Stopping Power of .22 LR 

"Not doing a chance of a devastating hit on your target." I read a study of over 1500 defensive shooting situations and the only criterion was caliber and result. In 30% of defensive shootings involving a 22 the subject hit...DIED. Never think the 22 isn't a fatal round. But in 100% of the remaining cases, where the subject struck remained mobile...he ran away. NO ONE hung around to be shot twice. Your singular goal as a civilian is to stop an attack. Hit your attacker ONCE with a 22. Mission accomplished.I carry the Ruger SR22.

To paraphrase HonestOutlaw: "A bullet is a bullet and if you put them in the right place they all work."

I put one .22 LR in the belly from a Ruger Standard Automatic Pistol of an attacker and he STOPPED, spun around and out the front door he went. It's the incredible pain caused by the bullet. We both survived.

in my past police career...i saw lots of people getting killed by 22 and 32 caliber handguns. Actually many more than from 9mm and 45 caliber. I even got to see a subject get opened up in the ER to try and find 3... 22 bullets... inside the man to stop the bleeding. Where the rounds entered and finally stopped was very different path....it was not straight and tore up incredible amounts of tissue! I was a believer after that! I carry SR 22 with velocitor rounds! 5-8 hits at 10 yards in the torso in a few seconds is how I train with it.

for those who have never been shot with a 22lr I suggest you don't get shot. As a former Deputy US Marshal [ Air ] I was hit in my left shoulder from 30ft. from a suspect who had a Baratta model 70, Mossad .22 LRS. 40-years later I'm still carrying that bullet, it couldn't be removed because it was to close to a major artery. It's not the caliber but the marksmanship, He definitely knew where to shut me to take me out of the game. The problem I have with all this caliber stuff is the people who are the ballistic experts who have never been shot with any caliber bullet to know anything about damage. With all due respect, ballistics gels and targets don't shoot back.

I understand that a 22lr round is only about the size of an average phillips screwdriver. However.. . A cci mini mag travels out of a 5 inch barrel at over 1000 fps, that's 700 mph. Imagine being stabbed in the chest or abdomen with a 8-12 inch screwdriver traveling at 700mph 1,2,3 or maybe 10-15 times

I understand everyone’s opinion on the 22lr, but no one wants to get shot by anything and I’ve actually witnessed individuals being shot and killed by this round, it’s no joke

I personally think you miss the point of carrying a firearm! The vast majority of encounters with thugs and robbers are assuming that you are defenseless. They think they have all the advantages. They do if you don’t carry and know how to use a weapon. If you have a situation where can you can put a 22 caliber on target and hit what you are shooting at, the whole dynamic changes. 99 out of 100 no longer are interested in doing you harm. They want to get away from you as bad as you from them. I’m 75 years old with reasonably good strength yet. I went and bought a 22 eight shot snub nose revolver for training purposes. I also bought a 38 S&W snub nose to carry. As my self training went on, I found out how much I enjoyed shooting that 22 revolver. I shoot it two or three times a week. I have gotten fairly proficient with both the 22 and to a lesser degree with the 38. The 22 weighs 16 oz., the 38 weighs 2 lb. I am convinced that the 22 with Federal punch is a better choice for me because I can and will carry it all the time! I won’t carry that 38 because I can feel it in my pocket all the time. It will turn into a burden and in time it will remain at home. You down played the federal punch because it didn’t have as big a wound channel as the hand cannon that you were comparing it with. I maintain that if you drive a pin thru a torso from front to back, you will change the behavior of your intended assailant. I am not saying that it is the best choice for everyone but it clearly has a place as a carry weapon for some folks!

I grew up on a farm in the 70's. There were lots of wilds around us and my brother and I spent thousands of hours scouring the woods and fields with .22s. We had a Ruger Single Six and Mark 1, Browning 22 auto rifle and a couple of Remington auto rifles. There was not anything those .22s could not bring down or hit within 100 yards. For such a tiny little round, it is capable of soooooooo much.

