Posted on 01/08/2022 8:11:26 AM PST by DoodleBob
It’s a question those of us in the gun writing business often get asked. “What’s the best caliber for a self-defense handgun?” Those expecting a one-to-three digit answer from me will be disappointed. I respond to their simple question with a complex one. “What is the most powerful cartridge that you can shoot accurately and proficiently that comes in a handgun which is comfortable enough to carry that you’ll carry it all the time?” Depending on the person asking, the answer will vary. For some, it’s a full-sized .357 Mag. or 10 mm Auto. For others, it’s one of the current .380 ACPs offered in a 9 mm-sized handgun. And in certain cases, it’s the .22 LR.
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Civilians who carry a firearm for self-defense are considering many of the same factors, including ammunition cost and availability, but their most important consideration should be using a firearm that is reliable and that they can consistently hit their target with at self-defense distances. Ballistic advantages goes out the window when your bullet doesn’t connect. Five .22 LRs in the bullseye beat one .44 Mag. that missed completely. To paraphrase famed lawman Bill Jordan, ballistics are fine, but accuracy is final.
Recoil is one factor that can hamper accuracy. Even cartridges on the lower end of the power spectrum, like the .380 ACP, can produce a lot of recoil when paired with one of today’s ultralight, micro-compact handguns. Lack of recoil is the .22 LR’s main advantage when it comes to shooting accurately. The topic of the .22 LR as a self-defense cartridge has been fought over and over in digital and print forums.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanrifleman.org ...
THAT is the main concern. 22 LR ignition reliability.
Wisdom!
A guy I used to be friends with always carried a .22 pistol and another of our friends actually witnessed him shoot some guy with it, someone who was hassling him in a parking lot one night - the victim was hit and cried out, then ran away screeching and yelling. He was bleeding but full of pep.
Also happens with 9mm, 45, and 38. With 357 its rare.
I never said I’d do it. I said it’s been done.
Bit of a difference there, old chap.
Of course you are correct. That is why both mine and your posts were worthless to this thread.
We might as well said Willie was killed with an ice pick.
The point that should be made here is that it is not the goal of any legal carrier, or should not be, to kill someone. So a paid assassin might choose a mouse gun because it is less likely to be heard. easier to hide so as to get close to the victim and cheap enough to throw away going into hiding. Also the victim is more than likely to be unarmed, unaware and at very close range. Fish in a barrel.
The goal of the self defense shooter is to hit the bad guy so hard that he is immediately made non-threatening. That is much more likely when the ammo is a properly selected .357 or a .45. I don’t own a .10 mm so I pass on that discussion.
I am very familiar with the many tests, velocity tables and energy tables, but it is my contention that there are factors that are not properly addressed in any of the statistical tables. To illustrate that point, meditate on the fact that one of the most popular guns in the far north is the lever action 45-70. Old and slow and with a trajectory resembling the rainbow, yet the most effective big game load.
.270 Win, .308 and Creedmoor all have very similar ft. lbs. enery numbers but the 45-70 lever action is carried instead.
My point is that it is a mistake, in my opinion, to put so much faith in the ft. lbs. energy at the muzzle. There is much more to it.
As sommeone said, big holes that bleed a lot make a big difference. Breaking bones makes a big difference also.
I am certainly not suggesting that everyone should carry a .475 Linebaugh or a .44 mag, but a .22 is just as foolish on the other end of the spectrum.
You can kill a guy with a .22. No argument there, but he will live loing enough to kill you with his .357.
Many times that effect is brand specific.
CCI and Federal I would trust much more that Winchester and Browning 22 rf ammo.
I hunger for a nice 10mm.
E’ffin Springfield Armory discontinued the 4.5 OSP XDM without fulfilling my order or notifying me, after a 7 month order wait! Grrr!
yep .45 with a mag full of hydrashock in a small M&P Shield is a show stopper.
Put 10 rounds of same in chest and only a moose will keep charging. And, with so little recoil as the AHole gets closer the target area gets smaller.
These movie shots where a bad guy is tossed aside by a pistol shot like someone yanked off a horse by a lariat are crappola. Only one of any caliber right in the eye provides a dead stop — no pun intended. Immediate stop requires that you scramble the brains — something any caliber can do, even a little 22.
👍
And the fact that it is rim fire. A misfire in an auto can be bad.
THAT, is a subject of good technique and TRAINING.
Try this pants fouler on for size...this is in my backyard.
https://www.ammoland.com/2022/01/wyoming-bear-attack-on-elk-hunters-september-2021/
I’d say rifle. Hornady Critical Defense .22 Magnum claims to clock 1000 fps from a 1 7/8” snubbie barrel (like on the S&W 351 PD) and gets 14” penetration in ballistic gel.
22LR kills more people every year than 9 mm or 45Acp combined why because it’s cheap easy to conceal and quiet.
***I keep hearing stuff like that. It turns out there’s no real statistics on it except perhaps some FBI report talking about officers killed in firefights. And since the 1990s it appears 9mm is the most lethal round.
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/leoka/1999/leoka99.pdf
Perhaps you have a better source of statistics?
Assuming they are not drugged out, in a gang tuff man competition, or off their meds.
Im a farmer.
Thats to stun them. The blood letting kills them for the majority of the cases.
And if you’re going to carry, get the best ammo for the weapon. More than one of those FBI guys in Miami had 357 magnums loaded with light 38 special rounds.
The report of that event is an amazing collection of bad decisions and poorer performance by all involved.
THATS disappointing.
Shot placement is everything especially with smaller caliber. When I graduated college and moved into my first apartment all I had was a Colt Frontier Scout SAA .22 revolver my grandpa had given me. I had the LR and Magnum cylinder for the piece. I had the .22 magnum cylinder with JHP rounds loaded and felt well protected. The .22 magnum is a nasty little round. As you stated a .22 in hand when needed is better than a double stack .45acp in the gun safe. Practice-practice-practice…
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