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.
...
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 ...
Why even do that with a firearm? Do it with those pellets from a .177 pellet gun. No registration. Disposable.
He’s woke on some stuff is likely why
So you would go hunting for grizzly with a .22?
Wonder why almost everyone in the far north carries something that starts with a .4xx?
“Your calculus doesn’t take into account what this article points out prominently, which is that if you miss, all that extra firepower did you no good. “
Under duress, every mortal misses with every handgun.
Often.
In fact it’s so common one should PLAN on missing a lot.
So, one can miss with a .22 or with something bigger. But the occasional/lucky hit with a 9mm is far more effective.
“any pistol is just a tool to fight your way back to that rifle you so foolishly left in the truck.”
👍🏻
Hickok 45 is awesome.
“Smoke some pot”
You need to catch up on current events.
The protectors of "our democracy" are arming up and have discovered the benefits of firearms training.
Hickock45 is non-political and I'm sure antifa gets as much out of his videos as we do.
A candidate for the Darwin Award.
Thats why I like my PMR30.
22LR kills more people every year than 9 mm or 45Acp combined why because it’s cheap easy to conceal and quiet.
Second the motion of some gun is better than no gun. Along with anything worth shooting once is worth shooting twice. I never the leave the house without at least 4 firearms two of them are on my person at least at all times. Carry a BUG you never know when your primary will fail or run out of rounds. An short barreled 6.5mm lives in my center console even with a 10” barrel it has the ballistics to put 1000ftlbs at 200meters in a golf ball sized group by what it does to watermelons at that range a human head will pop with similar vigor.
“22LR kills more people every year than 9 mm or 45Acp combined”
Bullshit.
Most real-world gunfights happen within 7 feet.
***This article below suggests this is possibly correct, though the sourcing is sketchy. Perhaps 80% are within 7 yards.
https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/the-true-distance-of-a-typical-gunfight/
This suggests that carrying a mousegun is the best option for the most people. The WalMart approach to self-defense.
Training in the caliber you carry is most important. From the OP article: If accuracy is final, then practice makes perfect. The MSRP for 50 rounds of Punch .22 is $10.99. As a comparison, Federal Premium’s .38 Spl. +P Punch loading has an MSRP of $26.99 for a box of 20. Winchester’s Silvertip .22 LR retails for $9.99 for a box of 50, compared to $25.99/20 rounds for the company’s Silvertip .38 Spl. load. [Note: “MSRP” means “Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price” - not what you can actually find this ammunition for on the shelves of your local gun shop these days]. Not only are premium .22 self-defense rounds cheaper than their centerfire counterparts, .22 LR target ammunition represents an even bigger cost savings. This makes it much more affordable to get in the practice necessary for one to become proficient with their firearm.
I’ve twice hit a snake in the head while in the creek with it.
***That is a tough sumbitch snake.
Interesting point. You’re gonna miss.
Then the natural thing to do is to follow up on that point, which I touch on in my post: Hence, a caliber which increases your hit/miss ratio is a better caliber.
But you just blithely go over that point and ignore it. Kind of like a miss when you’re shootin’ a large caliber.
“Shot placement. Just like most other rounds.”
Yup.
But, a .22LR would not be my go-to choice if, indeed, I had the choice. That being said, if a .22LR was all I had at the time, I’d be glad I at least had it.
Yup.
“Decades ago an old Native American woman took down a grizzly that was stalking her. A single .22 round behind the ear did the bruin in.”
I read about that several years ago. My concluding thought was, “Good shot!”
“Many handguns shoot larger diameter bullets that slow down considerably at 100 yards.”
I think I’m a pretty good shot. But I don’t think I’d ever shoot a handgun at a threat that was 100 yards away. And legality does play a role in that. But, that’s just me.
True dat.
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