Is a .22LR suited to home defence?

Question

Hi! I shoot at 25 yards on an indoor range with my .22LR. I like this and am happy doing it, Mom won't let me get another gun anyway.

Would my rifle be adequate for home defence if nothing else was avaliable? What I mean is, given the ranges in a house, would a .22LR have enough stopping power?

I know all guns are dangerous, but are many of you suggesting that if I aimed at someone's nose from twenty feet away the round would just bounce off of them?!

Answer 1

It's better than throwing rocks that's for sure. The .22LR from a rifle barrel is similar in energy to a snub nose .38, with accurate shot placement it will provide a similar level of defense.

Answer 2

While it's not likely to kill, it's not going to bounce right off, either. It will do some damage. I was shot in the leg when I was younger, and the bullet went in, hit the bone, and came out, leaving a dime-sized hole. While I'd rather have pretty much any other caliber for self defense, a .22lr rifle might be able to, at the very least, change their mind about what house they're breaking into. Getting hosed down with .22 bullets is going to ruin anyone's day. Plus, the intimidation will factor in a little. If they see you with a rifle, they might turn tail and get out of there before they find out what caliber it is.

Really, if you're going to get something for home defense, something larger is a good idea, but if you don't have a choice, you don't have a choice, you'll have to use what's available.

Answer 3

In most cases, any guns, even if you miss, is going to stop a criminal. No reasonable person who is there to steal some jewelry is going to hang around once you start throwing hot lead in their direction. Sometimes just seeing the gun stops criminals, they are lazy which is why they steal, it would be inconvenient for them to get shot. Neighborhood kids for example, are not going to hang out after they know you are armed.

Now, if you are dealing with a lunatic who is determined to kill you, you could hit them 10 times with a .22 and they might kill you before they bleed to death. If someone is drunk, they won't be as highly effected by the shots even if they are hit. If someone is on a drug, they might still be looking for a fight.

The lesson is, a .22 is keep you safe in most situations, but do you want to be holding the .22 when it won't keep you safe? Your decision, what are you up against? Drunks and maniacs or some trouble making teenagers?

Answer 4

Since your going to use what you have in house- high speed hollow points and aim for center of body, next target is lower body. If you have a self-loader like a Ruger 10-22 practice double taps- 2 shot- groups at target. Pumps, lever actions, bolt action repeaters- when target shooting fire and immediately cycle action to get another round in chamber. If you're a good shot and think you have time for a warning shot in air-DON'T , Rowenize target instead- shoot in foot. Several incidents of people using .22s for home defense - one a couple months back in Nebraska(?) was 12 year old with .22 shooting attacker of mother in stomach and kidney, attack stopped mother got stitch up , attacker charged after a couple days in hospital . Rifleman has armed citizen page with articles of incidents of self defense- see .22 being used seriously about every other issue. Repeat shots to heart/lung area will stop average person fairly quick, druggies hard to stop with less than buckshot load- true, but the familiar, well used .22 can be quite use full. As I know a small .22 size hole in upper left lung of attacker does stop attack and allows retreat. It may take him 3 days on critical list before he can admit he attacked like witnesses said, but he definitely didn't try any further attacks.

Answer 5

Well, A pump action shotgun would be the best. But the .22 would work. Most people that would break in to your house would run at the sight of any gun they see you holding. But if a person came to your house with intent to kill you then a 22 would not stop them unless you hit them in the head. The problem is by the time you see them in most cases they have already seen you. If they also have a gun chances are they will shoot at you first. So, if you feel you need a gun for home defense...get a pump gun.

Answer 6

The .22 rim fire has very little stopping power but if it is all you have, it is better than a baseball bat or a golf club. You can bet your boots that a .22 rim fire can be a lethal round and it can cause a really nasty mess inside a person but it does not have enough stopping power to insure that the bad guy doesn't get to you and injure or kill you before he dies or becomes incapacitated. If you have a choice, I'd recomend a lot more gun than a .22 rim fire but, like I said, if it is all you have then it is the best thing to use in defense of your home or life.

Answer 7

i'm a believer interior the doctrines of Col Cooper He pronounced that a quick barreled 12 or 20 ga shotgun loaded with #6 poultry shot grew to become into palms down the main valuable domicile protection mixture At everyday HD distances #6 shot would be devastating to flesh and it won't penetrate partitions The objective in a protection subject is by no ability to kill yet to end the attack in case you will develop some cliche approximately ill mannered prosecutors i will assure that i ought to have the skill to guard birdshot besides or greater valuable than i will guard buckshot I must additionally function that by using very solid legislative and government branches in Florida a sturdy shoot is a sturdy shoot If justified i'm no longer able to be prosecuted or sued Cheney's sufferer grew to become into shot with a 28 guage loaded with 7 a million/2 shot at a distance a minimum of ten instances that of the conventional HD variety on the conventional HD variety of 15 to twenty-5 ft that very same 28 ga load will penetrate a million/4 plywood, surely a perfect HD result Now think of what a 12 ga will do

Answer 8

No handgun should ever be mentioned in the same sentence with the term "stopping power". I don't care if you're talking about a .22 or a .45. No handgun has stopping power. A SHOTGUN to the chest has stopping power. Many people have been hit in the abdomen with .45's and still kept on coming.

That being said, get yourself a shotgun. If you can't then work on shot placement. A .22 CAN be a very effective home defense weapon, however, you must be a very good shot.

Answer 9

NO!!!! Just look back through some of the questions and answers in here and you will see many stories about people being shot with 22's and living thru the experience. A study done a number of years ago determined that the best home defense weapon is a standard hunting 12ga shotgun with a 26 or 28 inch barrel. Load this gun with a magnum number 4 shot 2 3/4 inch shell and the result is as follows: At the ranges you are likely to have to shoot a person in your home the shot will spread almost exactly the width of an average mans chest, and will penetrate through the chest and wind up embedded in the muscles and tissue of the back. Also, this load is unlikely to penetrate through two pieces of sheet rock (into a neighboring apartment) unless the muzzle is extremely close to the wall. Shooting someone who is invading your home with a .22 is apt to leave them alive and make them more likely to use deadly force against you.

Answer 10

A .22 rifle is not anywhere near ideal for defensive use, but it beats hell out of begging for mercy.

Practice and aim for the sinuses. All of the bullets might not penetrate the skull, but they won't bounce off, especially if you stick it right up his nose or into an eye socket.

Doc

Answer 11

If he's on drugs, psycho and has a body built by the prison system (all that body building) he's going to laugh, take that .22 from you, shove it where the sun don't shine and empty the magazine.
Seriously, if you can't kill the person with one shot, you're dead, because you will never get a chance for a second shot.
Go for a 12 gauge loaded with 3 or 4 buck. Even if you only hit the assailant with half the shot, he's probably dead.