What is the fps for a .22 cal LR bullet. And how effective is it at defense?

Question

Comming from a semi auto pistol.

Answer 1

I have been shot by a .22 LR at close to point blank while trying to stop a burglary. It shattered my femur and put me on my back for nearly a month. It stopped me cold and I am about 6'4" at 240 lbs.

I have a gun on either bedside table. One is a Browning Buckmark .22 LR and the other is a Ruger Black Hawk .44 mag loaded with .44 spcl. In my experience it won't matter which one gets used. They both will kill someone with good shot placement. I agree the .22 is not the best for defense at 38 grains and 1300-1400 fps, but, it's what we have available and a .22 sounds plenty loud when fired in a house. (We don't have children in the house and we lock the guns up when there are guests in our home.)

Answer 2

As a defense round, a .22 is not highly recommended. Still, that is the caliber bullet that almost killed Reagan and Jim Brady, and that is the caliber that was just used in the Finland schools shootings where 8 or 9 were killed.

Still, there is an advantage in that the gun itself can be made very small ... meaning very easy to pocket. I'd rather have a .22 than nothing, and carrying a .concealed 357 or .40S&W isn't possible in some circumstances. The only time you can't conceal a .22 is if you're nekkid.

Answer 3

The muzzle velocity of a .22 LR will vary depending on whether it is a high velocity round or not. I think most have a MV of somewhere between 1000 fps to around 1400 fps. As a defense round, it is no good. It lacks knockdown power and that is very important in a defense round. A .22 can kill and can do serious damage to an attacker but it won't likely stop him in his tracks. He is still likely to get to you and injure or kill you before he dies. I wouldn't consider anythng less than a .38 Special as a defense round. Even that round is not known as a real defense round. That is why all police departments got rid of their .38 Specials which were the pistol of choice for many years. Now most departments carry such calibers as .40 S&W, .357 mag., 9mm, and my favorite the .45 ACP. If you are looking for a defense caliber, you had better forget the .22 rimfire. It'll just piss off the bad guy and get you hurt.

Answer 4

The .22 cal. long rifle velocity is anywhere from about 1,100 fps to about 1,500 depending on the ammunition choice and bullet type.

The second part of your question depends on you partly because you have to be able to comfortably handle the weapon and be sure of bullet placement. The .22 round can mess someone up and kill them easily. The light weight of the round often allows a .22 round to ricochet around inside a body once it hits something hard doing lots of damage.

Also a well placed shot in a vital zone will be much more effective that a shot from say a .32 or .25 round which usually just irritate your attacker. But a magazine full of .22 rounds from an auto pistol or revolver full of shots will definitely put a world of hurt on even an attacker hopped up on drugs. No it doesn't have the "knock'em back out the door" firepower but should be able to protect you effectively if you are proficient with handling and operation. Remember the best defensive weapon is one that you never have to use, but are certain you can if you need to.

Answer 5

From a defense perspective the only gun less appropriate than a .22 is a .25. What you are looking for is "knock-down power" to stop someone immediately. A large amount of knock-down power will put someone's system into shock and stop them immediately. A 357 or 44 magnum is good but you must hit a major bone (such as the breast bone) to allow the bullet to transmit all it's energy to the target. Hollow points help a lot!
I actually did a study on this in college and determined the best gun for home defense is a .45 (hollow point) because it uses a big heavy bullet that is more likely stay in the target and, therefore, transmit all it's energy to the target. But, as other posters have said, you must be comfortable handling whichever gun you choose and ANY gun is better than a rock or stick.
There is significant military history you can look into also to see why they generally issue a .45 rather than a .38 like they used to as a sidearm. A .22 might stop most people eventually but I want to be able to stop a motivated bad guy immediately.

Petro must be a criminal because his/her answer is rediculous. Aim for the eyes? Good idea for tv but not practical for the real world. Is your target going to stand still and let you take careful aim? Is your heart not going to be pounding, your adreneline pumping, your hands shaking? Mine would be! Are you going to be moving, running, or hiding? Is your target going to be shooting back? Granted, a head shot from a sniper is a great way to stop someone immediately but there is a huge difference between a trained military sniper and a homeowner such as myself. Also, "knock-down power" can be calculated for any gun and is based on the amount of energy the bullet transfers to the target based on it's speed and weight. It is what will incapacitate your target by putting their system into shock rather than just making a wound.

Answer 6

The fps can range anywhere from 1,100 to 1,400, depending on if they are high velocity or not. Coming in 36 to 40 grains (round nose or hollow point), the .22 caliber in general doesn't let a lot of light in and a lot of blood out. However, they go in and bounce around causing more internal damage than it would seem. I have a Walther P22 which takes .22 LR and is fast and accurate in home defense. But as others have mentioned, a little more knock down power is important when defending your home, family, or own life. You want to knock an intruder down into a heaping pile of crap to make them second guess getting back up.

Answer 7

With a .22 spends LOTS of time at the range shooting at very small targets.

Aim small miss small.

If you ever need to shoot to save your life aim for the eyes. Even if you don't get the shot all the way into the brain, getting shot in the face *generally* dissuades people from continuing. Or gives them enough pause that you can shoot them a couple more times.

Be generous with your bullets, after all the they are cheap and the reciever is a deserving individual.

There is no such thing as "knock down power" out of a pistol. There is no such thing as a "proven man stopper" in a pistol.

There is at least one documented case of a *very* hard individual getting shot in the shoulder with a 12 gauge tactical slug and not only not going down, but fighting his way clear.

Accuracy is your only hope with a pistol.

Answer 8

http://www.mouseguns.com/amball.htm

Spend some time researching here. Very good info about all kinds of ammo and defense ballistics. I found it very insightful as to what does what to what.

The best defensive handgun in the world is the one you have when you need it. Anything is better than a rock or stick.

The question was about the .22, not what others would recommend. Any idiot can say a caliber or handgun is better than something else, but it takes understanding of the specific individual and their requirements to make suggestions on calibers. A dead badguy full of .22 is just as dead as one full of .44 mag holes, it is just that the latter is lighter to carry to the morgue.

Answer 9

Average of the common 40 gr. lead el cheapo type is about 1250 fps.

Answer 10

Forget about the 22 for self defense, nothing less than a 357 Magnum will do.* You can also shoot 38 caliber ammo in a 357 Magnum.* You get to handguns for the price of one (1)*.* It is a proven man stopper.* If you want to be a Victim instead of a Survivor use the 22cal.* I prefer the Smith & Wesson or Colt with a 4" barrel.* Buy new or used.* I have both.* Get a Revolver.*