22 LR Loads for Personal Defense 

As a LEO for over 37 years. The largest number of GSW (Gun Shot Wounds) are by the .22 caliber, mostly .22Lr. And of them most of the bullets are of the common cheap Walmart brand IE Remington or Winchester round nose. Out of 50 GSW's amounting to 5 deaths and 45 wounded. Of those committed by professional shooters (hit persons), I have investigated 25 all were DOA. 10 were .22 short, 12 .22 Lr, 3 were .380. The latter was the center mass, all the rest were close range headshots. I investigated 1 .22 Lr self-defense shooting. The person defending herself was an 82-year-old lady, the punk was a 19-year-old BM. He broke into her ranch house and was in the process of helping himself to anything of value when she was awakened by her dog attacking the punk, he was armed with a 9 MM hand gun and he shot and killed her dog. The lady grabbed her .22 Lr rifle and went downstairs, seeing her dead dog, she then saw the punk and shot him 2 times 1 center mass and the second shot center brain, result one good punk. No charges were filed against the lady. Bottom line, DON'T MESS WITH A GRANDMOTHER WITH A RIFLE.

At my Age of 78, I have converted to a 22LR or 22 mag for my EDC gun and I carry these rounds with Confidence! I am a Long time Glock Guy and I carried a G19 as my Duty Weapon for manny years and a G26 as my off Duty EDC but as we become older we sometimes have to make Adjustments because we can no longer do the things that we did when we were younger! I shoot at my LGR once every week and I now have more fun than ever and have saved a bunch of money on Ammo!

During 80 years, as a carer Army officer and shooting instructor with two combat tours in the 60s (not counting Camden and South Philly) I've met some interesting people with fatal 22lr experiences. One was a colleague whose father was shot ONCE in the chest with a std 22lr solid (not modern enhanced whoopee stuff) and dropped in his tracks. The other was a retired NYPD Lieutenant whose wife had to deter a wannabe burglar with a 22lr revolver. She emptied it into his face as he was crawling into her window and that's where he died. I've hunted in Germany for any years. Handguns are only permitted in hunting for the Fangschuss,/coupe de grace. There is a minimum energy requirement roughly equivalent to std 38 Special. The 22 WMRF meets that and there are a lot of good 22 WMRF handguns available. Shot placement is everything with anything. Stay safe. The best gunfight is the one you avoid.

I always appreciate when someone goes to the lengths you have to test ammunition. Well done and informative. Thank you!

.22 lr is never to be underestimated.

those of us with gray hair relied on 22lr to learn how to shoot. as we age out and become less-abled we will likely end up relying on 22lr for protection. successive 22lr doubletaps dumped into centermass from a reliable and handy ruger sr22 can work well for my humble defensive needs.

Honestly one of the best reviews of 22 ammunition. You’ve got yourself a subscriber you’re doing awesome keep up the good work

I have to say that this is, hands down, the best 22Lr review video that's on the net. Also the story you told in the end was probably the best testimony I have heard when it comes to using 22lr for defense. Bravo!!👏👏

I had a Colt Police Detective 22lr that looks similar to your Charter and it was incredibly accurate. I gave it to my dad and even his 90-yr-old eyes can hit targets at ten yards. Thanks for the comparisons because I do carry a 22 and it made me feel good about my choice to use Mini Mags.

Normally Im that guy that watches, hits the like, or dislike, and rolls on... this video deserves the attention... Yes, Its a longer than normal review... Well worth the 45 mins. Great work.

This is the most comprehensive .22lr ammo test comparison through a pistol I have ever seen. I will recommend this video.

I have a 3 inch pathfinder chambered in 22 W.M.R.F. that's been in the family since '78. It's just as accurate today as it was when it was made. 22 magnum is also a fun round to shoot. I've used it for personal defense. 👍🏼

As previously said, one of the very best .22 reviews I have seen on line. My compliments! Very informative!

Its funny how some people say the .22 is no good for defense, it will punch a hole in a human skull with ease and you can shoot a .22 a whole lot faster than any other caliber. There's a story I heard that in WWll a bunch of cadet kids held off several squads of Germans at their military school for days with only .22 rifles, the Germans had to hunker down and wait for some tanks to take the school, .22s can be very very useful.

