Is the .22 caliber even close to being adaquate for self defense use?

[JEDI]

box of 50 9mm bullets = $10
brick (10 boxes = 500 bullets) of .22 caliber = $10

HUGE price difference, especially if you're on the range target shooting.

If the .22 isnt close to being an adaquate self defense bullet, then what's the smallest caliber you would use for an automatic weapon?

 

[halik]

.223

 

[acemcmac]

AFAIK.... no.

I use 7.62x39 here.

 

[Chaotic42]

When it comes to self defense, is the price that big of a concern?

A .22 most certainly can kill someone, but you'd have to hit them in the right place, so if you spend time at the range and can accurately fire in distress, then you can kill someone in one shot.

 

[PAB]

I like 9mm for its value and the fact that you can buy it almost everywhere.

I like 223 if I have to reach out and touch someone.

 

[pontifex]

I would say .380 is the smallest caliber i would use. its what i got for my concealed carry gun. ammo is a little more expensive than 9mm though. it's basically a shortended 9mm round.

but if you think about, probably most would be criminals would flee away if they saw you armed. I bet pretty much almost all of them would flee if you actually fired a shot or actually shot them once. Then there's that rare few that might be drunk, high on crack, or just plain insane that would still keep coming.

i guess it depends on how confident you feel in meeting the rare few.

my dad carries a small .22 pistol in his bike pack (mtn bike) when he goes for a ride.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
When it comes to self defense, is the price that big of a concern?

A .22 most certainly can kill someone, but you'd have to hit them in the right place, so if you spend time at the range and can accurately fire in distress, then you can kill someone in one shot.

with that said. I'd vote for a .38 minimum, preferably a .45.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

I would post a few old threads on this, but they all turn into flamewars as soon as the pantywaisted gungrabbers find them.

Skimming through threads like that, you'll generally find a smattering of 9mm, .40, and .357 - a .22 is definitely NOT enough unless you're that Charlie guy from Land of the Dead and can get a headshot the first time, every time.

- M4H

 

[rivan]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
When it comes to self defense, is the price that big of a concern?

A .22 most certainly can kill someone, but you'd have to hit them in the right place, so if you spend time at the range and can accurately fire in distress, then you can kill someone in one shot.

While a .22 can kill, it's a whole lot pickier about where the killshot lands than say... a .45.

For self defense, I prefer thinking in terms of stopping power. A .38 or .45 will not only make a bigger hole, it'll be a much more persuasive hint to stop chasing/attacking/whatever even if it doesn't kill.

 

[TraumaRN]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
When it comes to self defense, is the price that big of a concern?

A .22 most certainly can kill someone, but you'd have to hit them in the right place, so if you spend time at the range and can accurately fire in distress, then you can kill someone in one shot.

Trust me, .22 is plenty fatal. Any shot center mass, especially to lungs/liver/heart. Neck and head obviously big problem too.

Heck a shot to the lung with a .22 will probably be insta hemopneumothorax.

 

[Greenman]

I'm going to guess none of the people saying .22 is to small have ever been shot with one.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Rule #1: Have a gun

While no one makes a .22LR self-defense round, due to liability reasons I'm sure, it'll kill someone. And a .22LR in your pocket is a hell of a lot better than a .45 left at home.

Granted this is for carry, for home defense, you can do better

 

[pontifex]

you've been making a lot of gun threads altely Jedi. You thinking about getting one or what?

 

[jlee]

When it comes to stopping power, I'd trust my 1911A1 a lot more than I would my Ruger 10/22. However, any gun is better than no gun at all.

Originally posted by: Greenman
I'm going to guess none of the people saying .22 is to small have ever been shot with one.

There's a reason no police departments carry .22 handguns.

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
When it comes to self defense, is the price that big of a concern?

A .22 most certainly can kill someone, but you'd have to hit them in the right place, so if you spend time at the range and can accurately fire in distress, then you can kill someone in one shot.