The 22 short was a self defense pistol at one time. The gun writers used to tell me my 9mm BHP was only good for squirrels.My have times changed. The reality is that a 22 pistol is a great utilitarian firearm. It can do a lot of things. It may be the most useful pistol there is. But, obviously, other calibers are certainly better at somethings. I think the 32 ACP is a much better option for those that are sensitive to recoil, if “self defense “ “whatever that means” is more of a priority. It also has no recoil, and comes in very light pistols. The 25ACP is a less powerful option then the 32, but I like it. Both are also center fire which of course adds to reliability, but high quality 22 ammo has come a very long way. We shot 300 rounds a few days ago, not a single problem with the Punch, Velocitor, or Stingers. I carry my little pistols when working around the farm, hiking, and just knocking around. I use them for snakes, raccoons, and other predators trying to get my animals, etc. without sounding like a cannon. If you get swarmed by 20 ninjas with AKs you are toast no matter what pistol you have. Most people don’t want to be shot. They don’t usually wait around to see what caliber is putting extra holes in their bodies. Thanks for the video.

8” penetration in the eyes, stomach or groin is deadly for sure.

My wife could not shoot my 9mm without dropping it. So, I bought a Bersa 380. She didn't drop it, but was still shy about firing more than one round at a time. So, I bought her a Ruger LCP2 in .22LR. Now she can mag dump 10 rounds inside a 6 inch circle, from 35 feet, without closing one eye. If that circle is your head, you will never get to tell your side of the story. I have killed coyote with one shot from a single action revolver in .22LR. There is no reason that the right .22LR round out of the right gun, cannot stop a 350 lb thug in his tracks. Nobody keeps fighting with a 40 grain chunk of hot lead in their brain.

Pretty sure Federal punch in 22lr wasn't designed to mushroom or expand at all. I think the idea behind it was penetration over anything else. In my opinion, those punch 22lr's aren't among the better choices. I wouldn't discount 22lr completely. Def wouldn't underestimate it by claiming it would just "overwhelm" an attacker, or as some folks like to say, "It'll just make em mad". It always makes me chuckle when I hear guys say something like "22lr is basically a pellet gun." 😔... 22lr is not a pellet gun. It is a soft lead, 36-40gr projectile, traveling around variations of different, yet very capable velocities, depending on the weapon & cartridge choice. 22lr is definitely capable of killing. ER doctors & surgeons will testify as to how effective it can be. Is it ALWAYS as effective as it's center fire counterparts? No. But CAN it be as effective? YES, absolutely! If you look into the percentage of incapacitating shots by handgun caliber & fatal shots by handgun caliber, you'll see many conflicting reports. The main commonality being that the majority percentage of homicides, fatalities & single incapacitating shots, usually shows 22lr at the top of most lists. And although the availability of guns chambered for 22 & cheap ammunition play a role, it only lends credence to the fact that the cartridge is clearly capable of lethal performance. You have to remember that FBI standards in ballistics gel are only demonstrative of ONE type of test, under ONE type of controlled scenario, attempting to replicate ONE set of repeatable circumstances, of which are only measuring ONE particular means of achieving lethality or incapacitation. In other words, the FBI tests only cover a small portion of the many ways in which a person could hypothetically die from a gunshot wound. A poorly placed 9 is much less effective than an accurately placed 22. If you're objective is to break contact & stop the threat, then yeah, it can be done with the 22. If you're objective is to drop a charging bear, then 22's prob a poor choice. Personal preference should favor the situation. If you live in a high risk area, carry accordingly to your risk. In the end, I'm a firm believer in shot placement & training. Access your risk & use the gun & cartridge that you can best operate for your circumstances, it's better than nothing. If that happens to be a 22lr pistol then train & focus hard on shot placement. If a 22 is the only thing you currently have access to or is all you can afford at the moment (whether that be the cost or availability of the gun or ammunition), then find an ammunition that's reliable in your gun & go train with it. (This of course should be done regardless of your choice btwn centerfire or rimfire). When you get more comfortable, confident & capable, then move up when you're ready & can afford to. Ppl who "poo poo" the 22 are usually the ones who have had limited life experiences with it. When you've grown up with it, put meat in the freezer with it & seen it, lived it, witnessed years of it's capabilities... then you already know & I don't have to explain it. Great video though, thanks. Always appreciate the discussion & thoughts of others.

