# Yippee my new pistol and rifle finally came through!



## Sebastian C (Jul 23, 2017)

Hey everyone,

So I've had an old .22 Beretta pistol and a new marlin model 60 rifle chugging through the system for over a year year now. The Costa Rican ministry of arms and explosives has slowed to a snails pace because of covid they say. There is also a strong current of progressively clamping down harder and harder on legal firearms for the general public, which may have something to do with it. 

Anyways, they both finally came through the other day and I got to bring them home. They shoot straight and don't jam it seems. I know it's kinda funny but these are identical to the two guns I already have. Now Ive got two marlin 22 rifles and two Beretta 22 pistols. I just like having more than one of anything I feel is really important, and these were available, comparatively inexpensive and I'm used to them. Also got like 2000 bullets stashed away, in case I ever want them for whatever reason. Almost feel like I should get more but it's my understanding that rimfires go bad after a while.

I know ive said it on here plenty of times but I grew up suburban liberal style and almost never touched guns except at summer camp. Now since we live country style in the jungle I kinda decided it's a good idea to have some guns stashed away. Both because we gotta kill farm animals on a somewhat regular basis, and cuz we're kinda where no one else can hear us scream. Also, what if the **** hits the fan?? I don't think it will for real, but what if??

. 22s are fun little guns to play with, like I said my gun experience is somewhat limited, still learning. And, it's the only ammo even slightly affordable here. Reloading doesn't really exist, and other calibers cost close to a dollar per round. I could never keep a thousand rounds of other calibers around. 22's cost about 20 cents each, sometimes less if you find a quantity deal.

The Costa Rican government's tendency to keep restricting guns more and more is making me think I should buy more guns... I'd love a 12 gauge shotgun! But it's kind of overkill on our little toy farm and at a dollar per shell I couldn't afford to practice with it very much. Not gonna have a toy I can't play with.

Now I'm trying to get my hippy dippy wife to sign up for gun class and get her licenses etc and get her some guns. She thinks it's ridiculous but is also uneasy with the government's tendency to make them harder to get, so she's in (eventually). It's like we never wanted any really (maybe one for the pigs) until they said we shouldn't have any... Guess it's the 'mericun coming out in me ha ha. But we don't got no second amendment here, guns are a privilege not a right.

Anyways, sorry for the ramble but just thought I'd share.


----------



## RJ2019 (Aug 27, 2019)

Congrats on the new toys!! Initiate your wife into target shooting, she'll probably love it.


----------



## Hiro (Feb 14, 2016)

If you can find high velocity hollow point .22 LR, they are absolutely effective on most threats shot out of a rifle within 100 yards. Hopefully, @GREENCOUNTYPETE or @GunMonkeyIntl will weigh in. They are much more versed in these matters.


----------



## Sebastian C (Jul 23, 2017)

Hiro said:


> If you can find high velocity hollow point .22 LR, they are absolutely effective on most threats shot out of a rifle within 100 yards. Hopefully, @GREENCOUNTYPETE or @GunMonkeyIntl will weigh in. They are much more versed in these matters.


 Thanks. There is a variety of ammunitions to be had, they all seem to work pretty well in the pistol but the marlin rifle seems to be picky with the federal bulk ammo hollow points. It's still fine just for playing around with, and then I have a couple boxes of higher quality ammo for if I ever need it.


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

if you can keep them dry they will last a long time 

in a tropical environment I would buy fresh ammo , break down the brick so that it will lay flat and vacuum seal them in food saver type bags with a descant pack if you have a vaccume pack appliance or know some one who does , you might still keep them in a sealed container so that they don't get banged around and break the seal on the bag, they should store a long time that way.

if you don't have access to a vaccum sealer a ammo can with a gasket and some descant packs will likely be fine if you have a room of the house you air condition that would be better if you can keep it there.

in WI I just vacuum pack them laid out flat or keep them in a sealed ammo can in a climate controlled part of the house 

just kept in an ammo can in a climate controlled heated and air conditioned house in WI 20 year old 22lr is shooting fine 

when I had a problem it was a partial case of 22lr left in a van tool box for a year spring to spring the heat of summer , the cold of winter , spring with seemingly endless rain for weeks in a closed up van in the driveway , it still shot but a lot more failure to fire than the first half of the case had went from about 1% the first year to 10% a year later it was to the point almost every time you loaded a 10 round mag there would be a failure.


----------



## Sebastian C (Jul 23, 2017)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> if you can keep them dry they will last a long time
> 
> in a tropical environment I would buy fresh ammo , break down the brick so that it will lay flat and vacuum seal them in food saver type bags with a descant pack if you have a vaccume pack appliance or know some one who does , you might still keep them in a sealed container so that they don't get banged around and break the seal on the bag, they should store a long time that way.
> 
> ...


Cool, thanks for the advice. I have an ammo box with a good gasket seal. I'll have to put some desiccant packs in it or at least some rice in a paper bag or a sock or something.


