Best "Defensive" .22LR rounds?

[snobord99]

A properly placed .22 will take someone down. I know a guy who got shot with one of those in the stomach....with a cheap non-HP bullet. He said he dropped like a bag of bricks. He now wears that bullet on a necklace. 8-10 .22's from a tiny woman on target is much more deadly than one poorly placed 9mm and a bunch of holes in the wall around a BG.

I agree with this 100%. My only issue is that I'm not so sure that a panicking girl (or guy for that matter) who has a 6'2" 250 dude charging at them will be able to place the round all that well. I reckon no matter how well trained at shooting at stationary targets, there's a great chance they're in a panicky state and won't be able to focus that hard on placing their shot. You have to account for the possibility that they'll just generally point and pull the trigger w/o REALLY focusing despite their ability shoot a fly sized target at 50 yards at the range.

[El Gato]

a properly placed .22 will take someone down about 20% of the time with one shot....
8 properly placed .22's in a sec. might be better... or one shot of Buck which would be like 9 .32's in one shot... Hmmmmm

this is an interesting read: http://www.stoppingpower.net/books/book_stopping.asp

how about a 20 ga mossy and buck shot and a little training?

if she can get a permit to carry... well then she can carry a rather large gun if she is properly trained... if she cannot get a carry permit then a largish gun is usually better for home defense....the wife is 5-4 and 125lbs when dripping wet and she carrys and shoots a 5 in XD tactical in 45acp...and she trains other women... you might be suprised at all of the women in Kern Co. with 45acp's due to learning to shoot properly, cycle the slide and do malfunction drills properly and getting their permits....

doing malfunction drills with a .22 is a pain in the fingers and sometimes an exercise in futility...

After 30 years in the business... 2in guns are for experts... however if you are stuck with a .22 for hd then the 317 as previously mentioned or a heavier version will fill the bill... autos are simply not reliable enough in .22.. even the fabled ruger....and if she has strenght problems... the Springfield 9mm govt. model has a very light recoil spring and very light recoil and shoots an effective cartridge if a HP of sufficient pedigree is chosen.. say the corbon 115 gr or 125 gr....and most women who actually shoot it... love it.. except those with exceptionally small hands.. then we go M&P.....

We have had just over 50 new women shooters though school here since May and to a woman, they hated small light guns when they shot them... we had a contingent that loved the 4/6 in K frame 22 and shot very well... with anything other than the mini-mag we avg. 2-10 misfires each brick of ammo... something to think about when using 22 for self defense.. again the eley is more reliable as it has a better priming system...

My suggestion.. find an instructor ... a female instructor preferably that can take her out and have her try a variety of guns... women learn differently and the technique to retract a slide is specific to the stature and muscle structure of women... and spatial awareness issues are an important factor...

[dchang0]

The problem with 380 is that most guns chambered for this cartridge are very small/light and designed for deep concealment. Most are also blowback operated and their recoil and handling characteristics leave much to be desired.

I would recommend taking her to a range that rents out lots of different guns and let her tryout a number of 9mm compact guns like the Glock 19. A recoil operated compact G19 in 9mm is easier and more comfortable to shoot than a sub-compact blowback operated 380. Rule of thumb is always get the largest gun to fit the task at hand; smaller handguns sacrifice sight radius and handling characteristics/ergo at the expense of accuracy.

SCMA-1

^What he said. Thanks, SCMA-1, for putting into words what I couldn't. The Sphinx .380 I had was indeed blowback operated, and the CS9 I have is indeed recoil-operated.

To the OP: have you considered a long gun instead? Yes, they are heavier, BUT, your girl would be able to use her shoulder for support. With most long guns, the center of mass is further back, closer to the body, and therefore easier to hold for longer times. Add to that the support of a good rifle sling. Felt recoil could be much less than with a handgun, especially when using smaller cartridges in a long gun such as 9mm in a carbine or .45 in the super-low-recoil Kriss Super-V. The 5.7-based PS90 has such ridiculously low recoil, it felt like shooting a pellet gun.

There are even such shotguns as the Beretta Xtrema2 with Kick-Off system where recoil is reduced so much that the shotgun can be shot one-handed, arm fully extended! You could set up a nice, short .20ga shotgun for her (hopefully with a recoil-reduction system, though I don't know if people bother making them for .20ga).

[bigthaiboy]

Edit: In my experience selling guns over the counter, alot of women aren't strong enough to cycle the slide on many semi-auto's, so keep that in mind.

That's definitely an important consideration. My wife has small hands and has difficulty racking a slide on my 9mms, but can shoot one if it is prepped for her. A .38spl revolver she can manage and can shoot well with, but she can shoot very well with a .22LR revolver and has asked me to look out for one for her as she enjoys shooting them so much.

