.22LR not a good round for defense?

[SilthDraeth]

*Let me clarify, this isn't a post saying that a .22LR should be purchased as a self defense weapon, there are clearly better choices for self defense. But that doesn't mean it can't double as one.*

I never really understood why so many people believe a .22LR isn't lethal, or can't stop someone trying to hurt you.

I have heard such myths, that the bullets can't even penetrate someones skull. That if you shot a strong guy in the chest, it wouldn't even go through his chest muscle, or sometimes it won't even break his skin...etc etc.

What a bunch of bullshit. Sure, a .357 magnum will knock a guy down if you hit him in the shoulder, and a .22 will just hurt really damn bad. Sure a .22LR isn't going to do much if a guy has full body armor on. It isn't an armor piercing round, and it doesn't have a lot of mass. But against an unarmored person, an accurately placed shot is still very lethal up to 100+ yards away. And I can sure as hell take a 10/22 with a scope, and place 10 shots within 4 inches of each other at 100 yards easily, and rather quickly. Without a scope I could still probably get a head shot on a human being at 100 yards without to much trouble. I know I can hit a paper plate rather easily at that distance.

This is my personal experience. I haven't ever had to shoot a person, but I have shot plenty of miscellaneous objects, from wood, to different gauges of steel, old cars, water tanks, wood, etc.

Plus you can get banana magazines. 25 rounds per magazine, and they are back to back, giving you 50 rounds, and it only takes about 3 seconds or less to flip the magazine over.

 

[Viper GTS]

Because nobody considers a 10/22 to be a self defense weapon.

Viper GTS

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

*sigh* idiot.

 

[upsciLLion]

It doesn't cause enough tissue trauma.

 

[SoulAssassin]

Reminds me of the movie Heathers....

 

[FoBoT]

if it wasn't big enough for Dirty Harry, it isn't big enough for me

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Because it takes such an extremely well placed shot to disable someone. I once saw a guy shot 7-8 times with a 25cal handgun and he was still running, leaving a trail of blood but still running.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
Because nobody considers a 10/22 to be a self defense weapon.

Viper GTS

It could be. If I put my banana clip on my 10/22 the media would call it an assault rifle, and if I put the banana clip, a scope, and a bipod on it the state of California would call it an assault rifle. Also, after shooting someone 10 or 30 times, I could beat them to death with the stock by utilizing it as a club.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
Because nobody considers a 10/22 to be a self defense weapon.

Viper GTS

It could be. If I put my banana clip on my 10/22 the media would call it an assault rifle, and if I put the banana clip, a scope, and a bipod on it the state of California would call it an assault rifle. Also, after shooting someone 10 or 30 times, I could beat them to death with the stock by utilizing it as a club.

and therein lies your problem. you shouln't have to shoot someone 10-30 times to put them down. thats the whole point.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Disclaimer:
My uncle (who's a cop) arrived at a scene where a women kept saying she was shot, there was no blood or anything, but he could tell something wasn't right. He sent her to the hospital immediately. She died from internal bleeding, she had been shot in the abdomen by a .22.

 

[Auggie]

the 22 can work.

but there are better tools for the job, if you catch my drift.

if you're talking about using your rifle for self-defense, placing you and your loved ones' lives on the functionality of the defense weapon, why just use a .22 when there are much easier/better solutions? seems kind of asinine.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Originally posted by: Auggie
the 22 can work.

but there are better tools for the job, if you catch my drift.

if you're talking about using your rifle for self-defense, placing you and your loved ones' lives on the functionality of the defense weapon, why just use a .22 when there are much easier/better solutions? seems kind of asinine.

For a self defense weapon in the house, in reality, a rifle is a crappy choice. They're hard to maneuver in tight spaces like hall ways, and the bullets are more likely to pass through many sheets of drywall and insulation making injuries to other people more likely. For a home defence a medium caliber pistol or a shotgun with light shot and no choke would be much better.

 

[Fern]

I think they are OK for self defense.

A .22 short is a completely different matter though. IMO, a .25 is not much good either.

I have a CC permit and own many handguns ranging from .357 mag, .38 special and .22LRs (and a .22 magnum).

Around the office I use a .22LR. I fear the other calibers have too much penetration (possibility of passing through too many walls into adjacent offices etc).

Fern

 

[jackace]

A 12 gauge shotgun with 00 buckshot will tear a hole in someone. They will probably die and you won't have to worry if you are going to be sued by the person who broke into your house.