Thanks for the great video! I'm 76, have never owned or wanted to own a gun, but finally decided to get a .22LR pistol solely for home protection. I had no clue what to get until a friend recently took me to a range and introduced me to .22, .380, and 9mm pistols. All things considered, I'm sure the .22 is the right choice for its intended purpose.

Exceptionally well done I had read that pistols don't have enough velocity for 22LR to mushroom you proved them wrong. Very well done indeed thank you

Not first choice for self defense, better than I thought the rounds would do. Gives me new respect for the 22 round

Great review indeed. I use a Glock 19 with a .22lr conversion for CC...It is super light, super accurate and follow up shots are very easy to perform. The key for .22lr for self defense is to shoot at least 5 shots focused on one critical area to make up for the effectiveness of a higher caliber. Having said that, it is absolutely possible to do that without losing focus or detraction from recoil of a higher caliber use.

Very effective for home defense to stop an intruder without hitting neighbors through walls

Wow! Extremely well done and informative. Like you, I most often end up with a 22lr handgun at my side when on an outdoor adventure. I run either Minimags or Stingers. Thanks to your presentation I now know my ammo choices are okay. Please keep up the good work. I enjoy all of your videos.

Thank you so much sir for the great Video. We are proud to have people like you out there. God bless you

I bought the Ruger Mark 1 back in the late 70's, it's not my carry but it's such a great reliable pistol. Thanks so much for the demo.

Thank you. Incidentally, I purchased a Ruger 22LR Wrangler a few days ago. Actually, I bought it on 12/22 and waited 11 days to take possession of it here in California (gun shop was closed on New Year’s Day). Perfect little bedroom gun and yes I keep it away from grandchildren and dummies when I’m not around. Look at it this way with the 22. A jury comprised of ignoramuses is more likely to be understanding of your defensive situation if you had to use that caliber, plus, it is “safer” inside the home as far as the bullet mayhap passing through the assailant and on further into the house.

Great video, I worked in an ER in the mid to late 90s and I have seen my fair share of gun shot wounds and fatalities. Two of the most underrated cartridges are the 22 and the 32 acp. But the most surprising and most memorable patience was one that was shot with a pellet from a GAMO air rifle. Rushed to surgery after collapsing in triage as he was bleeding out internally.

I really like the series on the 22 lr. cartridge and guns. Very informative with meaning demonstrations. My admiration for this diminutive cartridge started from a very young age and hasn’t diminished. It really is an excellent round for small game, target shooting and recreational use. And like you stated if you have nothing else it can definitely be an effective weapon.

I have that same rifle, 17 round, Marlin Model 60, that my Dad gave me when I was 10 (I'm 61 now) and it still shoots like a champ. Great little rifle and very, very, accurate.

Thanks for the nice video. In today's times, nothing surpasses the Federal "Punch" 22 LR round. These are designed specifically for short barrel pistols, tremendous energy. Numerous testing proves this so far. CCI Stinger functions comparable, but in longer barreled rifles over a pistol. From what I notice at gun shows, many are choosing the 22LR for carry, many due to the ease of wracking the slide on semi autos.

Ken r. When I was in Viet Nam in 71-72 sp. ops. Would use a so silenced Ruger .22 lr to put down sentries and guard dogs. Awesome weapon in the right hands. Love 22 lr.

Thank you for all the gun fun on testing. Anyone who has ever set at a bench and shot various guns and ammunition to compare preferences knows how much time, money and skill it takes to try and be as constant as possible . I (we) do appreciate you hard work ( fun ) in doing these tests. To be fair to yourself you should record all your findings for future reference. Keep up the great work.

