Calibers for beginners .22LR New Shooters

The Calibers for Beginners series is been dedicated to delivering fast facts about some of today’s most common, controversial, and useful cartridges in a way that’s easy for new shooters to grasp. Arguably the uncontested king of beginner’s cartridges is the useful, versatile, venerable .22LR round.

The .22LR is probably the most popular cartridge in the world. It has been made in the trillions and it’s safe to say that virtually every American knows someone who owns a gun that fires the round. The caliber used worldwide for sport shooting including Olympic events, small bore matches, and pistol shoots. It’s also a very popular small game cartridge and is often the first round a young hunter uses.

The universal popularity of .22LR is due to several factors that make it not only a great beginner’s cartridge, but a good round for any shooter. Here’s a short list of why the .22LR is so universally popular:

• Cost effective The .22LR is, by comparison to centerfire cartridges, very cheap. A recent trip to my local Cabela’s revealed that it can be had by the bucket of 1,400 rounds or more for about $75-80. You can get in a tremendous amount of practice for very little expense with this cartridge.

Ruger LCRx 3" .22 LR with ammo (courtesy thetruthaboutguns.com)

• Widely availabile The .22LR can be found almost anywhere, from grocery stores to your jean pockets and under the cushions of your sofa. There are dozens of manufacturers that produce all kinds of variations of the ammo, from cheap plinking bulk stuff to high end match-grade.

• Low recoil Because most .22LR bullets weigh only about 40gr, are made of soft lead, and travel at about 1,000fps, recoil is very, very low. That makes shooting a .22LR rifle nothing but enjoyment and a new shooter can simply focus on marksmanship instead of worrying about recoil management.

• Low noise Yes, you should always wear hearing protection when shooting. Guns are loud — even a .22 — and your hearing is worth protecting. That said, the .22LR generates far less noise than virtually any centerfire, even in a handgun, so it isn’t a terrifying experience for a newbie. I’ve seen guys bring their ladies and kids to the range and have them shoot their magnum chambered rifles and it’s never been pretty.

• Great accuracy Most .22LR rifles and pistols out there are pretty darn accurate at their effective ranges. I’ve shot some rifles from the 1900’s and earlier and they shoot like they were made yesterday. Granted, there are some guns that aren’t great, but the majority of what’s available today at very reasonable prices is pretty darn good. That also helps learners with building their skills. A teen who gets his hands on a cheap, single-shot .22LR will probably be a better marksman in the long run than the kid who has a semi-auto and dumps mags.

SIG SAUER P322 .22LR rimfire semi-automatic pistol review
SIG SAUER P322 pistol

The new shooter may be, at least at the gun store, treated to a series of facts about .22LR that aren’t so much facts as they are misguided fables. These are usually spun for the uninformed and you’ve probably heard them thrown around.

• A .22 isn’t powerful. I’ve heard this all over and some people try to treat a .22 as a toy. This is fatally wrong in many cases. A .22, like any gun, is a lethal weapon and can easily kill a human being. This isn’t meat to scare you, just to emphasize that a .22LR firearm must be treated with respect, like any other gun. This carries over to the next one.

• The .22LR kills more people per year than any other cartridge. Again, kinda false, kinda true. The prevalence of the .22 makes it so that it is commonly used in self-defense, but it isn’t always a first choice for many, just the one that’s available at that moment. I’ve also heard that it can’t go through t-shirts or puffy jackets, which is utterly false. There are barrier and penetration issues with all bullets, not just .22LR.

How much do you pay for .22LR ammo?

• The .22LR is no good for self-defense. I’ve heard all three of these from the same guy in the same conversation. It’s all  hyperbolic nonsense. I’ll outline this simply for you here, dear beginner. The .22LR is a good round for self-defense. Does it have the velocity, muzzle energy, and recoil of a .357 Mag? Of course not. But a .22LR in the pocket beats a .357 at home. I believe that some of the best self-defense .22 guns are small revolvers, such as the Ruger LCR. An easy-recoiling 8-shot .22 that doesn’t have feeding or reliability issues is ideal for many shooters and the LCR is all of the above. I’d rather you have some gun than no gun at all.

