size as a centerfire 1911 pistol, the GSG is great for cross-training. The GSG is also compatible with many full-size 1911 parts.
German Sport Guns (GSG) M1911 Target — Same Look And Feel As Full-Size M1911
Ruger 10/22 with Synthetic Stock or Wood Stock for $189.99
If you own a ranch or farm, or have some kids (or grand-kids) who enjoy plinking, a Ruger 10/22 should be part of your gun collection. For 50 years, the Ruger 10/22 has been America’s favorite .22 LR rifle. Durable and simple, the Ruger® 10/22® rifle is well-suited for informal target shooting, “plinking”, and eradicating small varmints. And now you can get one for under $200.00.
CDNN currently has the 10/22 with synthetic stock on sale for $189.99. Weighing just 5 pounds, this rifle features an 18.5″ barrel, 13.50″ Length Of Pull, and a 10-round rotary magazine. MSRP is MSRP $279.00, so this is a very good deal. A wood-stocked version is also offered for just $189.99.
July 15th, 2014
Editor: In past years, the NRA Smallbore National Championships have been held at Camp Perry in Ohio. This year, because of preparations for the 2015 World Palma Championships, the Smallbore Nationals are being held at the Wa-Ke-De Rifle Range in Bristol, Indiana. NRA Board Member Walt Walters was there to report on the start of the event for NRABlog.com.
View Photo Gallery from Day One of Metric Championships
Competitors began arriving about 8:00 am this morning to complete their in-processing for the NRA National Smallbore Rifle Metric 3-position championship. Sunday, July 13th was a practice day for these riflemen and women. An opportunity to hone their skills and sight-in their rifles for the competition which started Monday the 14th.
The Metric Metallic Sight matches were held on Monday. After completing their 40 shots for record at each of the prone, standing and kneeling positions the overall winner was determined — a new Metric Metallic Sight Champion was crowned.
The Any Sight champion will be determined on Tuesday with competitors firing the same course of fire as the metallic sight aggregate. At the completion of firing, a BBQ will be held for the competitors after which an awards ceremony will be conducted recognizing all the Metric National Champions.
From there the competition switches to Standard 3-Position, Standard Prone, and Metric Prone. By the 25th of July we’ll have four new NRA Smallbore Champions to honor.
July 7th, 2014
 Jamie Gray, London 2012 Gold Medalist in Women’s 3 X 20, has retired from professional shooting this year. However, Jamie plans to stay involved in the shooting sports as a Public Relations/Marketing representative for ELEY, a leading maker of rimfire ammunition. Joining the ELEY team this month, Jamie will work with shooting clubs and educational institutions to promote smallbore target shooting.
Jamie’s role in the USA will be wide ranging. Her job description includes working with state associations, governing bodies, schools, colleges and retail partners, giving educational seminars, and meeting “grass roots” shooters across the USA. Jamie has always been an icon within the USA shooting community.
Those who have met Jamie know that she is passionate about her sport and that she’s always willing to help others. Jamie’s extensive knowledge, international experience, and engaging personality makes her a great choice for ELEY’s new PR & Marketing Executive for the USA. As an Olympian who competed in Beijing 2008 and then went on to win the Gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, she is well qualified to “inform and inspire” the next Olympic hopefuls in the shooting sports.
June 28th, 2014
Watch LaserLyte .22 LR Trainer in Action
Do you own a .22 LR rimfire pistol? Well now you can transform that handgun into a high-tech laser pistol, thanks to a new gadget from LaserLyte. The new .22 Caliber Laser Trainer works with nearly all .22 LR pistols (but not revolvers) with a striker or conventional firing pin. The battery-powered device emits a laser beam when you pull the trigger. The video below shows how it works.
We have to admit we liked the idea of this device so much, we ordered one from Amazon.com. The $83.22 retail price seems a little steep, but think of all the money you can save on .22 LR ammo (which is pretty darn hard to find these days anyway). We just wish there was a version for .22 LR revolvers.
