[GunRunner]

Kill it............

[Vikingdad]

I'd rather be missed by a .45 than hit with a .22.

[tac-safe]

Originally Posted by pluspforyou38

any opinions?

Original question: .22LR for Self Defense…Any Opinions?”

I’ve spent most of my adult life instructing military and law enforcement in weapons and self defense. Much of my training included ballistics; so hopefully, my “opinion” carries more than average weight.

First: Will a .22LR kill someone?...Yes. The stories of more DOAs are from .22s is both accurate and skewed data because there are just sooooo many .22s out on the streets. Any “gang bagger” can get one for nearly zero cost. Now the rest of the story…lol.

If I “HAD” to get shot and got to choose the firearm that would shoot me, certainly the .22 would be HIGH on my list, providing it wasn’t a head shot…lol. Simply put, the grain of the bullet coupled with the travel velocity does not provide much stopping power (bullet mass X bullet speed = knock down power). Think of that as an easy to understand formula. Other factors such as how the projectile will expand come into play as well, but that makes things get complicated for the purpose of the topic of discussion.

Most intruders will immediately flea upon hearing a gunshot, so having any type of firearm is better than not having anything at all. I just wouldn’t rely on the .22 to “Stop” the threat if the threat persists.

The fact that your friend acknowledges the “fear of recoil” is a GOOD thing. This makes things correctable. Some quality instruction with the right tools will no doubt properly correct and put this fear to rest. I have never run across a student that I couldn’t correct within a cpl hours on the range…ever. One of the most rewarding experiences as an instructor is seeing that “light bulb turn on” for a student when they start understanding the mechanics of firing a handgun. To see that smile come on their face as their confidence grows is truly what it is all about. Here is what I recommend:

1) Pick a time to go the local range when it is least busy.
2) Allow plenty of time so NOTHING is or feels rushed.
3) Get as far away from the other shooters as possible…all the way to the end of the range. You can let the local range master know what you are doing and they will more than likely assign other shooters to spots on the other end.
4) Wear double hearing protection…plugs AND muffs…quality hearing protection for both.
5) Large framed (heavy) .357 revolver will do the trick
6) Lightest loads of .38 you can find
7) Go SLOOOOOW. Relax, explain things, work on one shot at a time……and most importantly, smile.

Chuck
CHL San Antonio

[kalel01a]

This is really good data

YouTube

YouTube

[Ranger-6]

After watching this video I am confident that the Phoenix HP22 I just purchased was a good choice.

[kalel01a]

Originally Posted by Ranger-6

After watching this video I am confident that the Phoenix HP22 I just purchased was a good choice.

Hey Ranger, with semi auto 22s (especially), you need to make sure they are reliable with the ammo you choose. Shoot often, and clean and lube the firearm after every session.

CCI Blazers are a good cheaper ammo, but mini mags and velocitors are awesome perfomers. If you find it jams often (22 autos are notorious for that) then check out revolvers. A self defense weapon is only good if it goes bang when you pull he trigger.

Good luck and let us know how things are working out...

[jmeekhof]

Originally Posted by Ranger-6

After watching this video I am confident that the Phoenix HP22 I just purchased was a good choice.

That's a joke right?

[executivesecure]

A 22 is really not a good caliber for SD but on the other side of the coin I can say that many people have fallen from a single shot. I personally have witnessed one man shot with a 22 at about 25 feet in the parking lot of a bar and he fell like a sack of potatoes doa . I carry a xd 45 and 20c 10mm as a primary and a 33 357sig for my secondary on my job and on the subject of SD ammo its great but anything will kill !

[007BondJamesBond007]

Originally Posted by executivesecure

A 22 is really not a good caliber for SD but on the other side of the coin I can say that many people have fallen from a single shot. I personally have witnessed one man shot with a 22 at about 25 feet in the parking lot of a bar and he fell like a sack of potatoes doa . I carry a xd 45 and 20c 10mm as a primary and a 33 357sig for my secondary on my job and on the subject of SD ammo its great but anything will kill !

I agree with the above. Like I said earlier how many times you pulled the trigger of a 22 and it did not go bang? Look in your dud bucket and look at how many 22 rounds are in it. I have had duds from my Buck Mark and loaded it in my Ruger Single Six and it still didn't go bang. I reloaded the round to strike it in a different spot still no bang. One time after 6 tries it did go off. A rimfire is not a reliable round for self defense. Will you trust your life to a maybe it will go bang round?

If you have to use a 22lr for self defense use it in a DA revolver.

[BlackWidow]

I think if you stick with CCI ammo for self defense, you'll do fine. Save the bulk packs for plinking or targets. The CCI stuff has proven very reliable.