Hi all I have a question. Let's say all I have is a Browning Buckmark 22 handgun for self defense. What bullet would be best? The round nose, truncated hollow points or something different? We all know shot placement is what kills and a shot to the heart or forehead will kill as dead as a 44 magnum. I'm really curious about this and would like your opinions.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
22 for self defense?
- Thread starter reptocarl
- Start date
MandolinMan
New member
IF it is ALL you have, reliability is the first concern, as rimfires can be picky. After that, probably a heavy solid bullet. I would avoid hollow points as the 22LR certainly isn't known for penetration. That's my .02.
themalicious0ne
New member
Not necessarily. A CNS hit will immediately incapacitate someone. Heart will bleed out fast but I know there was an article of a female LEO that's heart was clipped by a 357 and survived. The skull has also known to deflect bullets in rare cases. Bullets have skimmed between the skull and skin.
A 22 is better than nothing but not optimal. Not much works with 100% certainty but generally speaking the more damage the better.
A 22 is better than nothing but not optimal. Not much works with 100% certainty but generally speaking the more damage the better.
Brando1992
New member
I would say lead round nose cci 40 grn. they will be the most reliable and when talking 22 in a semi, you want the most reliable. From that point forward I would say bring a spare magazine or two.
My biggest fear with a 22 for self defense is it not reliably going bang and a spare magazine will be the quickest way to help it go bang again quickly.
I also would say if you will be carrying any you should save up and buy a ruger lcp, taurus tcp, taurus 709, taurus pt111 or a snub nose .38 special. All can be found for $250 or less. If you are talking home defense save $200 and either buy a mossberg maverick 88 or a hi point of your choice or a used revolver. Any of the above will be worlds better than the browning buckmark and easily attained if you were to set aside $10 a week or whatever you could until you could purchase one.
My biggest fear with a 22 for self defense is it not reliably going bang and a spare magazine will be the quickest way to help it go bang again quickly.
I also would say if you will be carrying any you should save up and buy a ruger lcp, taurus tcp, taurus 709, taurus pt111 or a snub nose .38 special. All can be found for $250 or less. If you are talking home defense save $200 and either buy a mossberg maverick 88 or a hi point of your choice or a used revolver. Any of the above will be worlds better than the browning buckmark and easily attained if you were to set aside $10 a week or whatever you could until you could purchase one.
Darkstar888
New member
CCI minimags are usually the most reliable.
We all know shot placement is what kills and a shot to the heart or forehead will kill as dead as a 44 magnum. I'm really curious about this and would like your opinions
What kills is penetrating to the depth required and with enough mass to disable the CNS and/or heart/aorta. Bleed out to the point of loss of consciousness can also happen. Can a 22 LR out of a pistol do that reliably? I've seen some ballistic gel tests that might suggest that and certainly there are cases of that happening, but honestly it's not what I would choose unless forced in that direction.
Besides the potential reliability concerns with rimfire ammo (even though some of the premium options from CCI and others are typically good in this area) I wouldn't want to be forced to go for headshots as my main resort. If you have to do a failure to stop drill so be it, but being able to aim for the torso gives you a much bigger target than a head that is likely moving around more than the torso. Now you may be an excellent shot, but I've seen good shots in force on force scenarios miss each other when only a number of yards away, and these guys were aiming center mass. Adrenaline is a hell of a thing.
I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm just reiterating it's not my first choice. If you shoot someone full of 22 LR and they bleed out and die a few minutes later or many minutes later but managed to kill you before they were incapacitated I don't imagine that's a lot of comfort to you.
I imagine someone will point out that the argument used by the OP is basically the same as used by those that argue in favor of 9mm as opposed to say 40SW or 45ACP. To me the key is the difference between 22LR and 9mm out of a handgun is dramatically more than the difference between 9mm and 45 ACP out of a handgun. But as always it's your call.
There's a muzzle energy graph for these rounds that you can open with a link at the top of the table. http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/22.html
sigarms228
New member
I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm just reiterating it's not my first choice. If you shoot someone full of 22 LR and they bleed out and die a few minutes later or many minutes later but managed to kill you before they were incapacitated I don't imagine that's a lot of comfort to you.
Exactly this. The goal for SD is to stop the threat as fast as possible. 22LR is certainly not optimal for such.
kilimanjaro
New member
You'll probably get a larger caliber pistol in the future, but for now, you go with what you have.
Use the roundnose bullets exclusively, you need penetration, not a blowup on a button, buckle, or bone.
CCI is reliable, burn up a brick and verify. Keep the last box of the brick for carry ammo, once you've proven the ammo lot.
I hate to say this, but your choice of the 22lr for defense means two things are crucial to your life expectancy in a confrontation: the first, obviously, is shot placement. The second, is reliability of your semi-auto pistol. You will require a second, third, or sixth shot. Practice clearance drills religiously, and seriously consider a revolver if you expect to rely on the 22lr for any length of time.
Use the roundnose bullets exclusively, you need penetration, not a blowup on a button, buckle, or bone.
CCI is reliable, burn up a brick and verify. Keep the last box of the brick for carry ammo, once you've proven the ammo lot.