 WARNING: Before you use the LaserLyte .22 Caliber Trainer, check and double-check to ensure your pistol is UNLOADED!! That means NO ROUND IN THE CHAMBER! Pulling the trigger with the training device in the barrel (and a loaded round) could cause serious injury or death to yourself or someone downrange. As with any firearm, always make sure to follow all basic firearm safety rules! Additionally, never point the laser beam at another person — as the laser can cause eye injury.
New product tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
May 18th, 2014
 Where did all the .22 LR ammunition go? Why are the prices so high? Why can’t the rimfire ammo-makers step up production? Across the country, firearm owners are asking these questions, and demanding answers.
Part of the explanation comes down to production capacity. America’s rimfire ammo production facilities are already running at full capacity. There is no easy way in increase production. In the video below, the crew from Shooting USA Television visits the ATK production facility in Lewiston, Idaho. This plant can produce 4,000,000 rounds of CCI rimfire ammo in one 24-hour period. This informative video shows the complete process of rimfire ammunition production from start to finish.
YouTube Video Link: http://youtu.be/t5qMsmucXhI.
This is a ‘must-watch’ video that reveals some very interesting things. Did you know that 1200 cases (in one large tray) are filled with powder in a single operation? (See 05:45 mark). Likewise, bullets are also lined up in a matching 1200-count tray (See 6:00 mark). This way 1200 bullets can be seated into 1200 rimfire cases in one efficient procedure.
When you watch the video, and see the complex, expensive machinery involved, you’ll realize that it’s no easy thing to increase rimfre ammo production. The rimfire plants are already running at full capacity. To produce significantly greater quantities of .22 LR ammunition, manufacturers would have to make huge capital investments.
May 1st, 2014
Here’s something you’ve probably never seen before — a rimfire tracer bullet split in half on the blade of a machete. This pistol trick shot is performed by 22Plinkster, a young marksman who has posted a number of rimfire trick shot videos on YouTube. This impressive split bullet demonstration was filmed with high-speed cameras. This lets you see the bullet fly onto the machete blade in slow motion, with red tracer particles streaming behind. And then a freeze-frame clearly shows the two bullet halves after they have passed through two balloons. Check it out:
CLICK HERE for More Trick Shot Videos by 22Plinkster.
CLICK HERE for More Rimfire Tracer Videos.
The high-speed camera (which allows super slow-motion playback) was provided by RatedRR studios. The .22 LR tracer ammunition was provided by Piney Mountain Ammunition Company.
April 7th, 2014
Matt Reams, the V.P. of Sales for Sierra Bullets, recently addressed the burning question in the minds of many shooters these days: “Where did all the .22LR rimfire ammo go — why can’t I find any?” Here is Matt’s answer, from the knowledgeable perspective of a firearms industry executive.
 Why Can’t I Find .22 LR Ammunition? by Matt Reams
Even though Sierra Bullets does not make .22 LR ammo or projectiles, we are constantly asked “Why can’t I find any .22 LR ammo anywhere?” Even the conspiracy theorists are at a loss on this one as they can’t even blame it on the government. They toss around thoughts of warehouses full of .22 LR rotting away just to keep it out of their hands, but that does not seem very realistic – even to them.
So what is going on here? Why is it that 1.5 years later, the shelves are still empty and bricks of .22 LR can still be seen selling for upwards of $75-$100 at gun shows? I do not believe there is one answer, but rather a few. Here are my opinions on the matter, for what they are worth.
Hoarders – Some people are piling it away in their basements, garages, bunkers, and under their beds due to fear of not being able to find it again. This is not a huge factor in it, but it is still a factor to some degree. When these hoarders can’t find it on shelves, it only panics them more and causes them to buy even more when they do find it.
Gougers – These are the guys who prey on the fear of the hoarders. These are the guys that wait in line at Wal-Mart at 3 a.m. to buy up the daily allotment that Wal-Mart puts out at normal retail prices and then double or triple their price on the weekend gun show circuit. Again, not a huge factor, but keeping the shelves looking empty which keeps the panic level higher for those that are looking.
