What 22lr Ammo For Self-Defense

[1tfl]

Okay, here is the short version...

One of my neighbor is a very nice older lady of about 65 who lives alone with her two little dogs. She owns a Walther P-22 which she now wants to keep for self-defense. My wife and I take her shooting once or twice a month so she can get some practice and I've noticed that her P-22 is reliable with CCI Minimag Solids (which is also my favorite 22lr ammo). She had also shot some (about 60 rounds) of my CCI Stingers and they worked okay too. Today she asked me if those Minimags are what she should keep her pistol loaded with. I told her to use them for now but I'll try to see if there are better ammo for self defense purpose.

So the question is, which 22lr ammo would you use for self defense purpose?

 

[Lawyer Daggit]

Personally I would not. In a calm skilled hand the .22LR will do the job. If it only wounds the person shot could be mighty upset.

I once came across a feral pig that had been wounded by a .22 in a previous encounter with a person. It charged me. This is the one and only time I have ever been charged by a pig. Fortunately I was carrying a .35 whelen and was able to despatch him quickly.

I would hate her to encounter the human equivalent of that pig.

If she insists on using a .22 I think she needs to instinctively give the target a double tap- one to each lung and then possibly follow up with one between the eyes.

 

[rem870hunter]

the cci stinger. nice high velocity and hollow point. my father would leave a 9 shot revolver loaded with stingers for my mother. when we went away for a week for out of state hunting. as long as they function good in the semi auto pistol. use them, the last thing you need is a jam.

 

[1tfl]

Lawyer Daggit,

Her SOP is to empty the 10 round magazine at the chest as quickly as she is able to hit the target at 5 yards. Her drill at the range is to pick up the pistol from the table with the mag loaded and rack the slide and shoot at a IPSC at about 5 yards until empty with the goal of getting atleast 8 rounds in the heart and lung portion of the target. She can now get all 10 rounds off in about 9 seconds and hit the chest with 80% of the rounds.

 

[FM12]

Stingers are extremely powerful. I once shot a blackbird with one, and it blew into several chunks.

I would really prefer she get a revolver, though. I load my wife's Charter Arms Pathfinder with Stingers. Worry very little about it.

 

[1tfl]

FM12

Problem is her severe arthritis condition and her lack of strength in her hand/fingers to pull the trigger in DA. Believe me, I would prefer she keep a 6 shot 38 special revolver if possible.

 

[FM12]

OK, best of luck to her then...that can certainly be a problem!!

My own joints are ailiing these days, I can comiserate!

 

[oldbillthundercheif]

I think the stinger load tends to disintegrate and not penetrate very deeply, I would stick with the minimag solids over an extra-light rat-exploder round like the stinger.

If you want the best, though, you should try out a box of Lapua Speed Ace. It's a regular 40gr projectile travelling at close to 1300fps, and it has been extremely accurate and 100% reliable in every pistol I have tried it in.

It's $7 a box, but that's a pretty small investment if you are stuck using a .22 for serious purposes.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=723936&t=11082005

 

[BillCA]

Having recently used a .22LR to dispatch a squirrel I can say that the Winchester 40 grain plated solids do a heck of a job even from a 3" barrel. Product code X22LR.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=883043&t=11082005

If you simply must use a hollowpoint, Winchester makes it with a 40gr PowerPoint HP. Product code X22LRPP.

With a .22, the solid will penetrate better which means reaching vital organs. The .22 solids are known to slip between ribs and sometimes even "bounce off" the far ribs, creating more damage.

 

[Chesster]

While my old grayhaired Mama was alive, I kept her 4" High Standard Sentinal and Ruger 10/22 loaded with Stingers. I guess Remington Yellow jackets would be the next best thing. Multiple hits would be the key in halting and advance with a .22. She also had a single shot 12 GA with a 20" bbl with a butt stock shell holder and 5 #4 express.

 

[Silvanus]

Are you guys sure the Stingers are designed to mushroom? I know they litterally have a "hollow point", but so do these (H&N high-speed bullets):

I often see high-speed projectiles with that kind of "hollow point". I'm pretty sure they are not designed to open up.

 

[DMZX]

My P22 does not feed truncated cone ammo such as Vipers or Yellow Jackets.