22 lr is much cheaper which means more range time, lots of us still carry revolvers. 30 yr veteran of albuq police dept and only know of 3 one shot stops,,a 30-30 center hit in back, 22 lr in the eye and a 22 lr in the base of the neck! I feel very safe with my 8 shot 22 revolver!

Hey 22lr can still reach your organs even though it doesn't have as much power as a 9mm.

I agree with some of your opinions but then again totally disagree with others. The .22 is capable of stopping an attacker for sure. Is it the best choice? Probably not but it will work and work well.

I love how people talk shit about .22lr as not good enough for defense. I was watching forensic files and a guy back in the 60"s was driving in high speed chase shot his .22lr snubnose revolver through his back car window at a cop car 50 yards away through the cops windshield and killed him, true show story look it up. I would be totally confident with .22lr in a defensive situation if that's all I had, better even with a 22 single shot firearm than my hands. Shot placement matters with any caliber, shoot someone in the chest 10 times with a 22 and see if he survives. Plus watch forensic files thousands of people got killed with .22lr firearms it will blow your mind how easy it is. Also you have to remember not every criminal is a drug crazed beast a lot of people will go into shock and stop or even die from just going in shock even if they get like shot in the foot.

Son you are wrong Ben through hundreds of thousands rounds you can kill every thing with this cartridge

22lr is just as deadly as a 9mm it all depends on who is behind the trigger

I carry a SR22 with punch Ammo. I don't see an issue.

Although it's not my EDC......I would not hesitate to carry my TX22 loaded with 17 rounds of Federal Punch. I can shoot it accurately and I have used the Punch enough that I'm a believer in it's performance.

Good video. I agree, .22LR is weak. But… I wouldn’t wanna go up against a 10/22 with multiple 25-rnd mags.

First of all, nobody, literally nobody says that 22lr is a "very good" defense round. Even people who carry or advocate for it admit that it's just "good enough" or merely adequate. Everyone admits that surely there are better more capable rounds. However, one has always to determine the use case first. For example if you find yourself in potentially dangerous places often then by all means a 22 is a bad choice. But the truth is for many average people a good reliable 22 (yes there are such) is quite adequate for the typical day to day stuff like going to the office, stopping by the grocery store, walking in a park, etc. I would much prefer for more people to carry a 22 with them instead of much fewer people carrying a 9 or 45.

I have several pistols, .40 5” tactical, .45 1911, .380 body guard, and ruger mark 2 bull barrel target. If I knew I was going to be in a gun fight today, I would carry my ruger mark 2, from 2’ to 50 yrds I can easily hit an apple. And never misfired since around 2002 when I bought it.

I clean my TX22 after every range day. I had to defend my home and the 22lr was the closest for me to grab. Nobody died but the attacker was stopped. Prior to this i was against carry of .22lr but i would feel comfortable carrying my TX22. The problem isn't with the 22 its with the people like i once was who just has an opinion but doesnt know from experience. Carry what you feel comfortable with and any projectile moving at 700 fps is going to make an attacker turn around and say "not worth it"

I think an 8-9 shot revolver in 22mag addresses 2 of the main complaints of this video while still getting the extremely low recoil

Kel tec p17 sure gives the 22lr more confidence knowing it can shoot 17 times with 3 mag in under a minute it is lethal !

If you're going to carry a .22lr, I think a .22lr revolver would be a better choice than a semiauto. Just my humble opinion.

I saw a lady in a gun store considering between some giant bolt action 10ga antique (pretty cool) and a new Ruger 10/22. These where the only guns left in shop during the crazy times, I told her to get the 10/22 as her first gun. Don’t regret that suggestion at all, a .22lr makes a great first gun and have a gun you shoot well is better than no gun.

To be honest if your not afraid to be shot by it. I’m not carrying it. Was a EMT for a number of years and when I was treating GSW victims they were not screaming out “what caliber was it!?” It was “I was shot!”