I hate to say this, but your choice of the 22lr for defense means two things are crucial to your life expectancy in a confrontation: the first, obviously, is shot placement. The second, is reliability of your semi-auto pistol. You will require a second, third, or sixth shot. Practice clearance drills religiously, and seriously consider a revolver if you expect to rely on the 22lr for any length of time.
22 for self defense?
Hi all I have a question. Let's say all I have is a Browning Buckmark 22 handgun for self defense. What bullet would be best? The round nose, truncated hollow points or something different? We all know shot placement is what kills and a shot to the heart or forehead will kill as dead as a 44 magnum. I'm really curious about this and would like your opinions.
If all I had was the called out 22 rimfire I would likely choose a 40 grain round nosed bullet. While the 22 rimfire is hardly a formidable cartridge when nothing else is available it will have to do. The little 22 rimfire should never be underestimated either as to its ability to kill. Here in the Cleveland, Ohio suburbs many remember all to well the Chardon, Ohio school shooting where a deranged youth murdered three students, permanently paralyzed one and severely wounded another. All with a Ruger MK II pistol and 40 grain 22 LR round nose bullets.I believe those who died died as a result of gunshot to the head.
I guess if a 22 LR is all you have you make do with what you have.
Ron
The only way I would select a .22LR pistol for self-defense would be as a small BUG, and probably not even then.
But in the event I had to try to stop an assailant who posed a lethal threat with a .22LR pistol, I would aim for the naso-cranial cavity and shoot until I emptied the magazine, or the attacker went down.
Like most others, I would select a 40 grain, high-velocity, round-nosed cartridge. The Winchester Super-X claims a muzzle velocity of 1300fps.
The little .22LR projectile can actually be pretty nasty. The supersonic projectile often fragments and causes considerable collateral damage. But the odds are that only a shot that penetrates the naso-cranial cavity or upper spinal cord will be immediately incapacitating.
But in the event I had to try to stop an assailant who posed a lethal threat with a .22LR pistol, I would aim for the naso-cranial cavity and shoot until I emptied the magazine, or the attacker went down.
Like most others, I would select a 40 grain, high-velocity, round-nosed cartridge. The Winchester Super-X claims a muzzle velocity of 1300fps.
The little .22LR projectile can actually be pretty nasty. The supersonic projectile often fragments and causes considerable collateral damage. But the odds are that only a shot that penetrates the naso-cranial cavity or upper spinal cord will be immediately incapacitating.
I've had the unpleasant experience of attending or reviewing the autopsies of a fair number of folks who met a violent end, along with reports and witness statements (when there were any) from the incident. I am inclined to believe 22's in the torso often penetrate the first set of ribs or intestines and then slow down enough to glance inward off the rear posterior ribs, toward the large vessels along the spine. Small caliber centerfires like the 25's and 32's can do the same. Any perforation of that circulatory trunk is usually fatal before surgical intervention can be performed.
I recall one flat-out murder where the assailant chased his victim several hundred yards, pecking at him with a tube-fed 22 semi-auto rifle. It took most of the tube before the victim collapsed and was given a coup de grace. I recall another where a big ruffian was thumping several patrons of an establishment. One of them produced a 22 semi-auto pistol and shot the bully through the eyeball, straight in from the front. Bullet penetrated most of his brain but he was unimpressed and walked outside, crossed the sidewalk and keeled over near his truck. Common 22 LR solid were used in both shootings.
I do not relate these recollections to scare anybody out of carrying a 22. I'd carry one myself if that's all that was available. When they realize they've been shot (or shot at) with anything, the vast majority of people will take flight to avoid being shot again. For those people, practically anything will do. The exists however that small percentage who will take offense at being shot and use their dying breath to do you in. Those folks have to be killed outright, busted down to where they can't move or rendered unconscious ASAP. It's just something to remember when you're contemplating a carry gun.
I recall one flat-out murder where the assailant chased his victim several hundred yards, pecking at him with a tube-fed 22 semi-auto rifle. It took most of the tube before the victim collapsed and was given a coup de grace. I recall another where a big ruffian was thumping several patrons of an establishment. One of them produced a 22 semi-auto pistol and shot the bully through the eyeball, straight in from the front. Bullet penetrated most of his brain but he was unimpressed and walked outside, crossed the sidewalk and keeled over near his truck. Common 22 LR solid were used in both shootings.
I do not relate these recollections to scare anybody out of carrying a 22. I'd carry one myself if that's all that was available. When they realize they've been shot (or shot at) with anything, the vast majority of people will take flight to avoid being shot again. For those people, practically anything will do. The exists however that small percentage who will take offense at being shot and use their dying breath to do you in. Those folks have to be killed outright, busted down to where they can't move or rendered unconscious ASAP. It's just something to remember when you're contemplating a carry gun.
I would like to thank all of you that responded. I've learned a lot. The Buckmark is all I have at the present time and I was curious if I had to use it for protection.
If that's what you have, like the man said practice. The iraqveteran8888 channel on YouTube did a number of tests with 22LR and ballistic gel. It might help you pick a good ammunition along those lines, or at least give you some idea of how some of the brands mentioned so far perform.