New Federal Punch 22LR Personal Defense Ammo

JTHunter said:

Do they make any of those guns in the video in .22 Magnum? I wonder how a lightweight .22 Mag bullet would do from those short barrels?

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FWIW, 22 mag out of a 4” pistol barrel blew clean thru a clear gel block leaving a big permanent cavity, right down here:



22lr did not do the same.

Not really impressed with this new ammo. This guy tests WW bulk box and CCI Stinger from a 2" revolver. Similar results with the WW and better penetration with the Stinger.

Hard to believe anyone would even consider a .22 for personal protection. Never in this camp would that happen. I guess if it's all you got it's better than nothing...Carry on...

Federal 22LR is #2 on my list of ammo not to buy. Too many clicks after pulling the trigger for me.

There are people that would consider .22 for defense for whatever reason (don't want to generalize here), even though most on this board would not.


I think it would have been wiser to market this as a hard-hitting hunting/pest control round instead of SD. But then again - that would probably be an even tougher sell at $10/box.

If I wanted a different nose on 22 rounds I would just buy this tool and make the nose shapes best suited for my needs.

https://www.accurateshooter.com/gear-reviews/paco-kelly’s-acu’rzr-bullet-tool/

IIRC someone makes a die you insert a 22 round in and file a flat point on it so they are all the same.

Stanger? Did he really say Stanger? Even the caption on the video said Stanger. If you want a 22 round that will outperform a Stanger out of a short barrel and give you expansion every time use the Remington Yellow Jacket. And I see on the new Remington website that Yellow jackets will be made again. And I will have some. I am down to one box now.

If I needed a low recoiling round I would use either my Walther PP in 32acp or one of my S&W model 30s in 32 long with one of my hotter handloads. Or best of all my 431PD 32 mag that weighs only 15oz loaded with 85gr HP XTP bullets. Way better than any 22.

I'll tell ya what I like about a box of 50 Punches. It gives you the opportunity to turn your .22LR handgun into an .22 magnum wannabe without buying a .22 magnum handgun.

I'd like to see if these Punches have any accuracy potential past self defense range.

I already know my guns don't shoot Stangers as accurately as other .22 LR. Sure would be nice if these Punches do better.

BlueHeelerFl said:

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Could be wrong, but it seems like Federal is just now catching up to CCI Stingers that have been out since 1975. And it's heavier bullet 32 vs 29 and has a one shot stopping of .34% per Marshall and Sannow

I for one find it interesting and would like to see more testing from youtubers like Paul Harrell. Curious if it's marketing hype of if it has some developments specific for SD over stingers and other hyper-velocity rounds that are more small game hunting oriented.

I don't always carry a .22 for SD, but when I do it's a NAA with a 1-1/8" barrel when I'm in my own yard.

Did anyone mention if the Punch has a standard length case? The Stingers have a longer case than regular .22 LR.

https://www.riflemagazine.com/mostly-long-guns-6

Mute issue, I'm not carrying a .22 for personal defense.

Barbaroja said:

If your going to use .22 for self defense I suppose you would want any advantage you could get.
As far as hunting aguila has a line of .22lr loaded with 40gn flat nose Bullets called interceptors. Listed at 1,470fps. I’ve got a box but haven’t gotten around to hunting with them yet.

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Aguila also has a 30gr fn that advertises 1700fps, they shoot well in my 22/45 lite and my 10/22, but I haven't chronographed them yet.

Just watched a guy on youtube compare the punch with other lr ammo in clear gel today. The other lrs penetrated the gel 10-11 inches. The punch 14-15 inches. Did seem to do what it's advertised to do.

Hugger-4641 said:

Aguila also has a 30gr fn that advertises 1700fps, they shoot well in my 22/45 lite and my 10/22, but I haven't chronographed them yet.

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Those little buggers are quick. Hilarious hitting steel at 100 yards with standard velocity then switching to those. It gets there a lot quicker.

I would like to see those new .22s vs the agilia 1700fps, velocitors, stangers, and maybe cci mini mag hollow points in a side by side comparison into gel.