• .22 can be used on deer and other larger game if you’re an expert/godmode hunter. This is wrong, both morally and ethically. There are people who advertise this as a way to seem tough or something, which nobody actually cares about in real life. These are the same people who play make-believe sniper on animals at long range, brag of stalk hunting with dull knives, and binge play Call of Duty to teach kids a ‘lesson’ in ‘respect’. They can be found at places like this if you need further reference. A .22LR should never, ever be used on deer-sized game. A .22 is best used on small game like rabbits, squirrels, and sometimes coyote at fairly close ranges. It’s not cool, admirable, or morally defensible to shoot deer-sized game with a .22LR at any range.

• .22 LR isn’t reliable. It’s true that a rimfire cartridge like the .22 is generally more prone to failure than a centerfire cartridge. This is due to the priming compound that’s pressed into the rim, which isn’t the most reliable way to make powder go bang. I’ve noticed that I have more .22LR ‘duds’ than I do with centerfire cartridges, but even at that, it’s usually not more than two or three rounds out of 1,000. In short, a .22 is plenty reliable.

Henry Frontier .22LR rifle

Basically, every single large gun maker makes a number of .22LR guns. There are literally too many to list here, but I’ll highlight some of the best options available today.

• Ruger The 10/22 rifle is probably the most popular single .22 rifle ever made and for good reason. It’s available in a range of models and there’s a market for older collector versions as well. Ruger also makes guns like the Mark IV and 22/45 pistols (TTAG reviews coming soon), revolvers like the LCR and Bearcat, and many others.

• Smith & Wesson S&W makes some excellent .22LR guns, especially their revolvers. A great .22LR made for carry is their 43C, which is an extremely lightweight, 8-shot revolver that can slip into a pocket. S&W has made dozens of .22LR guns over the years, far too many to list here.

• Henry Repeating Arms If you’re not a semi-auto person, Henry makes some of the coolest lever-action rifles available today. They are just about the perfect rifle for a new shooter, as they have good capacity, no mags to fumble, are supremely reliable, and very accurate.

Courtesy Vudoo Gun Works .17 HM2 V22 rifle
Courtesy Vudoo Gun Works

There is so much to cover with the .22LR that there’s no way to do it all justice here. In addition to being the ultimate beginner’s cartridge, the .22LR offers a great number of advantages to all shooters regardless of age or skill.

 

Pistol in the title photo is a Ruger Mark IV Target in stainless with a threaded muzzle. Chickens in title photo are Speckled Sussex, the chicken that all serious gun enthusiasts should have. (It’s a proven fact their eggs raise your scores.)

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

78 COMMENTS

  1. Golly with the price of food using chicken eggs for targets must be nice.
    I read a story long ago of someone killing a bear with a .22. The article said the guy or gal( cant remember) stuck the gunm in the bears mouth and one of the bullets made it to the brain.

    • I don’t remember any ear protection nearly 60 years ago shooting my dad’s 22 rifle & six gun. The cowboy gun was really cool but I sadly can’t remember who made it. Or what happened to it…

      • “I don’t remember any ear protection nearly 60 years ago shooting my dad’s 22 rifle & six gun.”

        I recall an oral history from the WW2 war effort about a woman who had a job ‘bucking’ rivets (a piece of steel held against the inside of an airplane so the metal doesn’t deform) mentioning that when she began that job, her ears ‘rang’ terribly after a shift on the production line.

        Then she said, “After a few weeks, it didn’t bother her anymore.”

        There’s a decent chance something like that happened to your ears, but the hearing loss was slow enough that you didn’t notice it.

        As a kid, I distinctly remember in the 70s my ears ringing after cutting the lawn with a typical gas-powered lawnmower. But the next day, the ringing was gone…

    • There is an apparently true story of an old Indian woman in Canada who was out hunting for rabbits with her .22. Unfortunately for her, she came upon a large brown bear, and that bear smelled her, and she smelled like dinner. She ran down a path then circled back to hide in some thick bushes. When the bear passed her, she put one behind his ear. He went down, and she emptied her rifle into his brain, although apparently the first shot was successful. Her family ate well that winter.

    • Golly with the price of food using chicken eggs for targets must be nice.
      I read a story long ago of someone killing a bear with a .22. The article said the guy or gal( cant remember) stuck the gun in the bears mouth and one of the bullets made it to the brain.