I've seen cruiser video of someone hit five times with a .357 magnum. He lived. The officer was struck with a .22 derringer. He did not. You never can tell.

 

[Ronstang]

Originally posted by: pontifex
I would say .380 is the smallest caliber i would use.

I would not stake your life on .380 as it is a rather useless round. You might as well step up to a 9mm that actually has penetrating power. A friend of mine, who is a cop, was shot by an assailant with a .380 auto at fairly close range. It was winter and he was wearing a jeans jacket under a parka. The .380 auto round did not get past the jeans jacket.

 

[tfinch2]

Originally posted by: Greenman
I'm going to guess none of the people saying .22 is to small have ever been shot with one.

QFT

 

[Aquaman]

Originally posted by: CadetLee
When it comes to stopping power, I'd trust my 1911A1 a lot more than I would my Ruger 10/22. However, any gun is better than no gun at all.

Originally posted by: Greenman
I'm going to guess none of the people saying .22 is to small have ever been shot with one.

There's a reason no police departments carry .22 handguns.

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
When it comes to self defense, is the price that big of a concern?

A .22 most certainly can kill someone, but you'd have to hit them in the right place, so if you spend time at the range and can accurately fire in distress, then you can kill someone in one shot.

I've seen cruiser video of someone hit five times with a .357 magnum. He lived. The officer was struck with a .22 derringer. He did not. You never can tell.

I remember about a decaded ago one of our police officers was confronted by a charging knife carrying crackhead......... it took the cop 6 shots of his .38 to bring that sucker down.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[preslove]

If I were in a fire fight with some armed robbers I would want a .45. If I wanted to keep someone with a knife or baseball bat from taking my sh!t I would feel fine with a .22.

 

[boredhokie]

I thought for home defense a shotgun was best? You don't have to aim as carefully and you're less likely to punch a hole through the wall and kill a bystander. Why would you want a handgun in this situation?

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: boredhokie
I thought for home defense a shotgun was best? You don't have to aim as carefully and you're less likely to punch a hole through the wall and kill a bystander. Why would you want a handgun in this situation?

where do you see this being for home defense? of course, he never said it was for concealed carry either.

 

[TraumaRN]

Originally posted by: boredhokie
I thought for home defense a shotgun was best? You don't have to aim as carefully and you're less likely to punch a hole through the wall and kill a bystander. Why would you want a handgun in this situation?

Because a handgun is small and lightweight, less recoil, less hassle and depending on caliber plenty of stopping power.

I still insist that a .22LR is more deadly than people realize. At close range and center mass without access to immediate medical attention you'll have issues.

<-----works at a Trauma hospital....

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: Ronstang

Originally posted by: pontifex
I would say .380 is the smallest caliber i would use.

I would not stake your life on .380 as it is a rather useless round. You might as well step up to a 9mm that actually has penetrating power. A friend of mine, who is a cop, was shot by an assailant with a .380 auto at fairly close range. It was winter and he was wearing a jeans jacket under a parka. The .380 auto round did not get past the jeans jacket.

not from what i hear

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: DeathBUA

Originally posted by: boredhokie
I thought for home defense a shotgun was best? You don't have to aim as carefully and you're less likely to punch a hole through the wall and kill a bystander. Why would you want a handgun in this situation?

Because a handgun is small and lightweight, less recoil, less hassle and depending on caliber plenty of stopping power.

I still insist that a .22LR is more deadly than people realize. At close range and center mass without access to immediate medical attention you'll have issues.

<-----works at a Trauma hospital....

I realize that one will have issues, and am not disputing the lethality of a .22lr -- but those issues are not always immediate enough to prevent the assailant from giving you issues with a knife. A large-caliber weapon will (more often) have significantly more *immediate* stopping power.

 

[RelaxTheMind]

Taebo video = $9.95 + TAX

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: RelaxTheMind
Taebo video = $9.95 + TAX

The video alone isn't going to do crap.