 

[Specop 007]

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth

Originally posted by: Auggie
the 22 can work.

but there are better tools for the job, if you catch my drift.

if you're talking about using your rifle for self-defense, placing you and your loved ones' lives on the functionality of the defense weapon, why just use a .22 when there are much easier/better solutions? seems kind of asinine.

For a self defense weapon in the house, in reality, a rifle is a crappy choice. They're hard to maneuver in tight spaces like hall ways, and the bullets are more likely to pass through many sheets of drywall and insulation making injuries to other people more likely. For a home defence a medium caliber pistol or a shotgun with light shot and no choke would be much better.

Light shot has the problem of being a bit light on penetration. Grab the buck and light their asses up the ole fashioned way.

.22LR is a rimfire round with piss poor terminal ballistics. Thats why no one uses it for self defense.

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy
Because it takes such an extremely well placed shot to disable someone. I once saw a guy shot 7-8 times with a 25cal handgun and he was still running, leaving a trail of blood but still running.

my .25 would have taken his spine out... its all in the rounds you choose.

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: jackace
A 12 gauge shotgun with 00 buckshot will tear a hole in someone. They will probably die and you won't have to worry if you are going to be sued by the person who broke into your house.

ya, youll just get sued by his family...

 

[SlowSpyder]

It's not that it cannot be lethal, but that it won't necessarily kill someone or stop someone, atleast not instantly. If you hit someone with a bigger/more powerful round the idea is it'll stop them. Now.

 

[Vic]

It's typical e-penis mentality. Theirs is SO much bigger than yours for sure is impotent. It's complete BS of course...


edit: umm... BTW, the only way a 357 mag is gonna "knock someone down" from force of impact alone is if the recoil could knock the shooter down as well. And the likelihood of the OP getting a headshot on a human (read: moving target) at 100 yards is pretty much nil unless he's a military sharpshooter, FBI HRT, or Lee Harvey Oswald. Dude, shut up.

 

[sponge008]

Everyone knows the deagle in .50 is best.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

While it is true a .22 can kill someone, it almost never has been an instant kill. It just isn't large enough to cause serious debilitating wounds. It also can't create a large enough wound channel to cause more damage than just the projectile. Unless you sever the spine or causes massive head trauma you aren't going to drop someone instantly, especially if they are hopped up on something. And a .22 will penetrate a body, it will not make it deep enough to reach the spine.

 

[SoulAssassin]

Originally posted by: Fern
I think they are OK for self defense.

A .22 short is a completely different matter though. IMO, a .25 is not much good either.

I have a CC permit and own many handguns ranging from .357 mag, .38 special and .22LRs (and a .22 magnum).

Around the office I use a .22LR. I fear the other calibers have too much penetration (possibility of passing through too many walls into adjacent offices etc).

Fern

Where the hell do you work that you're allowed to pack in the office?

 

[Specop 007]

Originally posted by: Fern
I think they are OK for self defense.

A .22 short is a completely different matter though. IMO, a .25 is not much good either.

I have a CC permit and own many handguns ranging from .357 mag, .38 special and .22LRs (and a .22 magnum).

Around the office I use a .22LR. I fear the other calibers have too much penetration (possibility of passing through too many walls into adjacent offices etc).

Fern

Really?
Thats funny, because experts across the globe will disagree with you, as well as the OP.

Your not argueing against a few fanatics here, your argueing against some of the top bellistics testers in the world and years of compiled data.

 

[Gneisenau]

In my book, nothing from a .380 on down is useful for defense. Sure, they can all kill, but they don't have the ability to immobilize well. Giving someone a mortal wound doesn't do much good if he still kills you before he bleeds to death.

Rifle rounds and large calibur hand guns over penetrate, so they don't expend all their energy in the target. Small calibur ammo under penetrates and has no stopping power.

Stick with the tried and true .357, .45 ACP, 9mm for hand guns or a 12 ga. shotgun with #7-9 or smaller shot.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: sponge008
Everyone knows the deagle in .50 is best.

Yeah, if you are strong enough to hold onto it and shoot it straight. Also helps if you don't like your ability to hear.

Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski
While it is true a .22 can kill someone, it almost never has been an instant kill. It just isn't large enough to cause serious debilitating wounds. It also can't create a large enough wound channel to cause more damage than just the projectile. Unless you sever the spine or causes massive head trauma you aren't going to drop someone instantly, especially if they are hopped up on something. And a .22 will penetrate a body, it will not make it deep enough to reach the spine.

Where do you people come up with this bullsh!t? A damned BB can cause "debilitating wounds" if shot in the right spots.