  2. I went on a buying spree earlier this week. One of the things I brought home was a nice, early Ruger 10/22 International. Spent yesterday afternoon with Casey and his seven year old son shooting it, a couple of Casey’s Henry lever guns and his suppressed 10/22. 500 rounds and a bit of BBQ later, a large time was had by all. Three of the firearms I’ve bought lately were .22 LR. They’re just plain fun. But seriously, even a bare bones firearms battery should include a quality .22 LR handgun and rifle. As well as an ass load of ammo in reserve. Good article.

  3. Good article but while 22 LR is a great round for beginners IMHO it is also a great round for most everyone who loves to shoot. I have been shooting for almost 60 years and started with my Marlin 99, which I still have, but I still shoot 22 LR often with my Browning Buckmark and P226 22 LR Conversion kit.

    Last week went shooting at an outdoor range for the first time in decades and had a ton of fun. Brought along my Marlin 60 and the Buckmark Camper. I can shoot my Buckmark Camper more accurately than any other pistol I own and with cheap Federal bulk ammo. 3 inch groups rapid fire at 75 feet for a magazine of 10 rounds when I do my part. Next time I am taking my Remington 541 T along too.

    I still have a good stash of 9MM from my buying days from 2017-2019 but shooting more 22 LR helps me preserve it. Plus more live trigger time is always a good thing. A box of 50 9MM costs about the same as 250 rounds of 22 LR. My wife was never intererested in shooting my 9MM pistols but loves shooting the Buckmark Camper and became very proficient with it. Once she gained that confidence she also became proficient shooting 9MM starting with heavy metal frame pistols and them with lighter poly frame pistols.

    • Grumpster, I have a 541 T also. It was topped with a Leuopold 4X RF Special when I bought it plus a couple of extra mags. Great rifle. But, in my experience, the magazines suck! Only one is reliable. Your experience?

      • Gadsen Flag, I have only used the two mags that the 541-T came with, I think they are 7 round, and they were both reliable. I believe the only magazines available these days are 10 round ones but have not experience with them. IMHO the Remington 541-T is an amazing rifle that is also beautiful to look at. Mine shot very well too with dime size groups at 50 yards if I did my part even with cheaper ammo.

        • Grumpster, thanks for the reply. My 541 is the terror the squirrels fear in my pecan trees every fall. However, you cannot load more than six rounds in the ten round magazine before it pukes them on the floor. The two spare five rounders won’t seat. Only the one will function. Consternation!

  4. The best way I know to judge the seriousness of a gun owner is to look at the quality of their .22 rifles/handguns. Those who shoot seriously for accuracy will own high-grade .22’s, and then shoot high(er) grade .22 ammunition. When you do this, there is no alibi for ammo or equipment – you know that when put into a bench or pistol rest, the gun can shoot bug-holes at 50 feet to 50 yards. If you’ve got fliers on the paper, they’re your fault.

  5. My son loves to shoot my Ruger Precision Rimfire but last weekend I had him try my No8 single shot trainer. He grouped better with the single shot and iron sights than he did with the repeating rifle with a scope.

      • He loves going to the range to shoot. We do the morning rimfire match for practice and more trigger time. He is using the match as practice for other positions.

        The match is:

        50m 5 rounds prone.
        35m 5 rounds sitting and 5 rounds prone.
        25m 5 rounds each standing, sitting, and prone.

        Scored out of 150 points. With the No8 I usually score 140+. With the Ruger I score about 130.

        • As I get older, the more I like 22lr due to arthritis even in my trigger finger.
          Also my left knee, not a candidate for surgery.
          A lot of people will kill raccoons, but keep in mind that if it’s not a kill shot and it gets to you, not going to be a pretty thing.
          Only reason why I didn’t kill a raccoon at my mom’s house was for concern for my wellbeing

  6. When my sons turned 9 and 8 ( Irish Twins), I started them shooting with my Ruger 22/45. Next years Xmas present for them was a Marlin .22 bolt action with scope. A few years later they got Heritage Rough Riders from
    Santa. Now 19 and 18, they are both solid ( and safe ) marksman who enjoy every trip to the range and generally outshoot me and my aging eyes. My oldest followed my footsteps and joined the Corps and the nicest things he told me was that I really helped him understand how to shoot before he ever got to PI.

  7. .22LR would never be my first choice for self defense but if that’s all ya got then run with it.

    I have never had so many issues with any other caliber as I’ve dealt with using 22lr. But that will never make me reject it.

    As for hunting, It would depend on what your hunting.