----------



## Sebastian C (Jul 23, 2017)

RJ2019 said:


> Congrats on the new toys!! Initiate your wife into target shooting, she'll probably love it.


I've been trying, she's accepted the idea on an intellectual level but has yet to actually shoot a gun. She'll shoot bows and arrows though so we'll get there eventually.


----------



## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

Definitely try to get your ammo stored in some way to protect it from humidity like Pete described.

It’s absolutely brilliant to have multiple copies of the same pattern gun if you live in a place where guns are difficult to procure. If you want to have the best of both worlds, consider your next purchase being an optic for one of those rifles. Then you have two different rifles, with different purposes, that just happen to have 100% interchangeable parts.

Hiro’s right, and your 22 can kill anything you’re likely to encounter in CR, as long as you can get the bullet to go precisely where you tell it to go. A magnified optic will help with that at 75 and 100m. It can make the difference between hitting a menacing dog in the brain or just nicking its jaw.


----------



## Sebastian C (Jul 23, 2017)

Thanks! Glad you understand my logic a little bit. I'll consider getting a scope, I've been trying to get good at shooting without one but now that I have two putting a scope on one is a good idea.


----------



## todd_xxxx (Apr 19, 2018)

Sebastian C said:


> Thanks! Glad you understand my logic a little bit. I'll consider getting a scope, I've been trying to get good at shooting without one but now that I have two putting a scope on one is a good idea.


Not sure how old you are, but optics become more and more important the older you get.


----------



## Sebastian C (Jul 23, 2017)

I'm 40, and I'm beginning to notice that I want a magnifying glass sometimes when I'm looking at small stuff in low light conditions...


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I had started typing this last night then got to tired .

ammo effectiveness , while 22 isn't anyone's idea choice of Self defense gun really it can be quite effective , shot placement matters , rifles fire send bullets at a higher velocity than pistols , but having dispatched a lot of animals I can safely say a well placed round from a 22 rifle more effective than a less well placed round from a 9mm handgun.

in most every thing shot placement is critical.

the most dependable ammo in your gun would be the thing to use and stock.

for some that is CCI mini mags , it should be an ammo that you can shoot all afternoon without failure to feed , fire or eject.

as for distances it will likely be short

shot placement has taken a huge Grizzly bear with a 22 short , a small woman with a single shot 22 and her friend were being followed by a huge bear in AK she ducked behind some brush hoping it would pass her by, it stopped and started to sniff the air before it could turn and come for her she put a bullet right at the base of it's ear it dropped , she used all the rounds she had left to be sure it was down , 7 or 8 more to be sure , but the first was fatal.

about the biggest thing I have shot at distance with 22lr was wood chuck, I have shot hogs , sheep and such at the farm point blank. I have more availability to guns and ammo than you do so stretching the 22 hasn't been need for me on game. I have shot targets to 200 yards with 22lr , it is falling about 4 feet from a 50 yard point of aim
Wood chucks here go about 12-20 pounds
I have shot 30 pound racoon with the 22lr but they were all sub 20 yards since I trap they are mostly a few feet to a few yards.

anyway if I body shot a woodchuck in my garden it would make it back to it's hole it probably died but not before it was in the hole , head shots become necessary one I got at 75 yards because as soon as you would come outside and get any where close they would go hide
bullet hit just behind where the jaw bone come together it rolled over about 3 times spraying blood then was done clearly I hit an artery.

learning the anatomy becomes more important , skin and gut and pay attention to where things are located most people shoot racoons and hogs too far back , both have a heart practically in their neck easier to get on a shot angling in where the neck meets the shoulder than from the side
not sure what you have for game and varmint down in CR

as far as sub 25 yard shooting I would put a good 22lr hollow point as more effective on anything I have ever shot than a 9mm fmj much of that is bullet composition , but the hi-velocity 22lr is defiantly nothing to disrespect
not aware of any animal in this part of the globe that if you put a 22lr of decent quality in it's ear canal it doesn't find the ground right away.

the 22lr past 75 yards starts to drop fairly quick and is loosing energy fast , still nothing to mess with , I have an uncle shot by a 22lr at around 200-300 yards they don't know exact but that was the sheriffs estimate from where he was on the river to the shore area he would have been shot from. he was in a moving boat and took the round to the back near his shoulder , he lived and walked to the ambulance from the boat. was out of the hospital the same day.
I mention this , you do need to pay attention to what is behind your target. like an other rifle.