Here is where I ask my standard question based on my experience. How many homicide’s have you worked where the .22LR was the weapon used , handgun and rifle ? How many autopsies have you attended after the fact, and evidence collected ? Yes, the .22LR kills, most with one shot. Is it the best caliber for LE or Military application ? The answer is no. As a civilian, your goal is situational awareness so that you may avoid the need to use your concealed weapon altogether. However, if you are confronted with such a life or death circumstance, your goal is to use such weapon to break contact and escape the situation asap. Just something to consider.

I had a Ruger mark 2 for many years. Never failed to feed. Rarely cleaned. Wish I still had it

I had a high-school friend that was hit in the abdomen by a Ruger MK II. It was a accidental discharge from someone. He never made it to the hospital.

The 22lr, the Rodney Dangerfield of calibers. It gets the job done and people still don't respect it. Hardened Killers caliber of choice, the 22lr. Some Government Agencies use the 22 lr...It amazes me how some people still try and discredit it.

.22 isnt weak against flesh bodys & it does a great job for self defense. The only way it wouldn't do a good job would be if the offender was wearing body armor

Any bullet from any gun will severely injure someone impacting the right spot and if not it will still hurt like hell amd willmore than likely stop a threat unless the threat is a bear or someone numb on drugs

I have to disagree on some parts of this video. I have shot 22s for a lifetime and rarely clean them and they still work exceptionaly well. Have I ever had a fail to feed or extraction issue? Yes, but they have been few and far between and I've had issues with other more expensive guns also. No gun ever will be 100% flawless unless you shoot it once and it works and you never shoot it again!

"22lr in my humble opinion will not pass the FBI test" *proceeds to be proven wrong with an N=3 😄

Squirrel hunting with a .22 lr rifle a few months ago. Doe walks out into the soybean field nearby. These deer were destroying the in short order about a quarter of the crop already had been eaten. One shot with a .22 stinger right underneath her. She dropped the bullet went into her throat and right into her. She stopped in her tracks.

Truth being said nobody wants a speeding hot bullet in their body , getting hit once is enough for most people in their right mind to change their thought process. Thanks Bram C. I got shot with a BB gun and didn't want any more of that. It didn't penitrate but it hurt like hell!!

In a survival scenario it's all about carrying enough ammo and killing small game for food, that and the accuracy of the Walther P22 makes it a necessary gun

The 22LR cartridge was developed in 1887 by the Stevens company for use in their several different top break model rifles as well as their bicycle and pocket rifle models, which were also top break designs.

A .22 will encourage a "smart" bad guy to head for the emergency room asap, a 9mm or better will encourage him to find an embalmer.

A pistol in ANY caliber is not a primary weapon. The " tactical" market/ industry has done a phenomenal job convincing Joe six pack otherwise. The fancy ads, the sleek designs in every caliber you can imagine, the wiz bang wonder bullets in said calibers, "barrier blind" bullets, etc etc. A pistol is a SIDE arm, AKA a backup to a RIFLE. Unfortunately, most of us cant carry rifles in the civilian world. Most of us dont go looking for trouble, nor will most of us ever need our carry weapon to defend ourselves or a loved one.... and especially in a " Terminal List" type of scenario. All that said, I am pro gun and carry my LCP 2 in .22 everywhere I legally can. It is 100% reliable in my personal experiences and with the CCI mini mag I keep it loaded with at 10+1. Out of this pistol, this round averages around 920FPS and penetrates to FBI minimum standards of 10-12 inches. I feel perfectly fine and confidently arned. It's also a very legally friendly setup if in the slim chance I ever needed to justify my actions in front of a jury. It's a "small, non tactical" pistol and it's loaded with "small non threatening" cartridges.

If a 22lr under stress wont thread the needle than a larger recoil impulse will make it that much harder

For most hand guns it's all about hit placement. Plane and simple.

You seem to characterize recoil sensitivity as something caused by lack of training or lack of familiarity with firearms. For some it is a medical issue, and is based on the physical characteristics of the hands. I formerly carried .45 ACP and 9mm, and would still prefer those calibers. My hands can no longer tolerate the recoil, so I am currently carrying a .22lr semi-auto. A larger caliber is simply not an option for me, not for lack of training, familiarity, or experience, but because of the medical condition of my hands.

