Sometimes I forget just how nice a "plain Jane" and no-frills small caliber single shot can be.  A couple weeks ago, a dealer who I buy from when he has an interesting antique single shot had a customer trade in a LNIB Ballard LLC reproduction of a Ballard No. 3 sporter in a 22LR.  Nice but standard grade wood, nice (but again 'standard' for the new Ballard's high standards) case coloring, and a lighter, octagon barrel with a plain blade and buckhorn sight.  I already had a fairly 'loaded' Ballard LLC Shuetzen or No 3 Gallery in 22LR with the palm rest, fancy wood, tang sights and globe, etc, but this one seemed so nice and the price was right, I said, "sure."

Now the point is that I shoot a far more 'state of the art' single shot for competition with other old farts (I will be 58 in a couple of days), and Anshutz 2013 in their latest, high tech synthetic, adjustable 500 ways from Christmas, barrel tuner, 36X Weaver target scope, etc when we 'pill shoot' at 100yds.  (Take a bunch of asprin, glue them to the targets, and bang away from a rest, using the best possible 22 match ammo.)

So when I finished yesterday, I hauled out the Ballard.  I forgot just how much fun a simple but well built single shot with the simplest of iron sights can be.  Even with the blade and buckhorn (I will screw on a tang this morning as it is drilled and tapped for one) I was doing damn well at a hundred with this lighter rifle.  Was I hitting pills?  No, and with my old eyes and those sights, not a chance.  But the little puppy uses a match grade barrel and with the same ammo I was feeding the Anschutz, it grouped as nice as any 'modern' 22.  Plus, the fun was just pop it open, slide in a round, aim, shoot, open the action and put in another.

Too often we get involved in which cartridge is best at long range (45-70 vs 45-90 vs. 45-100) or loads for BPCR and forget the humble but lots of fun single shot 22.   

We should all have one.  They are a blast.  Dave

For me, something like a BSA 12/15 or a Greener Miniature club, maybe a Greener Martini conversion to .22.  I do like my peep sights though, at least I can see what I am aiming at!  Had my 1st tries recently at supine with a BSA 12/15 - big fun banging away at targets on your back,  and the position does seem to have its positive points, very stable...

I know what you mean Dave. It's neat to punch little tiny groups with some exotic target version, but just shooting nice groups at a relaxed venue, using an iron sighted gun can be just as much fun.
We spent the last month hunting for deer, and since it was the last weekend of the season, and end of the day, we stopped to shoot at a local gravel pit. I've been hunting with my original Ballard #2 Hunter, with irons, chambered for .44XL. We sat and shot up all my ammo at a piece of wood about 4"x4", and when we finished, my nephew and I just smiled at each other. Something about sitting there on our rears, aiming off our knees, and just plinking was more satisfying than most the serious range shooting I ever do! When we finished with the Ballard, we shot up all his ammo for his JC Higgins marked 336 Marlin. What a blast!

Whilst you make up a list of really fun "plain jane" eintzel-loaders, please remember the Winder musket.  Our Winders have been a big part of family outings for 30 years.  My youngest son's new furrin bride was amazed when Grandma whipped us all offhand at 50 yards (at real smallbore targets and shooting for score).  But then, Grandma got a single shot at age 11.  She told her grandson, "When you use a .22 to keep groundhogs out of the garden, it takes a head shot to kill them."  Everybody else was very quiet.

What's wrong with a 22 short?  Although 'out of favor' with modern shooters, I have a couple single shots in this caliber and they shoot very well, including a Winder Musket.  I also have a couple modern, rapid fire Olympic style pistols in this caliber.  Granted it is strictly for short range target work, but it is without peer for no recoil accurate shooting.  Dave