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

Sebastian C said:


> I'm 40, and I'm beginning to notice that I want a magnifying glass sometimes when I'm looking at small stuff in low light conditions...


you don't need huge magnification 2-7 power is a real sweet spot 2 power is fast on target and will actually get you very repeatable hits at 200 yards with a rifle capable of getting their consistently with my 308 at 200 yards 5 hits under a baseball is easy enough.

not that you need long distance ability with a 22lr but 3-400 yards it is easily doable with a 7 power setting and a rifle that has the range to get there

7 power is handy for sighting in but the field of view is small at shorter distance

if someone made a fixed 2x it would be great but few if any do any more so much is focused on higher magnification. so for the price 2-7 is versatile and cost effective

not sure if you can order Vortex in CR the 2-7x32 crossfire II is a good optic for the price

a set of flip up scope caps are worth it , they keep your glass clean and dry when raining and are out of the way in a second I have run butler creeks and vortex


Amazon.com



a sling is another nice thing to have on a rifle it is more than just a carry strap , learn to use it as a shooting support and you can make some impressive shots. Amazon.com : AmmoGarand Web Sling M1 Garand USGI Pattern Two Point OD Cotton Web Made in USA : Sports & Outdoors









Amazon.com : Uncle Mike's QD 115 Swivel - Tri-Lock Swivels QD 115 Blued 1 1/4' Machine Screw Type, Clam MO10013 : Sports & Outdoors


Amazon.com : Uncle Mike's QD 115 Swivel - Tri-Lock Swivels QD 115 Blued 1 1/4' Machine Screw Type, Clam MO10013 : Sports & Outdoors



www.amazon.com


----------



## Sebastian C (Jul 23, 2017)

Thanks GCPete, that's interesting to know about the different types of ammo and their velocities. As far as self defense goes, I figure that no one in even kinda sort of their right mind wants to be shot with anything, even a 22. I like the logic of figuring out what works most dependably in the marlin and keeping that around. The Beretta isn't really that finicky that I've noticed. 

I've been watching videos about 22lr guns on YouTube and have seen some mention that the high velocity ammos aren't recommended for some older guns. These Berettas could easily be 40 or 50 years old, I was thinking of just using regular velocity rounds in them just to be more careful. Is this a valid concern or am I overthinking this?

Thanks for the advice on a scope also, I'm going to think about getting one in the relatively near future. 

Been thinking of asking one of the cowboy style leatherworkers around here to make me a sling. I'll have to look at some designs and find an easy one to copy


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

the reason I recommend the GI style web sling is that they are infinitely adjustable and can be used in loop sling relatively low cost, don't slide off the arm like the nylon used in may slings they can be gotten in nylon which doesn't rot in the tropics like leather or cotton can , however cotton kept dry does fairly well.

the Marine corps changed for several reasons to the Cotton web sling , cost , weight , usability , and service life in the pacific theater WWII it makes some sense.

tropics and leather and steel not sure how well that all goes together the 1907 pattern sling would be the one to copy , you need frogs and keepers , not sure how easy frogs would be for them to make.

high velocity typically start about 1250fps would not concern me in any modern gun which is really anything 50 years and newer would be considered modern.

the hyper velocity ammo the CCI stingers and other ammo claiming 1400fps or higher maybe not a all the time 

Federal 36gr 1280fps copper plated hollopoints are kind of a staple of plinking and small game ammo not the most accurate but decent enough 

I have even resorted to shooting Rem Golden Bullets copper plated hollow points , they work fin on raccoons , Rem was not my favorite because of some bad experiences with a lot of duds and being very dirty. during the last rimfire ammo shortage all I could find was Rem Golden bullets for a while so I ended up with some I still think they are a dirtier round than CCI but they work on racoons and I have had fewer duds than in the past.

the 40gr 1050fps and 1070 fps ammos tend to be better target ammos holding better groups but at some point your nearly splitting hairs with some of the ammos 

if you can hold a 1 inch circle at 25 meters you are good enough for just about all but shooting competitions where there may be prize money.

if I am shooting targets for score CCI Standard Velocity is my go to ammo.
just having fun on steel I am most likely saving some money and running CCI Blazer 

I have a collection of the Rem Golden bullets 225 packs and Federal Bulk 555 packs of plated hollow points for trap line dispatch


----------



## Sebastian C (Jul 23, 2017)

Yeah those packs of 525 federal hollow points are the really inexpensive deal around here. Then there are packs of 300 round nose federals that are decent also. Then everything else comes in 50 boxes and is more expensive. Unfortunately the federal hollow points are what misfires in the marlin most.

Regardless, at least there's ammo to be had. 

Thanks!


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

if you can find them CCI mini mags are a very good 22lr ammo

CCI stingers are a hot hyper ammo but have run well in 22 rifles for me 

Federal even started making a self defense "punch" ammo for 22lr , it is more geared to the pistols but makes for a hot rifle round it actually reminds me from the specs of CCI stingers but 3 gr lighter and a touch faster.

I have seen some ballistics gel tests with the "punch" ammo , I just haven't seen enough of them I remember to say how it compared to other ammo


----------



## Sebastian C (Jul 23, 2017)

I'll check out what's there next time I go to the gun store. Thanks!


----------



## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

I think having 2 of each model gun is brilliant. When the gooberment comes to take them you can hide one set and have a good chance of convincing them that their records are wrong. I'd like to try it here but unfortunately doubling my investment in guns is not possible at present.


----------