Hmm… Federal Punch and Winchester Silvertip. Both defense rounds, both easily cycle modern 22lr auto pistols, both deliver 100-105 ft/lb of muzzle energy. Most semi auto 22lr pistols can go hundreds of rounds between cleaning, reliably, with quality ammo. Incredibly accurate and low recoil allows for multiple follow up shots on target. Lastly. I never met anyone that willingly said “shoot me with a 22lr it’s weak". So all in all your assessment is flawed on multiple fronts.

I believe the .22lr was actually first chambered in Smith and Wesson revolver. I kept one for a time as a self defense gun after hand surgery. I may have to rely on it during recovery after shoulder replacement.

I have several thoughts about .22 as a defensive round. First, when you shoot someone with a .22, they don't know what caliber just hit them. I have seen several stats that show a .22 will stop a an attack with a single shot. Stopping power is not a good term to describe being hit with any handgun round. With that said, I do agree that because a .22 is the least dependable cartridge, I would never recommend it as a primary carry round. It does have it's place with some people and any firearm carried is always better than no firearm at all.

Here's the test to see if you have a viable solution: Ask the person laughing at your 22lr if they would be willing to take a shot anywhere in the torso of your choosing for a million dollars? I keep hearing ".22 is not good enough to stop someone", those same people aren't willing to get shot by one.

A hit with a 22 is better than a miss with a 9mm .

It's an interesting but a bit biased/steered video that just doesn't account for enough variables with some glaring untruths on reliability. The feeling is much stronger after the chicken shot. The shot/exit clearly surprised and impressed, but right away the attempt to dismiss the results with how much less the chicken jumped from the table(really?). I am not a firearm expert but I played/coached many sports including boxing and I know that Confidence is the real key in crisis... not everyone who has a home defense firearm is at the range every week emptying magazines for fun. A 22 for many can feel really comfortable really fast and quickly create a high degree of confidence for the owner simply because of the sound/recoil/weight/short range accuracy/reliability. It's an ez weapon to bond with quickly. In a crisis situation, I believe a feeling of confidence with your weapon's ability to function and hit your intended target once or more is the most important aspect regarding the firearm. Worrying about the caliber size after hitting your target is truly and technically a secondary concern. The reliability concerns in this video are eye rolling at best and not at all true. If you buy a quality 22 firearm and quality ammunition you will have a reliable weapon and literally hundreds of other firearm youtube experts w videos proving just that). The last thing that we have to believe is the 22 capable of being fatal, causing immense pain/damage, and would it be be scare to be shot with... There is well over 100 years of factual history in books and you tube that prove every one of those points including FBI gun fatality statistics. One very last thing to point out is tactical advantage of smaller caliber in a home turf situation. (Sound level)... I know my house, the intruder(s) do not... I'm not going to have time to slip on sound protection in prepping for fire and I know how things sound and why/where in my own home... the intruder(s) do not. Especially if there is more than one. If I squeeze off a round on one... how do i know what the others are doing immediately after?(Probably running out the door but hey i want to hear that) I don't need ear protection with a 22 and I won't be short on hearing after firing either.. So stick with the firearm/caliber you feel most confident with that has been proven to get the job done.

The 22 rimfire (short) with a 29 grain bullet and 4 grains of black powder was released in 1857 for use in the S&W #1 revolver as a self defense weapon. Older shooters that can no longer control the recoil of a heavier caliber use the 22lr. I have been in a situation where I would have been glad to have a 22lr rather than nothing.

Outstanding report 👍

I know of a guy who got shot with a .22 in his leg (hunting accident) and he said it felt like someone hit him as hard as they could with a baseball bat he was in extreme pain. So even just one of those to the chest or head I think its sufficient enough for sure lol

I started shooting with .22lr as a kid, I have shot tens of thousands of rounds from semi-autos. I have had very few failures in my semi-auto pistols. If ever in the situation of having to protect myself, I am not stopping with firing one or two rounds. I am going to empty my magazine on the threat. I have no doubt that my hollow point or fragmenting .22lr will do the job. How much penetration do you really need to do "devastating damage" to stop an attacker?

Just curious and maybe I missed it but which round did you shoot at the poultry the 40 grain S&B or the Federal Punch?

