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What is the best home defense ammo in .22 caliber

87K views 88 replies 54 participants last post by  Old Grump 
#1 ·
If all you have for a home defense rile is a Ruger 10/22, what would be the best ammo to buy with the most stopping power? I know a 22 is a little light weight , but with a carbine, I can pump out 10 shots pretty quick and I want the biggest punch I can get.
 
#7 ·
Stingers and the other hypervelocity "varmint" loads are the worst possible choice for self defense against larger critters. They are optimized to expand quickly and dump all their energy quickly, without much in the way of penetration.

That works just fine for the small animals that they are designed for. But it's the exact opposite of what's required to be effective on large ones. For the same reason that a varmint round in a centerfire rifle is not a good deer hunting cartridge.

Paper numbers mean nothing. The bullet has to get to the vitals in order to take them out. Energy doesn't do that. Tissue damage does.
 
#3 ·
Stingers are OK but a CCI Mini Mag is cheaper. Close up you will not have little drop in velocity. I've had good luck with CCI. Only one dud in the bunch so far and it still came out the end; it sounded like a sub-sonic round.

Sub Sonic make very little noise. It sounds like a BB Gun. Most of the noise a gun makes is the projectile coming out at Super Sonic velocity. The CRACK is mostly the small Sonic Boom created by the projectile. Sub Sonic are good when you don't want to scare the game.

All of these are copper plated which is better for your barrel:
f/s
1050 Sub Sonic
1235 Mini Mag - slower because it's heavier
1260 Mini Mag HP - hollow points are lighter and are a bit faster
1640 Stinger - it is a hollow point and as said this is the fastest, this would have the best knock down power but a 22 on a large animal...

http://www.cci-ammunition.com/products/products.aspx

I believe Wally Wurld carries both the Mini Mag HP & Stinger. So they're pretty common. Check Rural King if you have one, they recently started carrying CCI; Tractor Supply does not sell ammunition.

For larger game you want a 7.62mm / 30 cal or bigger. Which is why the 45 ACP & 9mm Luger were popular with military & law enforcement.

Remember that a 22LR will not penetrate much. You're going to need something bigger for that.
 
#6 ·
#13 ·
Wasn't there a .22 round loaded just for self defense a while back that was presegmented so that upon hitting flesh it broke into 3 sections that took seperate paths through internal organs? I can't remember the name of it.
ETA; found it. CCI took over making it. It used to have a differant name by another company but then I remembered CCI took over it. They now market it as a small game load instead of a self defense round.http://www.cci-ammunition.com/products/detail.aspx?use=1&loadNo=0064
 
#28 ·
I like these vids as much as the next guy. But the fact that an invader is going to be wearing clothing is going to impact a 36-40 grain bullet MUCH easier than a 100+ grain bullet. Those gel tests don't need to be shot through a few layers of clothing on that gel block.
 
#30 ·
I own 3 guns. Browning 30 06 semi auto (4 rounds +1), Ruger 10/22 with the 25 round mags, And a Ruger SR9 with 17+ 1 mags.
Yes, the Browning will be a stopper, no doubt. However, the 10/22 makes a "good" second Rifle, and with the 25 round mags. Makes a good choice for 100 yards or less.

Is the .22LR a stopper? No. However, with the right ammo choice. Can be a lethal gun.
I sure in heck would not want to take a .22LR round to the abdomen.
 
#32 ·
No to be gruesome, but there are storys out there of psychos who have taken out mutiable people using a .22LR.

Look at those test above. They CAN be effective if you use the right gun, ammo and maybe a scope. It won't drop someone. However, if someone takes even one round. They could be out of action, and bug out.

