Hornady Critical Defense 22 WMR Self Defense

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When I can't carry a concealed handgun I carry a NAA .22mag. I usually carry CCI MaxiMag. They are round nose, not hollow points. I read a bit on HP vs RN for .22 mag and the RN argument made the most sense to me... but I have never shot anyone so I really don't know.

Correction: I just checked my NAA mini and I carry Hornday critical defense and practice with the CCI Mini Mags.
 
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Damn!

I'm likely to grab a couple-few boxes of Gold Dot for my Keltec.

I notice the first video for Critical Defense states that the round was developed for "... optimum performance in short pistol barrels."
I wonder if he/they mean pistol barrels in general which are naturally shorter than rifles or pistol barrels that are at the short end in length of all pistol barrels?

Todd.
 
This 22 WMR ammo is made specifically for handguns and works really good, it will go deep and expand. What do you think? Good for self defense?

I can not attest to Hornady as none of the stores in my area stock it. However I use Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 22 Magnum and am very satisfied with it’s performance and accuracy in my Taurus revolver. Winchester Gold Dot is a particularly nasty cartridge that way outperforms all other 22 rimfire ammunition and prefer it it a 38 Special J-Frame snubby.

Would these make a good choice for an elderly person with hand strength issues or pain?

I brought a Taurus short barrel 22 Magnum with the idea it would be a good choice for her due to having carpal tunnel in both wrists and weak hands. It was a poor choice. 22 revolvers have a heavier trigger pull than a centerfire as manufacturers give the hammer a harder hit on rimfire for additional reliability. She did not like the heavy double action trigger pull and cocking and shooting the gun in single action opens a whole different can of worms if used in self-defense.

A better choice will be a semi-auto. We discovered that with the proper technique she can comfortably operate and accurately shoot the S&W M&P 9mm 17 round 4.25” and the Shield.

I understand that the new S&W .380 is designed especially for shooters that lack the upper body, arm and hand strength. However since .380’s are usually a straight blowback action it is harder to rack the slide and the recoil is stronger than on a 9mm.
 
I don't see myself carrying this any time soon, but I have a very nice older Taurus 941 in stainless, with a three-inch barrel and eight-round cylinder. It would certainly make a good trail gun, and this ammunition might fill the bill in that regard quite nicely.
 
22 WMR loses most of what makes it what it is over a standard 22LR, out of any pistol but especially these ultra micro revolvers like the NAA's.

No I wouldnt want to be shot with one but I sure as heck wont rely on it to save my hide either.
 
Did some chronographing over the summer with the Ruger Single Six Convertible to address the velocity difference between 22LR and 22 Mag. although I wouldn't want to get shot with either one. At 76 degrees F CCI Blazer 22LR was running an average of 1164 fps and later on at 82 degrees F the CCI 22 Mag. were doing an average 1503 fps. . A difference of 339 fps. The Single Six has a 5.5" barrel IIRC. I have no idea what the difference would be when fired from a 22 Mag. rifle. because I have never owned a 22 mag. rifle but I'd sure like to. Don't consider that Single Six an adequate self defense piece but even a well placed 22LR could ruin someone's day. Only defensive carry I ever did with the Single Six was in an area that had a reported rabid racoon which I never saw but the Mag. cylinder was in it that day just to be sure.
 
I'm fortunate in that I own both the Ruger Single Six Convertible and the Keltec PMR-30. The longer barrel of the Ruger seems to make it a bit more accurate with both .22 LR and .22 Mag than the PMR-30. However, the slow, single-action function of the Ruger is blown away by the SA 30-round capacity of the PMR. In this case, size does NOT matter as even somebody crazed up on PCP can be taken down by 25-30 rounds of .22 Mag, esp. if you can put a few in the head or neck.
 
I don't see myself carrying this any time soon, but I have a very nice older Taurus 941 in stainless, with a three-inch barrel and eight-round cylinder. It would certainly make a good trail gun, and this ammunition might fill the bill in that regard quite nicely.

I made a “Bug-Out” Kit with mine. I have 500 rounds of Speer Gold Dot ammunition, a Marbles ammo caddy that clips to the belt filled with ammunition, earplugs and the gun in nylon belt holster stored in a 30 caliber surplus ammo can. I even have the can labeled “Bug-Out Kit” so there is no doubt about it’s contents.

I am not a “Bug-Out” person. However with a railroad and highway 1/2 mile away I can foresee how a train derailment or semi-truck crash could cause a large hazardous chemical spill forcing a quick emergency evacuation. I might only have time to grab my truck keys, load up the dogs (the cats are on their own) and the “Bug-Out” ammo can on the way out the door.
 
When I still had my little NAA, I was carrying Maxi-Mag HP rounds. Not a great round or firearm for primary self defense, better suited for backup duty. I had picked up a box of the Maxi-Mag TNT rounds that I never got the chance to fire through it before selling. One of the few firearms I regret off loading.
 
I carry that Critical Defense in my Black Widow. It's not generally my primary carry, but I keep it as sort of a New York Reload when I can't carry a spare mag. It's so light and comfortable in pocket that it doesn't make sense NOT to carry it on me. The Critical Defense ammo is very accurate out of such a small barrel. I have never recovered bullets I have shot, but I see no signs of wandering or keyholing on my targets.
 
Not for me, but maybe viable for someone with physical issues that would prevent him/her from using a more powerful handgun. Definitely better than no gun.
 
Having my NAA mag in my pocket surely doesn't stop me from having my 938 or pcr or officers iwb. when things aren't right, i can have my hand inside a pocket and most won't notice, but it sure makes for a fast response when some body starts running at you. I have used everything but gold dots (like the cci 40s) will have to get a couple boxes of gold dots and set up the water bottles again.
 
i had a ruger lcr 22wmr and have a ruger single six, for which i got hornady and speer handgun specific defense ammo. even using this handgun ammo i really didn’t enjoy the lcr in 22wmr and replaced it with a well liked lcr 22lr. on the other hand, the 5.5” s.s. is a wicked accurate shooter (for me) when fed with any 22wmr, and is a real dream boat shooter with this handgun ammo.
 
i had a ruger lcr 22wmr and have a ruger single six, for which i got hornady and speer handgun specific defense ammo. even using this handgun ammo i really didn’t enjoy the lcr in 22wmr and replaced it with a well liked lcr 22lr. on the other hand, the 5.5” s.s. is a wicked accurate shooter (for me) when fed with any 22wmr, and is a real dream boat shooter with this handgun ammo.
I too have a 5.5" Single Six and love it. This revolver is perfect for both the Hornady & Speer 22 WMR ammo. It used to be shooting 22 WMR in a pistol/revolver wasn't a good idea because the hollow points didn't expand and it didn't improve the velocity enough to justify the cost of the ammo. But that's not the case anymore. This ammo was specifically designed for use in handguns and it works! While it may not be my first choice for self defense, I wouldn't sweep it under the rug as not being enough.
 
Has anyone tested the velocity difference between 22 mag and 22 LR in a 2 inch snub? I wonder how much additional velocity the 22 mag has and if it’s worth the additional price of ammo for a snub.
 
Has anyone tested the velocity difference between 22 mag and 22 LR in a 2 inch snub? I wonder how much additional velocity the 22 mag has and if it’s worth the additional price of ammo for a snub.
There are many reviews on youtube using a NAA mini revolver with the Hornaday Critical Defense 22 WMR & Speer Gold Dot. Both seem to work very well it.
 
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