Si, great content as always!

Although many 22's handguns are not nearly as reliable as their centerfire counterparts. A well broken in .22LR such as any of the Ruger MKIV pistols, a Ruger SR22 or the Ruger LCP2 in 22LR can be extremely reliable! With CCI Mini-Mags I find "most" .22LR pistols not only are reliable; that particular brand of ammunition CCI is extremely reliable; unlike federal punch which seems to only function reliably in some handguns. If you dive deep into the history of .22LR you will learn that the number of fatalities with the round is astonishing. Although I agree it is not an ideal caliber for person protection; I have NO problem using it for personal protection. A well known expert on .22's "Plinkster22" once took a .22LR stinger and shot the round through a titanium golf club. So never underestimate the capability of a particular caliber in the hands of someone that is proficient with it.

All this interesting and I appreciate the videos, thank you. I'm left with a couple thoughts. I think the 22lr is a great choice for self defense, especially when over penetration is a concern. I choose my carry on the following 3 principals...1: always bring a gun to a gun fight. 2: would I want to be on the business end of the gun 3: do I trust my life to the gun functioning properly, when needed. In this video and I think a lot of videos of this type, the underlying message is...train, be familiar and properly maintain your firearms, especially if you intend to carry.

Just last year I saw a young lady with the SR 22 neutralizer target. I’m about 10 yards away coming towards me with a knife. The suspect must’ve weighed 285 pounds. Yes three rounds target with neutralize.

Well done on every level thank you.

Though I've not fired a gun in my life, I've seen plenty of videos on RU-vid and is used to kill livestock - with good shot placement - and it's effective, however it doesn't look ideal if one's home is threatened. Nothing with too much force that a family member or a friend ends up dead or disabled : thank you for your information.

Your argument at 1:30 is why my grandmother is swapping to a 22. She is small of stature and the recoil/report of the 380 she used to have is too much for her and she wanted something that fit her hand better (a sig p238 is too large for her hands) and that has less recoil.

As a retired cop who survived more than one on duty shooting w/my issued .38 there’s no way I’d trust my life to a twenty-two.

I carry a 22 long rifle for self-defense. And I can shoot a 500 Smith & Wesson all day long without any issues with recoil. But I choose to carry the 22 long rifle for the fact that I probably put five hundred thousand rounds through it. And I trust it 100%. It's extraordinary accurate. And with almost zero recoil a second follow-up shot is extremely fast. But I carry a revolver that holds nine rounds not a semi-automatic. And if by chance it ever was a misfire in a dangerous situation. I don't have to worry about a jamed catridge just pull the trigger again and I'm right to the next round... And to get to the human vitals is only about three to four inches.. that's why I put very little emphasis in the whole Jiell block testing

Thank you for the video. I have a Sidekick 9 shot revolver, 22LR-22 Mag, 4.3 inch. I have found a round it likes that seems to be dependable and will expand, (usually) on impact. Winchester ,Super X 22LR, 40gr, 1435fps HP. of course you don't have to worry about feeding! I'm a revolver guy as I live in the forest and don't worry about "urban critters". The first to rounds are snake shot and the rest are for the bigger ones. I hope my input is useful?

I spent 50 years in Compton and Watts. Seen plenty of guys taken out of the fight with a .22. Is it the best, no. But better than a knife, club, broomstick etc.

Speaking as a father of a teenage daughter, I can say from experience that for some, a well set up Ruger Charger in 22lr with a light, laser and suppressor is an excellent choice for a home defense weapon. Of course I have more powerful options for myself. But for her and my wife, I know they can mag dump into a five inch circle at ten yards. I agree though that if you’re competent with a larger caliber weapon, the 22lr shouldn’t be your first choice.

I don't have a lot of experience/ knowledge with guns ,but I will give my 2 cents worth .18 months ago I bought a Taurus 942M,22 magnum revolver. For pocket carry. But found it's. WAY too heavy for that. But in the plus side it holds 8 rounds,with the reliability of a revolver.i would personally recommend, if you are going with a 22 for self defense, get a high capacity revolver in magnum,like that one,or get a quality 22 lr high capacity pistol.