I see it advertised on federal $9.99/50 rounds. Out of stock of course.

I thought the thread was about the ammo, not the caliber.

The only .22LR gun I keep loaded for possible defensive carry is a 1.125" barreled NAA revolver. It's loaded with 36-grain HP MiniMags, which seem to outperform (ever so slightly) the 32-grain Stingers from that short barrel. I find the likely difference between what I have and this new stuff not sufficient to try sourcing some, especially given how unlikely I am to depend on the caliber.

Sarge7402 said:

Could be wrong, but it seems like Federal is just now catching up to CCI Stingers that have been out since 1975. And it's heavier bullet 32 vs 29 and has a one shot stopping of .34% per Marshall and Sannow

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http://mousegunaddict.blogspot.com/...Using 12 inches of gel,half of our test shots.

Found this review of the stinger rounds a short while ago

People have to realize that not everyone who owns firearms or is considerate of self defense is an enthusiast who shoots thousands of rounds a year or hours and hours having caliber debates on line.

I hear the argument about how unreliable .22LR's are all the time. The only misfires I've ever had were with cheap bulk ammo. Never with the good stuff and never .22Mag. I'm never going to deliberately choose a .22LR for self defense but if it's all I had and it was loaded with quality ammo, I'd employ it with confidence.

Sarge7402 said:

Could be wrong, but it seems like Federal is just now catching up to CCI Stingers that have been out since 1975. And it's heavier bullet 32 vs 29 and has a one shot stopping of .34% per Marshall and Sannow

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Federal had the Spitfire for year. IMHO, comparing the Punch to the Stinger is silly. The solid flat point is going to penetrate far better than the Stinger. In fact, I would not consider the Stinger at all in this role. It's a varmint load. I want mass.

Who says you need to go with a .25ACP for self defense?

I actually personally know a guy, used to work for because he was my friends dad who got shot at point blank range in the center of his forehead outside a bar that's about 5 mins from my house. It bounced off his skull and he was bleeding like a stuck pig but he didn't lose consciousness. It was like no big deal to him.

The gel test was actually pretty impressive but it's just comical to call .22lr something like "punch". I guess they couldn't call it "Flick".
I really, really wouldn't ever want to depend on a .22lr for defense but I'd be glad to have it if it was my only option. For those that have limited themselves to a .22lr for defense, this ammo seems like a good option. I always thought FMJ Mini Mags would be the best choice for penetration. Maybe the new punch stuff trumps the mini mags, I'll have to check it out.

A more appropriate comparison in .22Plinkster's video would have been to compare the Punch to FMJ Mini Mags. The stinger didn't seem like the comparable round, as noted above.

JDeere said:

Hard to believe anyone would even consider a .22 for personal protection. Never in this camp would that happen. I guess if it's all you got it's better than nothing...Carry on...

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Yeah same here. Better than nothing. I imagine the scenario being me having to very quickly empty the gun into the assailant and be ready to fight. Of course you could flip the lights out with one well placed shot, but still. Like trying to hunt deer with a .380. Not the right tool for the job.

CraigC said:

People have to realize that not everyone who owns firearms or is considerate of self defense is an enthusiast who shoots thousands of rounds a year or hours and hours having caliber debates on line.

I hear the argument about how unreliable .22LR's are all the time. The only misfires I've ever had were with cheap bulk ammo. Never with the good stuff and never .22Mag. I'm never going to deliberately choose a .22LR for self defense but if it's all I had and it was loaded with quality ammo, I'd employ it with confidence.



Federal had the Spitfire for year. IMHO, comparing the Punch to the Stinger is silly. The solid flat point is going to penetrate far better than the Stinger. In fact, I would not consider the Stinger at all in this role. It's a varmint load. I want mass.

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If you take a look at my second post, you'll see that the stinger got to almost 12 inches of penetration.

Again, the 12 inch standard the FBI set is tied to police use in that an officer might need to take a side on shot to neutralize a threat against another individual. Can't think of too many inmates that I've run into in the last six years that were two feet from belly button to back.