I'm taking about general property defence. Not "in house" defence BTW (25-100 yds.) :D:
 
#36 ·
If you are having duds more often when shooting your .22 semi you may need to clean it. Because .22 use "Blowback" action a fair amount of debris will build up on the area where the round chambers and on the bolt face. The spring that returns the bolt after chambering a round can not be too strong or it will not cycle properly. Thus you get the round not setting completely tight against the rim of the chamber. When you pull the trigger and the hammer drives the firing pin forward it you end up with a lighter strike on the rim. Nothing happens. You can also have over time the problem with springs getting weak and not fully moving the bolt forward.

People tend to shoot their little .22 semi's a lot and only clean them occasionally. If you want to use that gun for self defense make sure it is in first rate condition. Through the years I have rarely encountered a round that was a true dud.
 
#39 ·
Lets get real said it best whichever works best and goes off every time said it best. About 1988 best I can recall the whole industry and to experience misfires and some exhibited failed cases. I have had about a 300 deg rim failure. The ignition reliability problems based on what I have seen tend to happen more in handguns than rifles. It has long been known that handguns don't have as ignition energy as do rifles and thusly tend to give more misfires.

I had a long conversation with a Remington ammo engineer out in Lone Oak years ago and we were talking about the misfire rate and he basically confirmed the harder you hit them the more reliable the ignition sequence.

There is however another problem identified by the Army Wound Ballistic Lab which is hollow point ammo striking a body at under 1100 FPS does not expand as it does in soap blocks, magazines which generally presents no threat to us.

The best thing about 22s is the ones that clear the muzzle under 1100 fps in a long barrel give the lowest noise signature. Thusly if you want to maintain a low profile and not advertise to all for miles around that you are in play requires a round coming out of a long barrel will give the quiestest combo.

The long barrel allows for more barrel time and more time for the noise to attenuate before the round clears the muzzle.

I have a 358 Winchester and I can load ammo to about 1075 that sounds like a 22 shot from my Nylon 66 when fired.

I seem to have the best ignition in 22s from the Nylon 66s and the Marlin 39A and Remington Mod 37 Target rifles. I get most misfires on S&W K22s and have had a good luck with Ruger 22MKIIs.

Bottom line is while 22s kill more folks than any other round (FBI Uniform Crime Reports I have read) it doesn't mean it does so quickly but can do so quietly should the need arise. For instance guys around here tell me the rifle of choice for deer poachers is the 22 with well placed shots.
 
#40 ·
KEEP IN MIND....

I don't know if you bought your 10/22 new, used, or if it is stock or 'tacticool'.... but if your barrel is aftermarket with a bentz chamber the CCI stinger round will not chamber properly...

A CCI stinger casing is a smidge longer than the standard 22lr casing, and I'd hate to be in a tight spot just to figure out my ammo doesn't go bang...
 
#44 ·
I love how people are saying " .22hp is designed for small game", then argue the use of .22" round nose. I understand the idea that you have a better chance of getting the first hit since there is no recoil and what not. But what happens when it doesnt penetrate because it doesnt have the power to do? THen he shoots you with his 9mm or what not and you go down? A lot of good you did getting that first shot in?

Yes it can happen with any caliber but the likely hood of it happening with that .22 is MUCH higher than anything ment for killing someone.

In the end yes a .22 is better than nothing, but why settle SO MUCH?
 
#45 ·
Kenny, who told you a .22 doesn't penetrate? I blew one completely through a deer skull at 30 yards. Thats skin and two layers of bone. Blew the opposite side out to 3/4 of an inch. See the pics

pictures 1 and 2 are the entrance wound. Pic 3 is the exit after pulling the skin off it. 4 is after I inserted my finger to see how big the exit actually was. 5 is the bullet which was a soft lead 40 grain Cheap Remington Thunderbolt. A CCI Mini mag will do that and then some at 50 to 75 yards. A velocitor or stinger will penetrate the chest cavity at 100 to 150 yards. The proof is in our penetration test thread.
 

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#46 ·
So what? I shot a opossum in the head 5 times with a .22 bounced off every shot.

Guess what dident... a .357

I think it is very misleading to tell someone that "hey it kills deer with head shots!"