I use a revolver with 22 LR for self defense. 8 shots. No jamming. My back up a .380 high capacity 14 rounds semi auto. Would not us 22LR in a semi auto for the reasons discussed in video . Light weight so I always have them on me. I know bigger calibers are more effective but not if they are at home or in the trunk of the car.

.22 rimfire first showed its face in smith and Wesson revolvers- chambered in .22 short sized cartridges, propelled by black powder and carried by many combatants during the American Civil War. Unfortunately after action reports or surgeons accounts are a bit lacking. Postwar accounts of folks being shot by small caliber arms are rife with lingering wounds resulting in infection and death

Revolvers don't have the problems a pistol has with 22 lr.

I am a 77 year old male and have arthritis in my arm and hands and find it very difficult to rack the slide on my Glock 45's and also hold on to the gun during recoil. I am seriously considering changing my everyday carry to the Ruger SR22 due to obvious reasons as my health deteriorates. Even a small bore gun such as the 22 is better than nothing.

I think 22 LR is a great training round. Great plinker round. Good at dispatching Trash Pandas too! Thanks for the share!!

Thanks for the video. 22 caliber seems to be on the rise for self defense. Perhaps a 32 long fired out of a LCR snubby would be ideal for shootability, ease of carry, and effectiveness.

A bee sting will cause a grown man to run away

Rare is the person who stares down the barrel of a .22 and laughs.

A wise man once said: If you carry a 22LR pistol you feel like its not enough to stop a bad guy If you are on the recieving end of that 22LR, you will now be in FEAR of your life.

In 1969, a very good friend and distant family member was shot accidently with a .22 short from a single shot .22 rifle at close range, about 3 feet. I was told later the bullet hit him center chest and passed through him after hitting his heart. He died instantly. He was a really super kid at 16 years old and it was a tragic accident. Sad story and I still think of him today. He was saved by the Grace of God and I know his spirit is in Heaven today. Never underestimate the little .22 no matter what.

My only question for you. 22lr or no weapon for last ditch defense. I know which way I’m going.

#1 have a gun #2 have a dependable gun #3 have a accurate gun #4 ammo that penetrates Expansion is gravy

My wife has arthritis in her hands and .22 is about all she can handle. She also can’t rack most semi-autos. I bought a Ruger LR .22 and she can handle it just fine. Not the best self-defense gun, but 11 rounds of Federal Punch to the face beats pepper spray.

I carry a Taurus Ultra Lite 22lr and it carries 9 rounds. I like it because it is light and I know that I can put rounds where I want too. I have many other guns but I like this little gun. If I could carry another it would be my S&W 9mm EZ. or my Glock 43X with a 15 round mag.

So here’s my experience with 22lr in my Beretta 21a bobcat. My bobcat currently has 1100 confirmed rounds, and an estimated 1300 rounds through it. I think in total I have about 7 malfunctions, one being a failure to extract, and the others being stove pipes. All of which can be chalked up to being incomplete powder burn. I shoot mainly cci mini mags through it, with a few trays of Winchester high velocity thrown in. Never any bulk ammo. Your point about 22 being dirty is only true depending on the type of ammo being fired. For example my Bobcat made it a total of 500 rounds without any cleaning. Cci ammo burns as clean as any center fire ammo I’ve seen. The only reason I cleaned the gun was because the lead fowling was getting to the point that my accuracy went out the window. Aside from that I completely agree that 22lr is a very poor choice for a carry gun. Even if you do get a round with good penetration like the federal punch, you still end up with a high velocity ice pick. And I say this as someone who carries that bobcat from time to time. But I carry it being fully aware of its limitations. And I don’t resort to faulty reasoning as an excuse to carry it.

I used .22 in a pump long gun. Worked well, I would use it in a scoped snipers rifle if shot in the head close in.

I personally disagree with the lack of reliability of a modern .22 cartridge. I have three .22 rifles (Bergara B14R/Tippmann M4/Ruger 10/22) and i have only had the occasional FTF with the Ruger and that was when i tensioned the magazine spring incorrectly. My ammo of choice is CCI Blazer HV for the semis and SK Standard plus for the bolt gun. Keep the firearms clean and maintained, use good quality ammo and you should not have any problems in my opinion.

