.22 for Home Defence?

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OK Guys, Let me give some more background. In the bedroom I have a Kimber 45ACP, Kahr MK9, GP100, Python 357, H&R 22lr, Mini14 223 ranch rifle, and a 12ga SA. But the problem is that I've taken my wife and daughter to the range and let them shoot the other guns I have. The only one I can get them to even consider is the H&R 22lr 9 shot. Like I said before, if I'm at home the 45 or the 9 are with me, it's when I'm not at home that is a concern. My wife is 5'6" and 120lbs, and my daughter is 5'4" and 115lbs. so they can easily handle the other guns, they just wont and I don't want to force them and make them give up shooting all together. So is it the concensus that solids are best in this situation? Thanks again for your replies.....Jerry
 
Yep, solids.
I'd suggest CCI mini-mags as a starting point. They have been totally reliable in my 10/22 and I keep two mags of them loaded and ready to go.
It wouldn't be my first choice, but it would do.
 
Well placed shots of any caliber will bring down a bad guy... so whatever you use, make sure the family can shoot well and put the bullets where they want them to go. I shoot smallbore pistols all the time, and while you might not want me chasing you with a 9mm or 40cal, you "for sure" don't want me banging away with a .22 at you. The lack of recoil just "keeps 'em comin'" at the target... and unless there's a misfire, I'll empty the gun on the center of the target.

We get too much into "knockdown power" of pistols, and not enough accuracy of the shots. Put a couple in their chest and a couple in their head, and it won't matter if it's a slingshot... it's going to do some harm. The .22 LR is an amazing cartridge, and with 6" of drop at 100 yards, they usually go where you point the gun inside a 21 foot range (which is the range that most firearm encounters occur)... just be careful not to be so accurate you keep shooting in the same hole...:D

WT
 
Yes, the .22 can be used effectively, and if I had to have one for home defense for whatever reason, I would choose a rifle first, like the Ruger 10/22. If its a hand gun then almost any proven reliable automatic with at least a 4 inch barrel or better with solid point bullets.
More people are killed with the .22 than any other cartridge in the U.S. Because is cheap and easy to use. Also because there are so many out there. There is an old saying that goes like this.
"It's better to be missed by a .45, than hit with a .22".
 
A .22 may not be ideal, but I still wouldn't want to get shot by one. Remember that shot placement is key though. If you have to use a .22, make sure that you place your shots well.

I was at the range with my fiancee this past Saturday. I was shooting my 1911, she shot my Ruger 22/45. My girl can shoot the 1911 competently, but she doesn't get the enjoyment from it that she does from .22s and the 22/45. Still, I can't really complain because she hit whatever she wanted to with that Ruger.

On the other side of me was a novice shooter, shooting his first gun, a Springfield Loaded. He should've just used a shovel, as much dirt as he was kicking up. It was the classic case of a guy using more gun than he could handle. Now I know that the .45ACP is an excellent round (it's my handgun caliber of choice) and it blows the .22lr out of the water. But seeing my girl and the guy next to me shoot really put things in perspective. What's the point of having a big, bad gun when you can't even hit what you're aiming at? I'd rather take my chances with the guy with the Springfield than against my girl with her itty-bitty 22/45.
 
this is the wife of the owner of this account. he wanted me to reply to this because of my shooting background.

i started shooting when i was 10. i won the Arizona State Championship, silhouette match, in my division when i was 11. i did it with a Ruger .22 Mark II. this means that i was shooting targets ranging between 20 yards and 60 yards, and doing a pretty decent job of it.

i've shot other guns -- my dad had me shooting his Thompson Center for a while. i've shot other guns, larger calibers before. i'm not really comfortable with anything but the Ruger Mark Series.

so when my husband decided he wanted a gun, i told him that if he was going to learn how to shoot a pistol (he'd only ever gotten good at long-barreled guns), we were getting a Ruger .22 Mark Series, because it's what *i* know i could bring down an intruder in our home with.

