Fun on the Cheap

by
posted on April 16, 2010
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
lessons_ah2015_fs.jpg (1)

Most of us have—or have had—a rimfire handgun or two in our life. As our handgunning becomes more sophisticated, though, we tend to leave the rimfires in the safe or, worse yet, sell them. However, wrist-wrenching magnum revolvers for hunting and pistols with goiter-like magazines are expensive to feed. To sate a shooting fix inexpensively I often break out a .22 LR handgun.


I have several—both revolvers and semi-autos—but recently Kimber sent me a Rimfire Super from its Custom Shop to play with. The pistol is a rimfire version of a full-size 1911, and this one has pretty much all the bells and whistles—ambi-safety, target sights, match trigger and barrel, beveled magazine well, et al. While the gun ain’t cheap, the ammo is. And I have been having a blast with it lately (pardon the pun).

When I need a quick shooting fix I can dump a couple of magazines into an impromptu plinking target in my yard. I haven’t yet done a formal accuracy evaluation, but look to see that coming soon. A quick bouncing of a soda can or scrap of wood from my shop has been a great stress reliever during the past couple of weeks. I have shot rimfire-adapted 1911s in the past, but forgot the joy of using this platform without the extra recoil, noise and expense.

Of course, not everyone can step out their door and plink in their yard, but with most centerfire ammo approaching or even exceeding a buck a shot, practice can suffer on the basis of expense, as well as the hassle of going to a formal range. Break out a rimfire handgun, and nullify at least one of those excuses. Pretty quick now, I’ll be loading up a few of them for a gopher safari, and I’ll let you know how it goes.

Latest

W H2026 04 F Hog Texas Graves 425888
W H2026 04 F Hog Texas Graves 425888

Texas, Hogs and Thermals

Follow along as Brian McCombie indulges in his favorite trio: Texas, hogs and thermals.

New for 2026: Real Avid AR-15/AR-10 Master Collections

Real Avid has taken its AR-15 and AR-10 tooling and maintenance products and bundled them into anew Master Collections series, providing AR-platform fans with one-stop solutions to meet their specific AR needs.

Turkey Decoys All Season Long

Opening day of turkey season was rainy and cold. However, thanks to scouting and trail cameras, Scott Haugen had a plan. Matter of fact, from the first day to the last, Scott has a way to set the decoys to bring the birds in. Curious? Read on for some great strategies.

New for 2026: Hornady .223 WSSM and .243 WSSM Superformance Varmint

Hornady has announced the availability of .223 WSSM 55-grain V-Max and .243 WSSM 75-grain V-Max loads in the Superformance Varmint line.

#SundayGunday: Benelli M4 EXT

On this week's #SundayGunday, we’re checking out a true stalwart of the firearms world, the Benelli M4. Long held in high regard by concerned citizens looking for a pedigreed self-defense shotgun, quite a few have been plugged to reduce capacity, and used in the turkey woods over the years, as a true multi-purpose scattergun. Why? Well, as it turns out, there is very little that separates a good defensive shotgun from a good turkey gun. Learn more about it in this exclusive video.

Roundup: Turkey Guns & Gear

Check out our roundup of the best new turkey guns and gear in 2026.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.