    I agree that this caliber is excellent for beginners, plinking, and general fun. Some people collect 22LR weapons. I think every safe should have atleast one or two. Along with a few thousand rounds to feed them.

    • Prndll, I know what you mean when you say .22 LR issues. Don’t know why yours occurred, but mine were always weapon issues. I learned early not to scrimp on a .22 LR weapon. I’m just as serious about my .22s as I am about any centerfire I own.

      • Some of it had to do with the firearm and some was the ammo. With 22LR, I’ve found it helpful to match the ammo with the gun such that some things work better in revolvers, some in semi’s, and some in rifles. I had to tune my Ruger MkIII 22/45 before it would act right. Having enough power to cycle isnt so much a concern with a revolver but I’ve had failures to fire there too.

  8. .22s helped me put a lot of meat in the pot over the years, and also helped me stay sane during my earlier college time. A buddy and I would go shoot at the ROTC indoor range while the roomies were out drinking & doping. Imagine this, he kept his Ruger Single-Six in his dorm room, and never got any grief about it.

  9. Dang it! Now I have to go out and buy a bolt-action rifle chambered in .22 LR after reading this article. I have a Marlin Model 60 semi-auto rifle (with tube magazine) and a Marlin Model 795 semi-auto rifle (with detachable magazines): both are accurate and reliable. I also have Heritage Rough Rider single-action revolvers and a very old H&R top-break revolver which is accurate and reliable as well. But I don’t have a bolt-action rifle chambered in .22 LR and I have been thinking about that for over 10 years.

    Any suggestions on an inexpensive, reliable, and accurate bolt-action rifle chambered in .22 LR???

    • Don’t know what you consider inexpensive but if I was looking at a new bolt action 22 LR I would take a hard look at CZ. If that is more than you wanted to spend you might want to see what Ruger and Savage offer.

      Good luck!

      • Ditto on the CZ, you’re getting more gun for your money, and little need to ‘upgrade’ it…

    • The CZ 45x line is about the best at a reasonable price right now.

      You could also look at older American-made bolt action .22’s. The Mossbergs shot way better than their price would lead you to believe, because they put all the money into the barrel, and the stocks were very plain, the finishing was just “OK” and the triggers needed a bit of work. But they shoot very, very well.

      Examples: Mossberg 44, 144 are among the best, they had 26″ barrels and were quite accurate. There are several more models with lighter & shorter barrels that are quite acceptable as well.

      • I remember teaching campers to shoot on those exact rifles and given the volume of fire/abuse they were put through I have nothing bad to say about them beyond I am not as much of a fan of double aperture sights for teaching beginners as half of them had them.

      • forget what model my semi mossy is, but it shoots right there with the ol’ ithaca x5.
        i’ve never sprung for hi- end rimfire; i suppose coupled with an anshutz it would be sublime. the russian embargos cut the izh baikal toggle action supply.
        if, as i’ve been told, .22mag is silly, what caliber approximates it for cost/ performance? .17hmr?

  10. My M&P 22 Compact pistol has been remarkably reliable with a wide variety of ammo. For someone who could not handle any round above 22 LR it would make a fine choice for self defense loaded with CCI Mini Mags 40 grain.

    I have found a few simple things can help with reliability with 22 LR firearms. Keeping the feed ramp clean, keeping the end of the barrel at the chamber end clean including the recesses for extractors, keeping the breach face bolt clean including the cut out area for the cartridge base and extractor areas, and lightly lubing critical areas when needed. I can do this on my Buckmark and other firearms easily with just the bolt locked back and at the range if needed with some Q-tips, a plastic pic/toothpicks, and a little CLP if needed to help remove fouling and/or for lube.

  11. Uncommon, if you want a bolt action .22 LR that meets your criteria, look for used. Every .22 LR I own was bought used. Good luck on the inexpensive thing.

  12. I’ve got a bolt action Winchester .22 made in 1911, that was my grandpas first gun, that my great grandpa picked up back then. It was also my dads first gun, and my first gun. It will be my daughters first gun in a couple years.

  13. I love .22LR for training, hunting and practice – so much so that I started stockpiling during hopey/changey in ’08. It definitely would not be my first choice for self defense, particularly out of a small revolver – the velocity degradation is such that the round is only putting out around 60-80 foot pounds of energy. A nice .22 revolver is definitely better than harsh language, but a bigger caliber sure feels nice when trouble is afoot. A .380 out of a small pistol has almost triple the energy out of a similarly sized .22LR. The 9mm+P runs about twice the power of a pocket pistol .380.