I enjoy all your videos. The first rifle I ever shot was my dad's 22 winchester Model 74 a semi automatic rifle. I was only 9 but I remember going to the gun shop with my Dad and he bought a box of bullets and then taking me out to the sand pit to shoot. I never shot a rifle and I really enjoyed it even though the rifle was probably taller than me. Here I am now at 72 my Dad has long since passed and I can still remember that day and shooting that big rifle, to me it was big, at a tin can. Years later I took my own son out to shoot his first 22 rifle. Now today at 72 I still enjoy shooting 22 rifles and handguns even though I have larger centerfire handguns and rifles to shoot. I guess its true you can't outgrow a 22.

That federal punch ammo is great. I've seen many many tests with those and you are well armed with those. Thank you for your video.

One of the most comprehensive .22 tests I've ever seen, nice job. I have a couple .22s I carry, a S&W .22 Compact and a S&W 43c. I like Velocitors or Punch but all of the rounds you tested performed pretty good.

Still got my marlin 22 rifle model 25 My dad got me when I was nine years old. Great shooter, and great video.

Thank you for the VERY informative video on several 22lr rounds. I don’t carry the 22lr for self defense but for a survival situation, it’s awesome. You can actually afford to shoot the ammo to practice and it’s much better than it gets credit for. I’m subscribing to your channel. Thanks again!

Like your channel and the review. Subscribed.. As you said . 22 cal round used as a self defense weapon can be a very effective defense weapon. I always carry 22 .it's light to carry and definitely better than a rock !! Joe USN 75......

Another excellent video. Thank you, Cumberland Outdoorsman.

I'm 66. Been around competitive shooting most of my life. Well done. Thank you for a very informative video.

A very revealing test. While they all had their own merits, day in day out I believe I’ll stick with my old standbys, the Stingers and the Mini Mags. Both showed strong impact and good expansion. I would not want to get hit with any of them. From a personal defense standpoint, while a larger caliber would be more efficient, multiple hits with a .22 can be devastating, as demonstrated by your bear story. I would like to see some results using the .22 Magnum. I have a nice little Taurus 8-shot revolver that I used to frequently carry while deer hunting and came in handy dispatching a few deer that weren’t quite finished. Great to see you back at the bench!!!!

I sometimes, carry my trusty Ruger Mark ll, Standard in a shoulder rig when in the woods and fishing. My choice rounds are the CCI Mini Mags and the CCI Stingers. I get excellent performance from these rounds and am very confident they will protect in self defense. I will have to try out the Fragmentation rounds, they sound interesting. This video was very informative of performance of each round, great work, Sir.

Great Vid. Best 22 LR series I have seen.

Appreciate all the time and work you put into this video. I carry a 9mm and a 22lr. Most of my self-defense practice time is shooting 22lr. That experience carries over to 9mm shooting. I use the Velocitor in my Ruger sr22 EDC. Recommend a Lucky Gunner video. They spoke with two factory Federal ammo experts. It doesn't talk specifically abt 22lr. But does discuss the choice of caliber. Also, you may know abt Greg Ellifritz study of different calibers used for self-defense. He included 22lr. Many thanks for a well done video.

Good old 40gr high velocity Lead RN or copper washed round noses are hard to beat … Most important things to consider about any SD ammo , especially 22lr 1. dependable 2. Accuracy 2. Penetration

Great testing on some of the better 22 loads out there. Although I use center fire rounds for personal protection, I would not hesitate to use a 22 with these loads in a personal defense situation. I do like the Punch ammo as it is very accurate out of my 22 revolvers as well as my CZ rifle. Thanks again and have a great day.

I'm in alaska I Cary a 454 ....however I like you're optimistic outlook great video.......kevin k

I’ve done the same tests from a 4” barrel revolver! The ammo is really a personal choice but between Federal Punch and Velocitor some days I load and Mini Mags ! Great test you did !

I carry a Charter Arms Pathfinder with a 2" barrel and use Stingers. I chose it for several reasons. #1 I can afford to shoot it, thus I practice alot with it. #2 When researching guns to use for self defense I read an article that 22s were a favorite for professional assassins. I figure if its the choice of these guys it ought to be good enough for me. #3 I wanted a small revolver that was lightweight and easy to conceal carry. I have been very happy with my choice, and I must admit I'm a darn good shot.