Yes we should give the .22 the respect it deserves, and heck no I would not want to be shot by one.

But we must also respect it short comings.
 
#47 ·
Its not misleading at all. I don't know what you were using on that possum but "that" in my eyes is a misleading statement. I call B.S. I have dispatched ***** out of trees with little sub sonics only going 600 fps. I SHOT SEVERAL POSSUMS with standard velocity .22 long rifle. I had a rabbit dog that had a fetish for those nasty critters. I suggest you visit our penetration test thread for some education on what the short comings really are. I have heard and dispelled every one of the myths concerning the .22 rim fire. Those pictures I provided are proof that one well placed round goes all the way through a mature deers head at 30 yards. Now think about that possum statement . :rolleyes:
 
#49 ·
Not BS it happend....A guy got shot 31 times by all kinds of calibers and lived...

stuff happens.

KF from your other post I have seen, you have a very well planned out AO for your MAG.

And I know that you dont plan on defending your family with .22

So much better options with much more reliable calibers.

The only reason I can see suing that .22 for defense is if you were unlucky to have it in your hands at the time, only thing you own, or just to say you do.

To each his own I guess. I will never rec some one to defend their life with a .22 if they can help it.

No army uses has it as a standard issue, no big game hunters use it ( most states its illegal to do such a thing) no LEO use it.

If I had to to use a .22 as self defense def go with mini mag or velocitors. Ill just never know why you need to limit yourself obviously history has proven that you need something bigger.
 
#50 ·
You are correct, I rely on .223 and 30-06 for defense. However I train with 7 ex military men two of which were special forces. Both have told me they would NOT feel under gunned with a .22. I deal with facts. This is why we did the penetration test thread. This is why we brought up over 50 links to ballistics and shot deer heads, gators etc. The truth is all that matters. Not what we believe but what is proven. Radicals on both sides of the debate about .22 rim fire cartridges are wrong. Many claim they can kill bears and stuff with them and that is going past what the round is capable of. Many say they have been shot with one or know people who have been shot with one and walked away. Again exceptions to the truth. Ronald Reagan was hit with one deflected .22 from a pistol in the armpit. The flattened bullet would have bled him out had he not been taken directly to a hospital. Gifford survived a 9mm to the brain. That doesn't mean 9mm handguns are weak and don't Kill. It means our medical field is really good at saving lives. We can quote exceptions to the truth all day. The best truth that you spoke was you would not want be shot with one. So if YOU came up on a guy holding a Ruger 10-22 with a 30 round mag I doubt you would look for a fight. One round could bleed you out with out medical attention immediately. Or 3 or 4 might not hit anything important. The same goes for .223. It might kill you instantly or might just punch a tiny hole through you that heals over in a few days.

There is truth in the penetration test thread. We know exactly what the round is capable of doing. Make no mistake , on deer and man size targets and smaller they lethal PERIOD. This thread asks the question of all the .22 rim fire out there which is the best suited for defense. I think its a toss up between the CCI Mini Mag and CCI Velocitor. Both are deadly rounds.

This is the best thread on these boards regarding what a .22 WILL DO.

http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=150033
 
#51 ·
A friend of mine was killed by a 22 some 30 yrs ago he was 17
at the time. We hunted together a lot. that day he was hunting
by him self
about a 1/2 mile from my house their was a creek we hunted
all the time
He sliped and fell down a bank his 22 slid down about 30 more feet
and went off. It hit him in the right jaw and came out the left side of his head
about 1 1/2 above his ear.His bother and me found him later that evening when they ask me to help hunt for him.
It was not a pettey site when they rolled him over their was a 1 in hole above his ear. The doctor that examed him
said he died instancy.So saying a 22 bounce off a posumm head is bs . have killed to much stuff with a 22 over the
years dogs,deer,pigs and even a cow we were buching shot it at 20 ft right between the eyes droped like a rock
came out the back side of it skull.
 
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