My favorite 22 ammo is the CCI mini Mag but can't find it anywhere. .

PM CSACannoneer, he has some for sale.

[SCMA-1]

If you have to stick with 22LR, go with the hottest: Aquila 22 Super Max. 30gr solid or hollowpoint at a rated 1750 fps:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=218194

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=233104

If you want a heavier 40 gr bullet, Aguila Intercepter at 1470 fps:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=110805

SCMA-1

[jchen76@gmail.com]

Does any one know if .17hmr is any better than a .22lr in a pistol? I see taurus has a pistol in .17 hmr, probably the same recoil but with higher velocities.

[missiondude]

Did not read all the replys, so if it has already been said, sorry... Do not buy her a pink gun, unless you know for an absolute fact that she will LOVE it. My wife, I know this for certain, would shoot me for getting her a pink gun, unless it was a Hello Kitty AR

[stix213]

If you have to stick with 22LR, go with the hottest: Aquila 22 Super Max. 30gr solid or hollowpoint at a rated 1750 fps:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=218194

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=233104

If you want a heavier 40 gr bullet, Aguila Intercepter at 1470 fps:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=110805

SCMA-1

+1 on the Aguila Intercepters

[pbrand]

Like the title says: what's THE best .22LR "defensive" round? I'm thinking of getting a P22 for my girlfriend (she is okay with 9mm, but I figure .380 ACP would still give her some issues), so I'm wondering: what's the best defensive .22LR? (tried search, no luck)
TIA

My P22 (which I just recently sold for a GSG5) shot like a champ. The most reliable round for mine was CCI Minimags. If I trusted my life to a P22 it would have nothing but CCI Minimags.

[pbrand]

My P22 (which I just recently sold for a GSG5) shot like a champ. The most reliable round for mine was CCI Minimags. If I trusted my life to a P22 it would have nothing but CCI Minimags.

Plus if your wife is a horrible shot you need to throw on a Viridian Green Laser. All she has to do is point the laser in the dudes chest and hes a goner. If your wife cant hit a "250 lb" mans chest (which BTW I believe the average weight of a man is some where around 160 to 180) with 10 shots and a green laser then she needs to just give up. A 10 year old could handle it.

[John Browning]

The differences in velocity and bullet weight we're talking about here are so minuscule that they do not really merit discussion. The bullets are all pretty much the same, and in the end it all comes down to shot placement. The big difference comes in match ammo because they are much more reliable in their ignition, which is a big deal if you're using a .22 self-loading pistol. I've shot a lot of Velocitor and like it a good deal, but the match .22 rounds out there are all the most reliable. They are usually standard velocity which will not run a self-loader, though. However, I second the idea that a revolver is the best bet, because .22s jam and are very unreliable. I have 617 10 shot that is a sweet shooter, and makes transitions to a .38 or .357 much easier.

Have you considered a shotgun? A 20ga or .410 bore would be a huge step up from .22. You'd get more reliable ignition, much more terminal performance, more loads to choose from and they are easier to hit with. A 20ga 1100 youth would be a fine choice for anyone, it is no slouch at all.

[supermario]

are CCI Stingers HP or ball ammo? I agree with you, but I'm still torn between a P22 and finding a GOOD .380.

They are hollow points. Also if you decide to go 9mm route, I saw on TV that the Walther line of 9mm are good for the ladies becus they rack easily and for small hands. If not a walther 9mm i would say Glock 19 becus that gun fit well in my wifes hands and she is small. A P22 is good for now, let her decide once she shoots it. If you want, you guys can come to the range with me and my wife and let her test out my p22 and glock 19 and I also have 22revolvers so she can see how that feels in her hands.

[supermario]

If you gotta go with .22 this is what I use and would recommend.
S&W 317 loaded up with 8 CCI Velocitors.
It weighs only 12 oz. and all the women that I've let hold it love it.
Perhaps not the best choice, but remember, the first rule of gunfighting is to have a gun, any gun.

Edit: In my experience selling guns over the counter, alot of women aren't strong enough to cycle the slide on many semi-auto's, so keep that in mind.

If its going to be a semi 22, then the Walther p22 is very easy to rack the slide, my 10yr old daughter is even handy with that 22. It is said that the walther 9mm are easy to rack also. But that is true, alot of small guns are very hard to rack, I have to use muscle to rack my beretta 25.

[Chopper]

A woman can learn to shoot just about any decent gun. (Ask my ex!)
She needs to have enough training to handle it right anyway if it's going to save her life. Teach her right and get her a real gun.

[1911su16b870]

1. Any thing in hand is better than nothing.
2. Shoot the largest caliber that you can shoot acurately.
3. If 22 is it, use the ammo that is reliable and she can shoot most acurately.
4. Hits with 22s > misses with anything else.