    I’ve made statements on other gun forums to this effect and people straight lost their minds. I love the caliber but I certainly respect its limitations – supersonic ammo hits a transonic barrier quickly. High quality subsonic ammo has excellent accuracy to 50 yards or so but quickly succumbs to drop, drift, and other shenanigans. Going past 300 yards is fun but drop is greater than “flat-shooting” .45-70 loads like the Hornady 325 grain FTX. The .17 HMR hits squirrels much harder but costs a whole lot more. But who cares? Practicing is a hoot. Who wouldn’t want a highly accurate bolt gun, a modded 10/22, a mild little pistol, or a Henry gallery gun?

    • Since I am a bench rest competitor I can tell you that American made rimfire ammo is almost a joke both accuracy wise and also in reliability. I have found that only the high grade and expensive Foreign match grade ammo to be both accurate and reliable. Lapua, Eley, SK, Fiocchi, are some of the good ones and you pay out the ass for the top grade ammo like Eley Tennex which will set you back over $20 a box (50 rounds) after you pay shipping and tax on it.

      Is this a concern for the average weekend sand bag plinker? No, because its for recreation and the main concern is one of price not reliability and not accuracy. Sad to say most plinker grade .22 rimfire rifles are not accurate enough to even show a person if the ammo he is using is any good or not.

      The Wind: The .22 rimfire is basically a short range cartridge as a wind drift of only 10 mph will play havoc with accuracy as close as 25 yards and its dramatic at 50 yards. Again only a high quality and expensive match rifle (which few people own) will show you this in a dramatic way.

      Todays bench rest rimfire rifles are all custom built, even Anschutz rifles cannot compete against them and the custom built rifle will set you back $3,000 and up not including the scope. Custom hand built rifles from Turbo, Hall, and Stiller are some of the good ones and expect a years wait to have one built for you. One can get by with a blueprinted old and no longer made Remington 40X action and custom barrel or the old style wing safety 1960’s Anschutz 52 action with a custom made barrel.

      Shilen ratchet barrels remain a most popular choice for your custom made action.

      Expect to pay between $1,200 and over $2,200 for a top grade 36x or 40X telescopic sight from people like Leopold, March and Night Force for bench rest competition.

      As one can see .22 rimfire bench rest competition is well out of the price range for the average U.S. Hill Jack as the complete rifle with scope can easily top out at over $4,200.

      Cleaning: In most cases I am fanatic when it comes to keeping guns clean and taking care of the bore of a gun but in the case of the .22 rimfire more people ruin the .22 rimfire bore when they clean them as opposed to not cleaning the bore. Few people know how to properly do it without damaging the bore.

      If the bore is not rough the amount of leading will be minimal until you have fired several thousand rounds of ammo out of them. This does not mean you should not pull an oily patch through the bore to protect it from rust after you are done shooting it. About 7 years or so ago Anschutz had a long post on their website (since taken down) that gave a huge amount of rounds that they fired out of one of their match guns before accuracy started to drop off and the bore needed cleaning.

      WARNING, WARNING, WARNING. The .22 rimfire will damage hearing faster than a loud center fire rifle will because medical studies proved that when an extremely loud noise hits the ears the outer ear will close up somewhat but not all the way as opposed to the .22 rimfire noise that will penetrate up inside the inner ear where the very fine hairs will be gradually wiped out and cause a tremendous loss of permanent hearing damage. Less noise does not mean less danger strange as strange as it may seem. Years ago the NRA did a lengthy article on this.

        • Ever notice how herr dacian has used and has at least one sample of every type of firearm we discuss? He belongs to an all white gun club of a thousand members, all of whom are racists. Which proves that all white gun owners are racist.

          He claims he’s a socialist but he’d have to be wealthy, one of those vile 1%ers, to have done all the things and owned all the expensive guns he claims to own.

          Or is it possible that he’s mentally ill and is on the dole and doesn’t own a single firearm?

        • “Or is it possible that he’s mentally ill and is on the dole and doesn’t own a single firearm?”

          Nailed it.

