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How effective is a .22 magnum?
- Thread starter 87seph
- Start date
I have read some Left-Wing nut sites in Australia that state citizens would rather be shot by a .22 than stabbed. Supposedly, you have a 90% chance of surviving being shot by a .22 From what they have stated, a knife can sever arteries and cause people to become Pez dispensers: A .22 can only penetrate one layer of clothing.
The real theory is that Australia's pre-crime unit cannot track .22 wielding fiends and knives show up all the time.
CRSIII
NES Member
Did anyone see the Cops episode that showed the really big guy that got shot in the chest with the .25acp? Center mass and made a pimple between his shoulder blades. I think he kept saying OWW, OWW as he walked around. I would think if your attacker was hopped up on goofballs, you would want a real caliber. But if he was one of laid back muggers...
Magnum does sound a bit scarier than long rifle, but believe me there are much better options. Sure beats throwin' rocks, but you'll more likely than not find guns that are chambered in more effective cartridges that you can conceal.
Concealing a full size gun really isn't that hard. I'm relatively new to guns, and thought I'd want to get something really small to carry. Once I got a good belt and a good holster, I realized that carrying a full size gun is no problem. I may pick up a .38 snubby for some situations, but I don't really see a reason to go smaller than that.
CRSIII
NES Member
Cooper said " a.22 to the tear duct stops more decisevly than a 9 to the wishbone.
Jordan was also instrumental to the development of the .44mag.
![[wink]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/002.gif "Wink [wink]")
Biff Quizler
NES Member
If size is the issue, chances are for the size of something in .22 mag that you could actually fire in stress situation (not have to cock bitty hammer and pull mini trigger) that you could "step up" to a .380, .32 or even .38 spl.
.22 mag is better than nothing though......
.22 mag is better than nothing though......
Personally I carry the largest caliber in a firearm that I can comfortably conceal, having said that, I know of a few old timers who still rock out with .22s; And now having said that, I wouldnt stand within 6feet of them if I were trying to rob them and they beat me to the draw.
Cooper said " a.22 to the tear duct stops more decisevly than a 9 to the wishbone.
Jordan was also instrumental to the development of the .44mag.
I agree, I certainly don't know as much as those guys anyway, and so disagreeing would be foolish.
However, a .22 to the tear duct is a tricky shot on a still target 7 yards away. A moving attacker, a racing heart, and shaky hands would seem to make it damn near impossible. I'm sure it's happened though, an attacker taken down by a .22 that is. I'm sure it's happened many times actually. Still, I'd rather fire a larger more powerful round into the same spot on an attackers body any day.
According to this chart the .22 Magnum has a one shot stop percentage of 42%.This wouldn't be my first choice for carry, but it is always better than nothing. I personally stay away from calibers/cartridges smaller then .380 or any rimfire for carry use.
Conceal-ability is something I personally look for after comfort and control. What good is an easily concealed gun, if you can't draw it and hit your target?
I say forget about the cap-gun look-a-likes and get your self a nice snub nose or sub-compact.
Conceal-ability is something I personally look for after comfort and control. What good is an easily concealed gun, if you can't draw it and hit your target?
I say forget about the cap-gun look-a-likes and get your self a nice snub nose or sub-compact.
CRSIII
NES Member
That, prettymuch, was Mr. cooper's follow up in the next paragraph.
He also thought that the .223 was rather flimsy.
![[devil2]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/017.gif "Devil2 [devil2]")
Typical FUDD comment. Comparing apples and elephants. BTW, it only took one shot for my brother to be killed by a .25acp. The day that you want to play 25 cal william tell, I'll believe you.
Cooper said " a.22 to the tear duct stops more decisevly than a 9 to the wishbone.
Jordan was also instrumental to the development of the .44mag.
Perhaps you should read page 77 of "No Second Place Winner" by Bill Jordan, before you make such posts. And people wonder why I question info on this forum.
CRSIII
NES Member
I am very sorry you lost your brother, especialy in such a horrible way. But I never said I wanted to be shot at w/a .25, or anything else for that matter. I was simply inferring that I would not stake my life on such a round. Years ago, a young friend of mine lost his life to one round of .25acp, and I cried like a baby at his funeral. I don't get the apples to elephants thing and I really don't know what a FUDD is.
I was just quoting Mr. Cooper. Not necessarily my opinion.
I'm sorry this post upset you so.