if i can shoot a heavy steel target at 60 yards and bring it down, i think i can bring down a man at 10 feet. the first time we went shooting our new gun together, we bought the targets that the indoor range had available, which were man-shaped targets. to prove to my husband what i'd always told him, i put the first shot between the eyes at 20 yards.

i'm sorry, but if you can put one shot between the eyes, you can put other shots elsewhere in the head, heart, abdomen, and groin. that should bring anybody down.

you don't need a huge round, especially if it's something you're not comfortable with. hand me a Ruger Mark II or III, and i can put 10 rounds in a man. hand me a .357 and i'm screwed...and dead. but i think 10 rounds should put him down...unless i'm dealing with the Terminator, in which case i don't think your .44 will help me much either.
 
No argument from me.

I had Mentors that carried Colt Woodman, and Ruger MKI Standard, as "work guns".

For fun, they would lit up a cigarette, and shoot the lit end out, or off.
They also carried Beretta Jetfire (25 ACP) , Minx (.22 short) and Bobcat 21A in 25ACP or .22 lr.

They would shoot these lit cigarettes with these as well.

Now times were different, in regard to hunting, and restrictions on barrel lengths and guns...

Still I would be asked which eye of a rabbit for instance did I want a mentor to shoot.
They would shoot that rabbit dead, in the eye I said, with the guns I just mentioned.

They would skin that rabbit for instance with a small pen knife, such as a Case Peanut, or Hen & Rooster , or Boker pen knife, less than 3" closed.

Like I said, no argument from me.
I had Mentors that were alive, as they had btdt in places where the "climate" was not always friendly with freedom .
Yeah, some used these guns to take human life and that is why they were still around to mentor me, ...or come back after having left again.
 
Posted by Jamie C.:
People can "poo-poo" the .22lr all they want, but in the hands of someone who shoots it well, it'll work as well or better than anything else.
Click to expand...

Your statement is brazen hogwash.
 
we were getting a Ruger .22 Mark Series, because it's what *i* know i could bring down an intruder in our home with
Click to expand...

With all due respect, you need to consider the reliability of the ammunition also. It is rimfire, and you are using an autoloader. Have you considered at least using a .22 revolver?
 
I was wondering the exact same thing (.22LR for HD). I came up with the following:

I like rifles best in most all situations. If .22LR was my caliber, a 10/22 with a red-dot or green-dot sight and a weapon light would be best. Also a 30 round mag would have to be available.
 
If you have to use a .22 for defense, I don't recommend trying to make it into something it's not.


I agree with Vern on using a solid. 22 hollowpoints will not penetrate as much and are sometimes stopped by belt bickles, buttons, etc (as can a solid).

Using a small caliber you need to shoot several shots at the target before assessing the effect.
 
I'd say if she's that comfortable and proficient with the .22, you'll get no arguments from me.
 
If possible, I'd recommend a .22 rifle over a .22 handgun.
Click to expand...
Timely thread. I've got a petite, older female relative who owns a centerfire handgun for defense but doesn't practice with it and is uncomfortable with its recoil. She's open to a possible new approach. I've been thinking about recommending a Ruger 10/22 carbine with quality hot ammo.

Rifles are easier to shoot well, esp. under stress. Someone defending herself with a .22 firearm would want to lay down a volume of fire, not just a few shots. Shooting a 10/22 from braced concealment, like behind the bed -- it ain't an AR-15, but it'd be nothing to scoff at either. Also, she'd probably enjoy practicing with a .22 rifle way more than missing with her centerfire revolver.

I think it's an option worth considering for some folks.
 
Best wishes to the lady here.

What firearm did she decide on?

Rifle or revolver or semi automatic pistol?

Please let us know what she decided on. Thank you!

Catherine
 
Posted by Jamie C.:
Oh, just to stir the pot a bit, let's not forget this thread from Rimfire Central:
Lethality of the 22LR - Actual test It's an interesting read, albeit a long one.
Click to expand...

