Bada Bing Bada Boom: New Plinking Spot Discovered + New Parts Installed on New Rifles

Proud owner of Thompson Center TCR22

So late September, I finally had to do it.  I've wanted AR-15 forever, and had been seeing Smith & Wesson M&P Sport II, also Ruger AR556 for $499, for most of the year.  That's like $500 for one of my dream rifles.  Of course, we all know the cost to own a rifle easily doubles after you buy ammo & optics.  More on this later, but I take this AR shooting with my friends & what do you know, my POS Remington 597 rifle jams just about every magazine.  I just bought this new AR, but just as I was getting enthusiastic about .22 plinking, I was absolutely done with Remington 597.  

To make the matter worse, I had recently ran into two defective Remington 597 magazines.  One set came from gunmagwarehouse.com  I left a one-star review, but they actually censored it(kept the five-star review for Ruger SR22 mag).  I like Amazon, because their review system itself is honest.  There are people/companies that abuse it, but it will not hide the negative reviews.  Integrity of the Amazon review system earns our trust.  Companies like gunmagwarehouse.com, I'm not going to pretend to understand their intent behind hiding one-star reviews, but censorship leads to rigged review system & rigged review makes me doubt their honesty.  Initially, I thought I found new favorite place to buy magazines from.  I've bought around ten magazines since then, not one from gunmagwarehouse.  Enough ranting.

Today, I found this awesome spot to shoot...... but it's filled with garbage!(I know, another rant lol)  I set it up anyway, this was a great space.

Get my gear out.  Nobody would go with me today, so I'm solo.  I've brought out my two new rifles:  Smith & Wesson M&P Sport II + Thompson Center TCR22.  Both looks very different than when I first got it.

I had quick detach scope mount on the TCR22 with Redfield Revenge scope initially(pictured below).  Just something I had laying around.  I didn't care for the overly tactical look.

This is the picture of the stock Sport II rifle.   

I had these Magpul furniture put on it:

Unfortunately, I ordered wrong vertical grip for the "SL" handguard.  It fit, but it would move?  In these pictures, it has the correct M-LOK system vertical grip(also Magpul brand).

On TCR22, I installed Leupold Rifleman rings from amazon on it.  "High" version with 1" rings.

Got my cardboard box with paper targets + red Allen brand ball target..... Trash everywhere.  :(

I'm getting interested in these self-healing targets.  I destroyed one couple of weeks ago, so I have replacement coming from Amazon(took 12 days before they even shipped it!), but meanwhile, I got this one from Walmart for $10.  It held up okay to .223 & .22LR.

I really like my new .22 rifle.  TCR22 is a Ruger 10/22 clone & I was very nervous with the purchase.  I actually went to my local gun shop teetering between this & Ruger 10/22 package with Weaver scope on it.  I think 10/22 was $270 on sale.  TCR22 was $320, but it came with $50 mail-in rebate(received this rebate in mail in less than two weeks).  No scope, but it has bright fiber optics front sight, picatinny rail for optics, threaded barrel & Magpul stock.  Basically everything I wanted in a 10/22, but 10/22 almost never come with that much goodies.  At least not in this price range.  

TCR22 was a bargain for $320($270 after rebate).......  If it worked like a real 10/22.  I've taking it out shooting twice now & so far, so good.  It has yet to have any kind of malfunction & parts feels very high quality.  Extra Ruger 10/22 magazines I bought felt very high quality compared to Remington 597 magazines, and they seem to work with TCR22 in perfect harmony.  Almost all my shooting friends has 10/22 & I was getting so much **** over Remington 597, largest producer of jam, even more than the Smucker's.  

Again, I was pretty nervous to take a chance on Thompson Center TCR22, but I am so relieved.  Guys will finally get off my back about it!  lol

TCR22 & Ruger 10/22 magazines

Leupold Rifleman Scope Rings + Redfield Revenge(2~7x, this scope's been discontinued by the manufacturer)

EOTech 512.A65, Magpul stock, grip, vertical grip, SL handguard

Dirt wasn't for effect.  I knocked it over by accident.  :(

I do wonder how effective magnifiers are on something like this?  Accuracy?  I might do that down the line.  For now, it's an affordable plinking rifle.  I have about $500 in the rifle, $130 in parts & $350 for the EOTech red dot, so about $1,000.  A lot less than what I have in the Bushmaster MOE 308.  Ammo's lot cheaper, too.  :D