Which of the two guys are better off

[HKGuns]

Sure it could. I've seen folks at the range shoot at targets like that and miss them all together.]

Boy if that isn't the truth, I saw three guys with three auto's at 7 yards all over the target. I would guess 18" total spread if not more.

When I shoot at 7 yards I try to punch out the bullseye and I'm rarely more than 5 inches off center.

 

[Hunter2011]

Let's see, the one shot from the .38 renders the right arm pretty much useless, and the other has a good chance of hitting either the iliac crest or doing significant renal damage. You've got an approximate 9:1 ratio on your side that the target is right handed too. But even if he isn't, odds are that that abdominal shot is going to double him over. And that presents the shooter with a good situation. OTOH, if it's the winter/heavy clothing scenario, the .22's may just break the skin and do nothing except irritate the target.

You pays yer nickle an' ya makes yer choice.

900F

People are underestimating the penetration potential of a .22. They make a much smaller hole, but yet because of that, they will go much further than just breaking the skin. 4 layers of denim over gelatin does not seem to stop a .22 much if you look at youtube vids.

 

[CB900F]

Hunter;

I do a lot of varmint hunting with a .22 using the Winchester PowerPoint ammo. It gives me 1250 fps out of my rifle barrel. I do thousands of rounds every year & have observed it's terminal performance thousands of times over many years.

I'll still take the .38 Special.

900F

 

[Frosty Dave]

The question, pieced together from the OP (and follow-up posts) is, "which gun should this shooter choose for self defense?" but the experiment, as conducted, is the answer to a different question, "which gun should this shooter use for target shooting?"

Not to say that shot placement is unimportant or that .22 can't stop an assailant, but I can't say it any better than "Shooting to Live" did in 1942:

...beyond helping to teach care in handling of firearms, target shooting is of no value whatever in learning the use of the pistol as a weapon of combat. The two things are as different from each other as chalk and cheese, and what has been learned from target shooting is best unlearned if proficiency is desired in the use of the pistol under actual fighting conditions.

 

[montanaoffroader]

If he has trouble shooting this particular .38, maybe he should trade it off for something with a longer barrel and/or better sights that is easier for him to shoot.