22 Caliber bullet ballistically untraceable?

Question

I was told that a 22 caliber bullet is ballistically untraceable because the gun changes everytime it's shot. True?

Answer 1

Check out Mythbusters...i think they did a show on this.
http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/mythbusters.html

Answer 2

Yes, a .22 can be lethal. It is responsible for many deaths, simply because most non-defense minded people have a .22 in the home for plinking, squirrel hunting, or varmints, and when a self-defense situation rears its ugly head, the .22 is all that is on-hand. Plus, there are probably more .22 caliber pistols out there than any other caliber. When I was growing up, my parents had .22's, and that was all. We grew up in the country, and only when I was in high school did we start locking the doors. That's the kind of place it was. The only 'intruder' we considered having to confront was perhaps a rabid dog or a poisonous snake such as a copperhead or cottonmouth during the hot southern summers. On one occasion, I had to confront an intruder, and luckily, he left quickly, realizing that he had a knife and was facing a scared teenager with a loaded gun, who knew how to use that gun. The point is: Yes, a .22 can be lethal, but it is not 'ideal' for home defense. A .45, .40 or 9mm is better. in a lethal confrontation. Remember, the intruder you face may be on drugs, and feeling no pain. Also, and REMEMBER THIS: Whatever firearm you choose, make sure you can afford to practice with it, and DO PRACTICE! If a defense situation does rear its ugly head, you will be under the influence of adrenalyn, and lots of it. Your fingers will fumble, and fine motor skills will fail you. You have to be familiar with your chosen weapon in order to use it in this instance. Muscle memory will take over. If you go shoot often, your hands will already know what to do. If you buy the gun and put it up, you'll be lost, and the weapon will do you no good. If you do not own a gun yet, I recommend starting with a .22. They are cheap, have little recoil, and are fun to shoot, not to mention inexpensive. Get a Ruger Mark III, or a Browning Buckmark .22 to start with (I recommend a shorter barrel, for multi-use) These are inexpensive to plink with, and you will quickly learn trigger control, and the fundamentals of shooting. Also, (as I own a ruger mark I, II, and III.) the rugers are extremely relaible, and only cost around $260 or so. The brownings are about as good, from what I hear. With either, you'll be satisfied. If you choose a .22 for home defense (and I personally recommend something like a 9mm or bigger), use CCI Mini-Mag hollow points, or CCI Stinger's. They offer the best penetration and expansion for a .22.

Answer 3

I think if we're talking about a .22 rim-fire rifle being most commonly made of a lead bullet, it is possible for the bullet to either fragment or flatten upon impact with a hard object. So in that sense, it is possible that a bullet could be untraceable. Now if we're talking about a .22 caliber bullet from a high powered rifle (i.e. a 22-250, .223, etc) than the opposite is true, as they have a copper jacket.

Answer 4

22 Caliber Bullets

Answer 5

22 bullets do not have a copper jacket that holds the bullet together on impact.
Since the lead is soft it will smear on impact and it may also be brittle and break apart. Special bullets called gallery rounds or dumb-dumbs are made to shatter on impact so that the do not ricochet in a shooting gallery-like the ones at a carnival.
The higher pressure of a larger gun would damage a bullet without the copper jacket.
Some revolvers also use lead bullets but are larger and often slower so they don't break up as easily.

Answer 6

No they are not untraceable, when fired, the bullet is spun by the rifling in the barrel, leaving marks distinct to that gun. And contrary to statements like the one below, a .22 can make both entry and exit in the human head depending on load, weight, angle of entry and numerous other things. Small bullet doesn't mean a weak bullet

Answer 7

22 Cal Bullets

Answer 8

The only un-traceable rounds come from shotguns using shot shells (casings are due to tool marks) and round ball projectiles from muzzle loading firearms. The round ball ammunition from a muzzle loader doesn't rotate exactly the same each time making it "nearly" impossible to trace. Most 22 caliber ammo will be traceable if it holds together at impact.

Answer 9

No, not true.
The 22 is the gun of choice fore assassin's because it has enough power to enter the skull but not enough to exit, so the bullet will ricochet in the skull & scramble the brain.

Answer 10

The .22 bullet is just as tractable as any other gun with distance rifling marks and firing pin surface.