Not trying to be a wiseass , ( I carry a full sized 1911 ) , but if a 22 has a one shot stoppage rate of 42% - what happens if you shoot him 3 times ? Does it equal 126% stoppage ? I also read a report somewhere - sorry , no link - that multiple 22 wounds are much harder for the ER docs to deal with than one big hole.
A large bore shooter can unload 10 shots into the 10 ring from 21 feet with a half good 22 - like a my Walther P22 faster than most shooters can get off 2 with a 38.
Not disagreeing though - I bought a range gun - 8 & 3/8ths barrel model 29 44mag - last fall and now i want a "compact" version for carry. ...
Most of us would agree that the ER wouldn't be dealing with one large hole. Shoot until the threat is neutralized. I think most of us in a real defensive situation would be flinging 4-5 rounds (if not emtying the mag) into the BG.
Sure you can probably get more shots off quicker with a .22 that a larger caliber. But I'm willing to bet a BG will go down with a few shots from a real gun faster than a bunch of shots with a 22 (assuming no eyeball shots)
IMO, why carry anything that doesnt start with a 4?
IMHO the .22 WMR is underrated.
It's not a glorified .22LR - they fire real jacketed bullets (albeit light ones) at 1200 fps out of a snubby with easily controllable recoil.
I'd carry a S&W 351PD before any .25 ACP, .32 ACP, or even one of the small .380s. You get seven rounds that are sure to penetrate.
Sorry to hear about your brother Springer.
It's not a glorified .22LR - they fire real jacketed bullets (albeit light ones) at 1200 fps out of a snubby with easily controllable recoil.
I'd carry a S&W 351PD before any .25 ACP, .32 ACP, or even one of the small .380s. You get seven rounds that are sure to penetrate.
Sorry to hear about your brother Springer.
I saw an informal, yet quite enlightening comparison of .22LR to .22 WMR some years back. Identical revolvers - Taurus, IIRC - other than chambering, so it was a straight-up comparison of the mag to the LR in a snubby.
One cylinder from each into flakeboard and phone books from about 15 feet. The only appreciable difference I could see was that the mag was shinier and easier to spot; the penetration was virtually identical.
Remember, the mag is longer than the Long RIFLE case, which itself is long and thin. In short, each NEEDS significant barrel length to burn that long, thin cylinder of propellant.
A .22 WMR in a snubby is an overpriced noisemaker. LOTS of bang and flash, with no appreciable performance increase over its far less expensive little brother.
My Beretta 21 is flatter than a revolver and holds more ammo. My CS 9 is larger and heavier, but a 9 mm trumps any rimfire snubby or .25.
One cylinder from each into flakeboard and phone books from about 15 feet. The only appreciable difference I could see was that the mag was shinier and easier to spot; the penetration was virtually identical.
Remember, the mag is longer than the Long RIFLE case, which itself is long and thin. In short, each NEEDS significant barrel length to burn that long, thin cylinder of propellant.
A .22 WMR in a snubby is an overpriced noisemaker. LOTS of bang and flash, with no appreciable performance increase over its far less expensive little brother.
My Beretta 21 is flatter than a revolver and holds more ammo. My CS 9 is larger and heavier, but a 9 mm trumps any rimfire snubby or .25.
My concern with carrying a rimfire would be reliability. Do any manufacturers make defensive quality rimfire ammo? I only shoot the cheap bulk pack 22LR, but those often have 2 or 3 FTFs per brick. That's fine for the range, but a chance I don't want to take with my life.
strangenh
NES Member
Yeah, me too, but CCI's own numbers on it don't make me real confident it'll perform all that much better out of a snubbie:
"Over 1600 ft/sec from 6-inch revolver"
In a 2" snub? Well, testing is more important than guessing.
I've always thought of the .22 Mag as an inexpensive, intermediate varmint round. I'd have a rifle in it if we had varmint problems for which a .22LR was too little and a .223 was overkill. If I had a handgun in it for personal defense, I'd want it to have serious capacity, something akin to a Grendel P-30. The FN five-seven seems to me the modern version of that with an updated round.
I'd rather carry a J-frame with .38+P (or 9mm - the 940 rocks) than a .22 mag revolver, but if Kel-Tec came out with a flat, reliable, s/a .22WMR pistol with 3.5" barrel that held 20 rounds, I'd be very interested.
Patriot
NES Member
Step it up a little to the .32 H&R Mag... .38 +p equivelant in a smaller cartridge and makes a
very concealable revo with six shots. Pricey cartridges unless you reload.
very concealable revo with six shots. Pricey cartridges unless you reload.