Recently built a Midwest industries 10/22. Put 6 consecutive BX-25 mag dumps with federal bulk ammo and not a single hiccup. In a self defense situation, I would trust it with my life. My point of aim might just be a bit higher on target.

I don't understand. Your video is about the ineffectiveness of .22LR for self defense, but everything in your video showed how effective it would be. Then you summarize by pretending you didn't see what you just saw: 1) reliability in that specific mag dump; 2) more than sufficient FBI gel test penetration; 3) significant damage to the poultry flesh. And your criticism is that the chicken didn't jump high enough? The FBI gel test and the FBI's research with actual data into the effectiveness of the .22LR reach a different conclusion from what you espouse. It's people like you who don't understand external ballistics or terminal ballistics who give gun channels a bad reputation. I would also note that you selected a pretty weak ammo for the first shots. Yesterday at the range I sent 20 rounds of CCI Mini Mag over the chronograph out of my Walther P22, and got an average velocity of 975fps. Try to do better.

WINCHESTER SILVERTIP is also another self defense round segmenting hollow point

I'm not trying to hate but I think this guy is just a 22 basher big caliber ego shooter... he's already said a bunch of stuff that applies to AAAALLLLLL calibers not just a 22

the last test shows us this is a real dangerous round. its like nuking japan and saying see, it wasn't powerful enough, it didn't destroy all of japan, only one city...

I believe there is way too much credence put on gel tests and penetration. Yes, it is a somewhat standard test by which to evaluate x-caliber, x-ammo, through x-gun and draw conclusions. It does provide some potentially useful information and I know there has to be SOME standard of measurement. But there are a LOT of variables present in real life that gel testing doesn't take into account. Average citizen isn't going into battle with the need to instantly neutralize multiple threats. Typical actual defensive shootings are bang-bang, bang-bang, and over. That's why I don't subscribe to the need for high capacity and extra magazines. I believe the greatest effectiveness of defensive shooting against a perpetrator is psychological. 99% of the time, once the "victim" starts shooting, the perps start scattering like cockroaches, often dropping their own weapons and rarely returning fire (watch actual videos). Are there exceptions, certainly. And with a drug crazed junkie all bets are off, even with high powered center fire. But I think any (caliber) weapon, even a .22, is effective as a self defense round in the vast majority of cases and again, I acknowledge there are some exceptions. I don't carry a .22 and it wouldn't be my first choice, but not because I don't think it penetrates deeply enough in a gel test, i.e. isn't "deadly" enough. Carry what you have, train, train, train to be proficient, then pray everyday it will never be needed.

Well, I have had 1 Beretta M.21 # .22 LR since 1979 and, when traveling, I use it with Stinger HP, thank God I never lost confidence even though I didn't need to use it! ... "back-up" is 1 Taurus #.32 HP. . . !

We have 22s all the way to 45acp. All are excellent including the SR22. I am not into carrying a 2 pound brick so my Glock stays on the bedstand. My AR style rifle is nearby. And my 380 sits in the crossdraw concealed carry holster. The 22LR goes to the range. About stopping power, nothing comes close to bone crunching 45acp. The issue is putting the round on target quickly. And of course, reliabily. My only goal is protecting my family and me by stopping an attack at very close quarters. Otherwise the DA will say I could have avoided the problem. Close quarters means hitting the intruder from attacking inside 10 feet. Not 25 yards. Anyone with an SR22LR can discharge enough firepower to stop that intruder insider 10 feet. One does not need a cannon.

Stopping power needed, depends more on the person you are defending yourself from. Very few people are going to hit the area on a person that will drop them like a rock.

I don't agree with the .22Lr not being a good self defense round i carry .22Lr,.380,or9mm depending on the situation. And feel very comfortable with any of them if you put 6or8 .22Lr in the face or pelvic area at 5-15 feet the attack is over. As far as FBI standards go i don't put much stock in that.

Wish you would had included .22 rifle review

My only criticism, why have the go pro on your noggin for your intro lol otherwise... great video my dude