        • to Jethro

          quote————–Or is it possible that he’s mentally ill and is on the dole and doesn’t own a single firearm?———–quote

          This statement by the ignorant far right by Jethro is hilarious on two counts. One, they are so ignorant they do not realize that most gun owners are not far right fanatics and two, they refuse to believe liberals and socialists own firearms also. How do you think the Red Army beat the White Army but oh wait, you flunked history classes (which you never had, sarcasm)

        • You’re arguing a statement I never made, herr dacian. You’re being mentally ill and not owning a firearm has nothing to do with left or right.

          But then, here you are again proving that you are mentally ill.

        • It’s easy, Nero,

          dacian the stupid, also dacian the liar, does a little Google search, then writes his drivel. I would bet heavy money dacian the stupid doesn’t even OWN a gun. He is not the age he claims to be, he has no “education” that he constantly prattles about, and he is most emphatically NOT a POTG. Ignore his nitwiticisms.

      • As one can see .22 rimfire bench rest competition is well out of the price range for the average U.S. Hill Jack as the complete rifle with scope can easily top out at over $4,200.

        Hill Jack here. I have zero interest, whatsoever, to pay 4… upwards of $5000 dollars for a 22LR set up to shoot 25 or 50 yard matches. Quite literally zero desire, whatsoever. In fact, there might be a little bit of negative desire to pursue such a set up.

        Dacian sounds like a European gun club member that is only allowed to have a 22LR for shooting matches and has to keep it stored at the club. Even more believable, with his endless pushes for universal background registries, and begging the opinions of the public to make laws about storage of firearms in his own home.

        • Well Anonymouse pay attention.

          One of the reasons .22 rimfire bench rest has really taken off in recent years is the fact that the Baby Boomer Generation born at the end of WWII is now in their Mid 70’s and most find it difficult to even shoot 3 position anymore but they can shoot bench rest.

          I should have mentioned that you do not have to shoot in the Unlimited category either. We have a class for “factory match” guns and for match guns that use a “detachable magazine”. These detachable magazine guns can be bought for under $500 and the target is also bigger to compensate for their lower grade accuracy and heavier trigger pulls. CZ and Savage are popular low budget competition rifles for the ARA type shooting.

          There is also a sporter class as well but it is not as popular as the heavy barrel match guns.

  15. Anyone else notice the article above this one has no comments ability, or is it just me? Guess we’ve reached the ultimate form of “moderating”?

    • Biden’s “Ministry of Truth” has deemed that as fact and not debatable. Get used to it.

  16. .22 LR from a handgun doesn’t come close to meeting the FBI minimum penetration requirements. Reliability issues aside.

    Next.

    • There have been times in my life when a .22 was the only firearm I could afford. For a couple of years it was a .22 or nothing.

      • To Jethro

        Amazing since you claim to be independently wealthy!!!!! And judging from the firearms you admit you own you still cannot afford a quality one.

        • Never made that claim. After a lifetime of work, something of which you know nothing, I’m comfortable enough to have disposable income. That cottage in France was only 330 thousand euro at the time. It would cost me more to buy a weekend cabin in the Sierras than that.

          In my youth I was like you. One of the poors. The beauty of America is you don’t have to stay that way. Take your meds and get off the dole, herr dacian. You don’t have to be a burden to your poor mother or society.

  17. A piece of advice for anyone who is buying a 22lr and a newbie DO NOT buy Chiappa anything. You’ll be buying pot metal junk!

  18. Josh says:

    It’s all hyperbolic nonsense. I’ll outline this simply for you here, dear beginner. The .22LR is a good round for self-defense.

    Then says:

    • .22 can be used on deer and other larger game if you’re an expert/godmode hunter.
    This is wrong, both morally and ethically. There are people who advertise this as a way to seem tough or something, which nobody actually cares about in real life.

    Come on Josh? How can they both be true? Is this a powerful round or isn’t it? You can use it on people but not on deer? I think the logical conclusion is – the 22 is not a good self defense round. Sure, a 22 in your pocket is better than a 357 mag at home. But a 357 mag in your pocket is vastly better than a 22 in your pocket. So – don’t use a 22 for self defense!

    • I’ll step in for Josh on this one.

      When hunting, you’re out to deliberately and ethically kill something for food.

      If the same can be said of your CCW, then yes, you should rule out 22LR. You should also be committed to an asylum.

      • Good Step-in Jason. Maybe you can explain to me, why cops, security guards, the military, and pretty much all other cops, law enforcement agencies, federal and state, and militaries all over the earth aren’t using the amazing 22LR for their personal defense weapon?

