22 vs 9mm pistol to learn on

heavenIsAlie

heavenIsAlie

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I'm looking at getting more into pistol shooting in the future, and i was wondering what you guys would say is better to learn on.

my first thought was .22 just because the ammo isn't expensive and if im throwing a bunch of badly aimed lead at the target it might as well be cheap. but with that .22 isn't going to provide much recoil is it? so once i moved up to a bigger gun would i end up having to relearn things because of recoil?

so i figure its between grab a p22 or something similar and learn on that then buy a bigger one. or other option is buy a 9mm and use that to learn.

id like to get into some of the action shooting sports as well so that is a consideration.
 
I did the same.

Started with a P22 as a learning pistol as it was cheap and fun to shoot. From there I progressed to a Buckmark Target and a S&W M41.

Recently I have stepped up to a 9mm 1911.

Still like to shoot the .22's though, the higher quality .22's are lots of fun to shoot too.
 
start with 22, everyone does, then move on when and if you're ready- gun control( the good kind) , breathing and accuracy are your goals, then move on once you get reasonably "good" with the 22- if you want a surprise get a short barreled 22- say about 3 inches or less that shoots 22 lr in a small frame- you'll learn about recoil and flame real quick- and it'll open your eyes about how well you THINK you can shoot- the 9mm or whatever center fire you please can come later- once you do make the move, you're probably going to want to reload as well, and if you are at a club that rents or make a friend that has center fires, then you can decide if it's for you- the 22 is a must for a beginner- besides there's such a thing as PERCIEVED recoil, and that happens when a new shooter tries something that recoils and they're not prepared for it, and develop a flinch even with the 22- that's why you start at the 22
 
It is easier to learn to shoot better with a 22 than a larger calibers. Besides economy heavy recoil makes it more difficult to find errors in sight picture, and trigger control.
 
a .22 is nice for many reasons, not the least of which is the HUGE price difference in ammo. so unless you are disciplined in learning to shoot correctly and are either wealthy enough to buy a larger caliber ammo or are not going to shoot enough to worry about $$. go for the .22
my .02
 
It depends on your needs. A .22 cal is OK is "learn" with, but if you've been shooting for many years and mild recoil isn't a big issue with you...I'd for sure go with the 9mm Luger round (Hands down).

The very first two guns I've ever purchased were a .22cal and a .45 Auto 1911 at the same time. My "instructor" insisted that I get a .22 cal to start off with to get comfortable with, but ever since I was a little kid I always wanted a semi-auto .45 Auto.

Get the .22 if your unsure about your interest in handgun shooting, but if this is something you see yourself in for a while, defenetly get a high-end 9mm pistol...still relatively inexpensive to shoot ($10.00/box) and alot more "umph" not to mention a BLAST to shoot, no pun intended :)
 
I started with a 9MM P226 as my first handgun that I bought. I am going to get a .22 next as they are cheap at about 350 and I can practice a whole lot (tho I do reload 9MM and shoot about 200 rounds per outing)
 
I bought a SIG Mosquito to learn on, with the intention of moving to a p220 later. Why? controls are almost identical and there will be less to relearn.
 
I would suggest a nine, if you find you're spending too much on ammo, it's time to start reloading. If the recoil from a full size 9mm causes problems something's wrong - seek help.
 
ian_in_vic said:
I would suggest a nine, if you find you're spending too much on ammo, it's time to start reloading. If the recoil from a full size 9mm causes problems something's wrong - seek help.
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New shooters often develop a bad flinch from a 9mm. That's just the way it is. That doesn't mean a 9mm is hard to shoot, but it's generally not easy for beginners to shoot it well right off the bat and continue to do so.
 
im not sure if you mean new to shooting in general or new to shooting pistols but i have been shooting rifles for alot of years.

i do plan on shooting alot, what does it usualy cost to set yourself up with all the stuff needed to reload?
 
heavenIsAlie said:
im not sure if you mean new to shooting in general or new to shooting pistols but i have been shooting rifles for alot of years.

i do plan on shooting alot, what does it usualy cost to set yourself up with all the stuff needed to reload?
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About 8000 rounds of .22lr:ar15: (about $500)

If you're going to get into reloading I'd go for .45acp not 9mm. 9mm can be had really cheap and it would take alot longer to recoup your inital investment.
 
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ive shot .45acp and i think the recoil is a little high for me just learning to shoot well with a pistol. i mentioned the 9mm because it had the least recoil but is still a centerfire rather than a rimfire
 
There's always a 9mm handgun that has a .22lr conversion kit for it. :D

I, personally, find the recoil of a .45 easier to tame than the recoil of a 9mm.:confused:
 
Forget what everyone else is saying and listen to me, start with a 10mm:evil:































Okay, okay....enough joking around.

22lr vs 9mm => depends how much you intend on shooting?
For once a month (I'm guessing this will also serve as a "defensive" tool) I'd go for 9mm. Beware, as you may indeed develop a terrible flinch since the 9mm is a snappy little bugger of a round. Don't forget that the cost of 9mm isn't that bad 1000rds for 220$.
Now if you do buy a .22lr, cost of ammo is peanuts and you will sooner learn the basics in the art of handgunning. Also, you will more than likely hang on to your .22 due to economics and plain fun factor.
If you are an experienced shooter with large caliber rifles, why not the 9mm as your flinching already may be non-existent?
My first was a Norinco M1911A1-Commander in .45acp which is quite tamable.
As mentioned before, reloading is only worthwhile above the 9mm mark.



Now if you do intend on shooting a lot, then why not the 9mm after all?
 
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What ever you do end up purchasing, save up for a while and dish out the coin on a quality piece.
Nothing worse than being introduced to the sport with a crappy firearm (will take you forever to fully start enjoying shooting again).
For a 9mm SIG, HK, Steyr (lose the funky sights), Glock, CZ, 1911, even the Berretta are all great choices.
For .22: Browning and Ruger are always winners but a tuned Norinco M93 from Gunnar isn't bad either.
 
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