Brother that's the best 22 testing I've seen, and surprising results! I really thought it was only good for squirrels. You just proved me wrong.

I totally agree 👍 22lr is a lot better than nothing it will do the job I wouldn't want to get hit with any of them and I like the punch the best

Thank you! My favorite first rifle my Father gited me brand new @ age 7yrs. Old. A Remington Nylon 66 rifle. Still have it! It's short enough for home invasion use. It had just come out/late 50's. Actually was shot through my left calf bt my cousin by mistake by accident as we headed out Grandmaws front door to go hunting. Thank goodness I gave him my .22, & I had the 12 gauge. As well: the .22 bullet went clean through my calf/out the other side & into the ground; & not traveling diwn my leg bone! After having to retrieve the bullet from the ground... we both continued on our way hunting. I was 12 yrs old, as was my cousin. J

Kudos on yet another great video. Love your .22 Series. You've done a masterful job presenting a most controversial topic most noncontroversially! While the first choice of very few for defense, a .22 in the brain pan or center of mass beats a .500 S&W in the ear lobe (or home in the safe). Markmanship and celerity vincit omnia. A long career in law enforcement has demonstrated that the .22, if not the best choice, remains a frequent one and often effective. Badguys find being shot most disconcerting and most try to relocate immediately to avoid taking any round. An S&W Kit Gun 4" or a Beretta 71 are my current favorites for 'not there 'til needed' rimfires. I like Velocitors and CCI Small Game bullets. As with you, these handguns have proven effective on small game (up to raccoons so far). Again, appreciation for your work. Pax

Excellent comparison of the 22lr cartridge’s examined!!

I would also like to add that some people with arthritis or hand problems or people who have trouble with recoil or noise of larger calibers would definitely be served well by .22 LR or .22mag . Definitely better than just your bare hands or going unarmed

That was as thorough a test of 22lr ammo that I have ever seen!Super informative and proof that 22lr can be an effective self defence. I own a Rughe wrangler which would be very close in perfor to that Charter 6 shooter!mance

I have now we seen a more thorough review of the performance and potential of .popular 22 LR cartridges for self defense! Great job! 😎👍

I love the 22 cartridge and ever since I was a kid I bought and shot my rifle, a Winchester model 62A, my grandfather gave me that for my 12th birthday in June 1960, prior to that I learned to shoot with a Stevens single shot that was my dads and later my younger sister used the Stevens in a 4H shooting club, great hours of fun with my 22's, I still have the Winchester today aand this is 62 years later

I really like the looks of that Ruger

Great video! Thanks for your obvious effort in putting together this video. Very informative on what the 22 lr is capable of. Good ammo is certainly available today for this popular caliber.

Outstanding review! Your format was perfect and it was the exact information I was looking for.

This is a very informative and useful video! Thanks for the in depth study.

Thank you for doing those comparisons, very informative.

Excellent work on all the topic!! Thank you!!

Thank you for taking the time to do this video. Great job. Very informative...and you didn't ramble on and on. Outstanding.

You have just sold me on buying a Sidekick 9 shooter, CCI Mini Mag and Federal Punch ammo. Great Testing !

I really appreciate you making this video, very very informative. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.

Great Video, Held my attention and saved me a lot of work. Thank You!

Did a REAL GOOD JOB putting this together. I also believe .22LR is good enough for self defense. It's all about shot placement by the shooter. The round can do it . One suggestion for next time ..... would like to know the velocity just prior to entering the water jugs. Then, also, when posting the accuracy ... listing what you got for velocity and then list the Mfg claimed velocity on the target. As for bear stories .... out west here .... the bears wt >500#. Grizzly are just a little bit more cantankerous than Black's. We normally carry Spray & a Side arm. Spray for Down-Wind attacks ans Side arm for Up-wind attacks.

Great testing, Thank you for a very well done demo ,.

Great video! Appreciate it very much and your time in making it. Thanks

I am very partial to a 22 weapon, both handgun and rifle. I have one of those Ruger semi's and am truely impressed with your tests. This was a very comprehensive comparison. Thanks !