Demand – Now we are getting to the real meat of the issue. You hear manufactures say they are running 24/7 on their rimfire lines which is putting somewhere around 25-30 million rounds PER DAY (estimate on my part from numbers I have heard from the big rimfire guys) into the market – so how can there be a shortage? I have asked this myself – until we start doing even a little basic math. You hear all kind of numbers about how many firearms owners are in the USA, but you hear 70-80 million quite often. So for the sake of us not arguing that number – let’s cut it to 35 million. Do you know a gun owner that does not own at least one firearm chambered in .22 LR? Do you know any that are not looking for .22 LR ammo or would at least buy some if they saw it for normal prices? How many would they buy when they found it? A lot – right? But again, just to keep the argument on the low end, let’s say they would all be satisfied with just a single 500 pack. 35 million multiplied by 500 .22 LR rounds for them all – is 17.5 BILLION rounds. Let that sink in. Even at 25 million rounds being made PER DAY – that is 1.92 years’ worth of production.
Starts making some sense then doesn’t it? Hoarding and panic emptied the shelves. Gougers try and keep them empty and demand does keep them empty. Then factor in that I probably cut the real number of 22 LR shooters in half and probably underestimated the amount everyone would buy if they found it at normal prices by 300% and you can see how deep the problem really is and why it is not going to go away tomorrow. It also does not take into account the world market – just the USA.
How will it get better? Slowly. The hoarders will get to a point that they feel they have enough or will run out of money. The shelves will start getting enough on them that the gougers cannot buy it all. This will make people stop paying $50-$75 for a brick at gun shows. That will make it less profitable for the gougers to spend their money on and they will stop. The shelves will start to have product again which will ease people’s fears and get them back to buying what they need today instead of what they need for the decade. There is no fast answer.
Are the manufactures hiring people for extra shifts and adding capacity – sure they are. But it is easy to just expect them to ramp up production overnight to take care of our needs, but that is just not realistic. We get the same thing here. The market certainly has not grown 500% so what happens when companies add all that super expensive equipment when things get back to normal? They take a bath on it for sure and waste capital that they could have used to improve their company in a way that makes them stronger. Instead they just added equipment they may never need again and have to mothball while they lay off workers they no longer need. Not a great way to run a business and not a fair way to treat employees.
We all just have to trust that it will get better, do not buy more than we need and wait it out. It will not get better overnight. It will start out with a box here and there and then a few and then slowly the shelves will get back to having all the supply and selection we picky consumers are accustomed to and will certainly appreciate much more than we ever did before… if only for a little while.
April 6th, 2014
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has taken over the Ruger Rimfire Challenge program. Now called the NSSF Rimfire Challenge, the program retains the format that has made it so popular. This remains a two-gun timed competition with rimfire rifles and pistols. Shooters engage steel targets at relatively close distances. The matches are for young and old alike, all skill levels, with mentoring by experienced shooters. The emphasis is on fun and safety.
The use of .22 caliber pistols, revolvers and rifles make the Rimfire Challenge more affordable than most centerfire matches. “The affordability of this program is something that participants really like and keeps them coming back,” said Zach Snow, NSSF’s Manager of Shooting Promotions. “Event fees are affordable as well.”
For participants, NSSF Rimfire Challenge offers categories for everyone — Open and Limited Divisions, plus Special Recognition competitions. To learn more about on program equipment, rules, courses of fire, scheduled matches and the first NSSF Rimfire World Championship, visit NSSF.org/Rimfire.
NSSF Rimfire Challenge Basics
- This is a two-gun event so you need a rifle and a handgun (which can be either a semi-auto pistol or revolver).
- Bolt-action rifles and lever-action rifles are allowed, but self-loading (semi-auto) rifles are most popular because they can shoot quickly.
- It is suggested that your firearms hold at least ten rounds each, as there is no reloading allowed during the actually stages.
- It is a good idea to have five (5) magazines per gun (5 each for rifle and pistol). That way you don’t have to reload between stages. If you have a 10-shot revolver, you can reload manually, or use speed loaders.
- At Rimfire Challenge Matches, each competitor get five (5) runs through each target stage.
- Eye and ear protection is required on the range at all times. This is true for spectators as well as competitors.
NSSF Rimfire Challenge Courses of Fire | NSSF Rimfire Challenge Rulebook
Many different stage designs can be employed at Rimfire Challenge matches. Here are two examples from the NSSF Rimfire Challengs Suggested Courses of Fire:
 
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