Your link proves only that you don't know what you're talking about, or what we're discussing in this thread.

FYI, we are discussing the capability of .22LR HANDGUNS for HOME DEFENSE.

Exactly what your link to a custom .22 scoped RIFLE shooting a store-bought processed turkey wrapped in clothing has to do with .22 HANDGUNS for home defense, is anybody's guess. :rolleyes:

"Lethality" is defined as "Of, relating to, or causing death."

Since the processed grocery store turkey that was shot in your link was already long dead, your link proves absolutely NOTHING in regard to a .22 HANDGUN'S ability to kill/stop human attackers in a home defense situation.

<redacted for civility>
 
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Hey Defensory... I posted the link to that thread simply for information, not as "proof" of anything. It wasn't in response to you or anybody else, but simply something I remembered from a previous thread on the subject.

Also, keep in mind that even though the turkey was shot with a rifle, the range was 250-300 yards. Which means the bullet was probably traveling about the same speed or less than a .22 handgun bullet would be at average "defensive" ranges.

As for "relevant"... I believe a .22 caliber projectile passing through several layers of denim, and 7 inches of flesh and bone might just be a tad relevant to the subject at hand. Especially if that same projectile can perform the same feat at a closer range from a shorter barrel.

Or don't you think an almost-quarter-inch hole through certain parts of the human body would be almost instantly incapacitating/fatal? (Lethal... Attacker stopped)

<redacted for civility>


J.C.
 
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I would look into some electronic hearing protection. Recoil is many times precieved due to noise. Loud noises make most folks jump. I love my .44 Redhawk but I dislike noise without good protection. There are several good hearing protectors that amplify your hearing (big advantage) but allow you to shoot in safety and keep your hearing after the shot.
 
A handgun chambered for the .22 long rifle cartridge needs penetration to be effective. Therefore, I cast my vote for high speed solids to aid in bullet penetration. Now, a carbine/rifle in .22 long rifle will produce higher velocities due to a longer barrel length. In this instance, high speed hollow point rounds seem to make more sense.

For a .22 Magnum rifle, hollow point rounds are the way to go. The velocity produced by this cartridge from a rifle should achieve both penetration and expansion.

Finally, I agree that a .357 Magnum revolver or 12 gauge shotgun would prove superior to any of the small rimfire cartridges currently available. No doubt, all my advice falls under the term common sense.


Timthinker
 
Posted by Jamie C.:
Hey Defensory... I posted the link to that thread simply for information, not as "proof" of anything. It wasn't in response to you or anybody else, but simply something I remembered from a previous thread on the subject.

Also, keep in mind that even though the turkey was shot with a rifle, the range was 250-300 yards. Which means the bullet was probably traveling about the same speed or less than a .22 handgun bullet would be at average "defensive" ranges.

As for "relevant"... I believe a .22 caliber projectile passing through several layers of denim, and 7 inches of flesh and bone might just be a tad relevant to the subject at hand. Especially if that same projectile can perform the same feat at a closer range from a shorter barrel.

Or don't you think an almost-quarter-inch hole through certain parts of the human body would be almost instantly incapacitating/fatal? (Lethal... Attacker stopped)

<redacted for civility>
Click to expand...

<redacted for civility>

A .22LR is RARELY EVER "instantly incapacitating/fatal". You're incredibly naive to think it is. If it were, every law enforcement agency on the planet would be using it. It's probably the most inexpensive handgun cartridge around, and so small and light that officers could carry many more rounds on their person than they can for a centerfire handgun.

You've claimed that the .22LR is just as effective as any other handgun round, and now you're claiming that it's "instantly incapacitating/fatal".

So please do explain to us, [sir], precisely why not one law enforcement agency or military unit on the entire planet carries a .22LR handgun as a primary duty weapon. If the .22LR is the "magic bullet" you claim it is, it seems everybody would be using it. :rolleyes:
 
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