Good video. I used to carry a Ruger wrangler in 22lr. When I was in the woods camping and night fishing for flathead catfish. Never had to worry about anything bigger than a bobcat or coyote in west ky. But just in the springs of 2022 I was night fishing off the river Bank and around 1am I heard a freaking growling then went into a high pitch scream that scared me unlike anything ever has scared me before. For now on when I'm night fishing I keep a 12 GA in my truck and a 357 on my hip

Thank you for posting a very informative video in support of 22LR bullets. A friend of mine has a German- made Walther PP and a TPH both chambered for 22LR. He is using CCI Stinger rounds that has been proven highly efficient and reliable. More power to you sir!!!!

Can’t believe this guy dry fired his charter arms 22LR revolver. Besides that, this was the most thorough 22LR review I’ve ever seen. Period.

Let me tell you...this is a first class video. Probably the most explicit one I've seen. I really liked it. You did your homework very well.

Really enjoyed you work here.

Excellent ammunition choice and testing comparison. I couldn't have picked a better choice of "available .22LR ammunition" for testing or done a more thorough comparison in different target mediums. Thanks again.

I have used the Stinger a lot mostly in an old Remington 521T. While not the most accurate at over 50 yds, under 50 yards it was always a one-shot kill on small game. Target range taught me to keep my shots under 50 yds.

I have seen deer taken with .22 lr. Also coyotes and smaller game.

Very good testing!👍 I enjoyed your story also!. I carry a .22 a lot in the summer with 11 rounds, i switched to the federal ammo too. Sometimes i carry the 22 on the ankle, 380 lcp in the pocket & a 9 or a 45 appendix; when its not hot anyway. But i too feel comfortable with my 22. Important things are good reliable ammo, mine seems more reliable with the punch than others, & being accurate & quick with it! I've heard of people killing bears with 45s but the 22 is crazy. Glad he had the tube fed Marlin! I have one too.

I appreciate your passion for nice, classic 22 lr's....I enjoy them as well..... great video. Well done, sir

As someone in his late 60s that was accidentally shot in his teens by a negligent hunter, I can assure you the last thing you think about when you get shot is what you got shot with. Practice enough so when you pull the trigger, the first shot hits what you are aiming at. You will get thier attention.

What a great video, and the story about your friend was great! Thanks.

Very good test! You proved why I carry Velocitor in EDC!

Excellent testing. Thanks for the public service!

Very helpful demonstrations. Suggestion: do all experiments each in same order of ammo. Taking notes, I had to jump around in my notes to each ammo you tested.

Very good job on this video, very thorough.

Gave both grown daughters .22 S&W and Ruger revolvers for self protection. Neither carries or has much interest in shooting, but they handle the .22 revolver very accurately.

Thanks much for sharing I appreciate your time and knowledge

Best 22 lr review ever. Thank you

I’ve read shooting articles for years , one of my favorites was Jim Carmichael who wrote a shooting column for , I think Sports Afield not completely sure , that every species of North American big at one time or another had been killed with a .22 rifle .

Most excellent sir! Thank you for the time and effort! 🙌🏻🤙🏻

Love the video, great comparisons 🤙

Awesome video! Very helpful for ammo choice!

Awesome testing, thanks.

Thank you for a very informative video! Super helpful!

That bear needed to go, he was unafraid of humans and aggressive. I have a Buck Mark, with a 5.5in barrel, I believe so this video was very helpful, thanks. I am a senior with a very bad back and pain so .22 is easier for me, not so much to conceal carry but fun to shoot and keep close at home or for critters and practice. I also have a .22 rifle so convenient. I also have an old Mauser .32 acp, it is great but ammo not so cheap like .22. Thanks for the effort you put into this video, will be watching more, subscribed.

Nice thorough video. Thanks.

I really enjoy your videos thank you for doing them!

Outstanding video, thank you.

Good thorough comparison. I don't think I've ever that can deal with a couple minimag rounds in the forehead or eye socket. My Ruger #1is a super dependable and accurate pistol. Wow helluva story killing a "bear?" With 22 LR..

Outstanding video. Well done sir!