Adamant about a .22

I killed a 180lb feral hog with a shot from a .22lr out of a CZ452 at thirty yards while squirrel hunting. One shot behind the ear as it was quartering away dropped the pig. When it came time for me to approach the pig, the .22lr was slung over my shoulder and my .357 was in my hand.
 
i believe any caliber CAN be used for s/d. like said many times, its all about picking the right tool for the job.

i know a guy that killed a 1000lb moose with a Jennings .22 pistol, he shot it in the side of the head from his kitchen window @10'.
 
I would think that a good number of .22 rounds into a perp would incapacitate him, but then again: I'm not a cop or an expert. This is just my educated guess. But, if someone broke into my apartment, I'd announce that I was an armed citizen and that if they approached with force, I'd shoot. If they approached with force, I'd proceed to empty the cylinder of my IJ Sealed 8 and call 911.

Way that I see it, 8 .22 rounds at center mass (which I can empty in under 4 seconds, hitting a man sized target with each round at 5 yards) will incap someone, hopefully not kill them.
 
But, if someone broke into my apartment, I'd announce that I was an armed citizen and that if they approached with force, I'd shoot.
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There's no need for a warning in my state if they enter your home while you're there. No warnings from me; if they come in my house in any criminal manner, they're paid for.

Daryl
 
We can do without the chest thumping

Many feel that the .22 isn't a "macho" round, and shun it for that reason. It's for training and small game, not personal defense. And, as far as that goes, they are right. About the training and small game, that is.

Bullets entering the body and striking bone do one of two things. The smash through the bone (often changing direction while doing so), or the "bounce" off the bone, changing direction.

The fellow you met is an under educated braggart.

A "standard" .22 RF is the lowest power cartridge commonly available. The .25ACP beats it by a very small amount, but falls below the hottest .22RFs. Every larger cartridge increases your odds of stopping an attacker. And its all about odds. We use HP or SP ammo over FMJ to increase the odds. We practice to increase the odds.

The "lowly" .22 is not to be dismissed out of hand, many have died or been permanently injured as a result of being shot with it. Many have not.

As mentioned, a .22 killed Robert Kennedy. A .22 put James Brady in a wheelchair for life. A .22 from the same gun shot Regan in the chest, and only inflicted a minor wound, from which he rapidly and fully recovered. A .22 in the hands of an attacker is no laughing matter.

The consensus of people who actually know what they are talking about is that a .22 for self defense is better than no gun, but inferior to just about everything else in terms of general effectiveness.

The number of deaths attributable to a given cartridge is meaningless. Germs have killed more people throughout history than guns, does that mean the best way to stop an attacker is to cough on them?

Since you already have a 9mm that you shoot, (and presumably trust your ability with it), no smaller caliber round could serve you any better, and it is highly unlikely to serve you as well. And thats not opinion, its physics.
 
You just gotta love these threads. You get your one stop shot people reciting the holy numbers. I think it is safe to say that any sane person would agree that a single equally accurate hit with a .45 will beat a hit with a .22. But then lets hope for more than one hit.
Then you get the stuff about how under the pressure you won't be able to hit a barn from the inside. In the next breath you will be told you need the biggest baddest caliber available. I guess so you can only get off one highly inaccurate shot, due to recoil, in the limited time before your sure demise at the hands of a hopped up psycho. It would seem that if such poor accuracy is assured in a bad situation you would want as little recoil as possible so you could get off as many inaccurate rounds as possible in hopes of hitting something.:rolleyes:
Then comes along the I'll shoot them in the eye with my .22 as they run toward me crowd. Color me sceptical.
Now for my viewpoint which is worth what you paid for it. There is no best caliber for self defense. There are too many variables. People will say to use the biggest caliber you can handle. Good advise but not good enough as most people overestimate their abilities. I say use the biggest caliber you can handle, can afford to shoot a lot and will practice extensively with. I see people at the range that really believe they can handle a certain gun. What they don't seem to realize is they take about 3 seconds to get off every round. Then to top it off their accuracy is marginal.
From low ready in a competitive situation can hit 5 randomly spaced 9 inch plates at 15 yards in around 2.6 seconds with a .22 revolver. I can't even come close to duplicating the feat with a .357 and accuracy suffers as well. Practice with a .22 doesn't really carry over that well to a heavy recoiling gun. Of course I can't afford to shoot 750 or so rounds a week of .357 like i can a .22. My range buddy can afford to shoot a centerfire a lot and is about as fast with a .40 as I am with a .22, so it is all about practice.
Be honest with yourself about your abilities and maybe spend a little time with a timer as a reality check. Keep an open mind and ask yourself what can I and will I practice with a lot. If you are willing to shoot 750-1000 rounds a month, do it with the biggest caliber you can handle AND afford to shoot that much. If that is a 45 great, if that is a .22 so be it. A highly practiced person with a .22 just might be more effective than an unpracticed person with a .45. If you are only going to shoot 50 rounds a month you had better get the biggest caliber you can and hope and pray because your perfomance is going to be very poor. Do as you like because people always will. But at least think about it.
 
Sorry if this is a duplicate, but I don't see it.
I have thought about getting a Taurus 941 in 22 magnum. 2 or 3 inch barrel and 8 shots. I would feel very comfortable with this for my CCW. I would prefer my G 27 but this would be nice and my wife would like it! :D
 
.22?

45 ACP. That will bounce around and do some damage. If you are only going to have a couple guns, one of them has to be a 45 ACP.
 
A deadly gun in the right hands, doesn't mater what caliber you get shot with, dead is dead. I don't want to be shot with any gun, you don't need the biggest cannon on the block. ;)
 
Calico

I often wondered how the Calico in .22 would go in the real world.
Nice compact little SMG, with a big mag.
Put a dozen rounds into a body in quick succession and I reckon you would get the result you were after.
Plus less issues with over penetration or the like....
 
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Well, Daryl, I live in Ill, which is a very liberal state when it comes to gun laws (thanks to the Dalys!) so I'm pretty sure that there's some weird statute in our books that would prevent me from defending myself with a firearm. If I give fair warning and the assailant leaves, that's a much better outcome than if I didn't give fair warning and put 8 rounds of .22lr or 9x19 into a man with a knife or nothing. That's my reasoning there. I'd rather incapacitate an assailant, rather than kill them, as well. I'd like to avoid a situation in which killing is involved in every possible way, but if it comes down to "my life or theirs," you can bet I'll choose my own.

And Neon, think about it this way. The .22lr round vs. a rock, knife or baseball bat. Or maybe a methhead with a 9mm hi-point that he doesn't know how to use versus yourself firing .22lr rounds that you do know how to shoot effectively.
 
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