        You know what? Forget it man. I’ll ask my friend, He’s a Navy Seal, why he doesn’t carry a 22LR as his CCW for personal protection. I’ll ask my other friend (FBI agent) why he doesn’t carry a 22LR for personal protection. I’ll also ask another good friend of mine (metro detective) why on earth he is not carrying a 22LR for personal protection. Got it covered man! Thanks anyways.

        • When your close, personal Baby Seal…er… Navy Seal… friend… agrees to stand down range while you fire your 22LR at him, you be sure to stop jerking off long enough to post the video here.

          In the mean time, ponder the difference between self defense and hunting. It seems to have escaped you. Maybe a few more rounds of Halo with your buddy the CIA assassin and your neighbor with MI6 will be enough time to figure it out before mommy calls you out of the basement to dinner. Daddy will come home with that milk, soon, I’m sure.

        • The mistake you made Jason, was you assumed Josh was right about everything gun related. And he’s not.

        • I’ll take you up on that and stand in front of your .22, with the catch that I get to empty my CZ-75 into you at the same time.

          Nobody wants to stand in front of a Red Ryder either, but only an idiot would use that as proof that the .177 BB is a good defense caliber.

        • Wow, this Jason fella is kind of a douche. Like, a much bigger one than the usual witless idiot who uses the “betcha wouldn’t stand in front of one” argument to defend crappy defense rounds.

  19. My first rifle was a .22 (a J.C. Higgins single-shot, bolt action). Plenty accurate for my needs, and stone reliable. Left it at home when I went to college, and when my dad passed, my brother snagged it (don’t know what he’s done with it). I later acquired an old bolt-action Mossberg (really old, early 30s vintage) with a tubular magazine. That one was a tack driver, and I still have it (but the spring tube for the magazine took a crap a decade ago, and replacement parts were not to be found). Got a 10/22, which is serviceable but nothing to brag about. I also have a Ruger MkIII “Hunter” model with the long, fluted barrel.

    When I’m teaching a noob to shoot, those are the guns I start with. Still use the Mossberg and the 10/22 for rabbits, coyotes, etc. A .22 would never be my weapon of choice for self-defense, but as others have pointed out, it’s better than nothing.

    A .22 is a necessity in a decent gun collection, for all of the above reasons, and for the ubiquity of the ammunition. Other than rabbit/pest hunting, I can’t say a .22 would be my first choice for anything other than training and practice.

  20. Let the hoarding commence. Remember after Sandy Hook, 22LR was running around 30 cents a round? That was considered cheap to practice with cause 9mm ball was close to 80 cents to a dollar a round.

    • Yeah, it is about the same price as 9MM ammo these days which makes it unattractive as a plinking/target round like 22 LR. Certainly more potent than 22LR if one has the need but at a hefty price IMO plus nowhere near the variety of models of firearms available in 22LR.

  22. Is this the one that will blow out a lung or just the one that will lodge in a lung?

    I am assuming based on the current administration that bullets are now designated by ballistic performance in the human lung.

  23. Caliber is NOT equal to cartridge.

    220 Swift, 22 Hornet, 22-250 are all 22 caliber.

    This should be titled Cartridges for beginners.

  26. pg slot เว็บตรง แตกไวสล็อตน่าเล่น มีเกม สล็อต เว็บไซต์ตรง แจกเครดิตฟรี ให้เลือกเล่นล้นหลามมากมายแบบอย่าง เสมือนเลียนแบบแหล่งคาสิโนจากสถานที่จริงๆมาไว้บนโทรศัพท์เคลื่อนที่

  30. Well, I’ve been a shooter for 60 years, and an NRA certified instructor and a certified police firearms instructor. Been in law enforcement for 46 years. As far as the lethality of .22 goes, I spent enough time at the Cook County ME’s lab to see an awful lot of dead people there with little holes made by .22s. When I’ve taught basic firearms safety, I use my 2×4 with a neat hole made by a .22 short, next to a hole made by a 22/100 nail that took 16 smacks with 20 oz. Vaughn Framing Hammer to pierce that board. I also had news clippings about a woman in Lombard, IL, weeding her garden, who had her right scapula broken with a .22 long rifle, fired from over two miles away. I also recalled a Sports Afield article about a Native American who took down a moose with a .22 long rifle to the head. My carry gun is a Glock 17.

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