It does feed Aguila Supermax well, which is a 1,700+ fps 30 grain solid.

But for self defense (and it is the last gun in my battery, I would use for that) I would probably go with Rem Golden Bullets either HP or solids. The P22 likes them just fine and they should provide good penetration.

BTW, I recall reading somewhere, of late, an ~80 year old man using a P22 to dispatch 2 home invaders. He had to reload (used his spare mag), but I think he killed one and drove the other away badly wounded. Said he got the little Walther to protect his wife.

 

[steveno]

CCI Velocitor's would be my choice as the heavier bullet will give better penetration. I have chronographed them at almost 1,100 fps out of my Manurhin PPK/S

 

[mamboreta]

I wouldn´t use hollow points, because in such small caliber I want the bullet to be as hard and solid as it gets, taking advantage from the rebounds and so. That small proyectile only has it´s speed to work with.

An old friend of my family died because a 22lr bullet shot (it tourned out to be Magtech) from a bad guy´s Bersa 22 hit im in the tough hip bone and went all the way up to his heart. Sad and funny thing, the bad guy survived even with two 45 FMJ´s on his chest.

 

[1tfl]

My thinking is like this...

Reliability is top priority and CCI Minimag solids has shown to be reliable from my observations. I don't remember her P-22 ever not work using this ammo.

Penetration is second as the bullet must reach the vitals to have any stopping power. To reach deep the bullet must have mass plus the velocity with the priority going to the mass. Hollowpoints are great for larger centerfire ammo that has enough energy to expand and penetrate but in case of 22lr with about 100ft/lb. at best I don't think there is enough energy to spare. I think most 22lr. hollowpoint bullets that does expand will just leave shallow surface wound.

Finally there is the issue of availability and price. I would want her to use the same ammo for practice as she is going to keep for the self defense. Some exotic ammo can be pricy and/or hard to find whereas CCI Minimag solids are available just about anywhere including Walmarts at reasonable price.

 

[hogdogs]

Lawyer Daggit, Spend enough time hunting wild hogs with dogs and putting them alive in pens you will find more will charge you than won't... They are the orneryest critters I ever been around!
Brent

 

[DMZX]

My thinking is like this...

Reliability is top priority and CCI Minimag solids has shown to be reliable from my observations. I don't remember her P-22 ever not work using this ammo.

Penetration is second as the bullet must reach the vitals to have any stopping power. To reach deep the bullet must have mass plus the velocity with the priority going to the mass. Hollowpoints are great for larger centerfire ammo that has enough energy to expand and penetrate but in case of 22lr with about 100ft/lb. at best I don't think there is enough energy to spare. I think most 22lr. hollowpoint bullets that does expand will just leave shallow surface wound.

Finally there is the issue of availability and price. I would want her to use the same ammo for practice as she is going to keep for the self defense. Some exotic ammo can be pricy and/or hard to find whereas CCI Minimag solids are available just about anywhere including Walmarts at reasonable price.

I think you have got your answer.

 

[velocette]

As a previous post mentioned, the CCI Velocitor ammo is a 40 grain bullet at 1100 fps from a very short barrel. Probably better than any of the 30 grain bullets for penetration and ultimately performance. Being a CCI product also means that they will be as reliable as any .22 rimfire.
The Velocitors certainly functioned well in my little Beretta 21a. No failures, no misfires, no big fireball at the muzzle (as opposed to Stingers) and a small hollow point.
Do the math and also get information on muzzle velocity / energy when any ammo is fired from a SHORT barrel. Rifle MVs are worthless to compare with a pistol.

Roger

 

[22-rimfire]

I'd stick to the CCI Mini-mag solids if I were giving her advice. Much of the self-defense concept involves confidence. She seems to like them, so I'd stick with them.

 

[JBriggs]

Velocitor has a good bullet, but the Stinger has more velocity and will produce more hydrostatic shock on the body and a larger wound channel.

I use stingers in the mini pocket revolver I carry as a last ditch defense weapon.

Some say that .22 should not be used for self-defense, and to a large extent they are correct. But, it is shot placement that counts. If one puts the shot were it counts, it does not matter if it is a .22 or a .45.