Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns .22 Long Rifle Pistol as Primary Carry Gun

I think one big advantage to carrying a 22LR all the time (at least around here) is you end up killing a lot of schit with it, and end up very, very, very comfortable with it.



Travis

It's like a Colt vest pocket 25acp...

22 bullets will "bounce" same as any other caliber bullets.

That is what I have found carrying a 45 Super every day and every where. Killed an Armadillo a day or two ago, puts them down pronto.

Nobody who knows much and has a choice is going to choose a 22 for Bear and people protection unless they have no other choice due to economics or perhaps physical circumstances. Larry pretty much just trolls, so there's a good chance he's not even giving you the straight scoop MD.

I kill varmints all the time on the back deck and in the back yard. I shot a coon last winter with the same gun you use. One of the bullets is still embedded in the back deck. In contrast, I shot a possum the other night with my Ruger MkIII. It was right by the a/c unit and house. It wouldn't have hurt the brick other than maybe a chip, but it might have ricocheted. It might have disabled a $7k a/c unit. Surgical precision. DRT and no big a/c repair bill. I like the .22 also but am not looking to hunt griz or bad guys with it.

..yes they do but after a 40 grain lead bullet goes through a kritter and bounces off the pavement there isn't much left... 220 grains of .41 Magnum or 125 grains of .38 Super is going to do a lot more collateral damage...

Not by choice. I was much younger the last time I carried a .22 LR as a primary, and it was because the technology had not advanced to the point where I could carry much more gun for only a slight increase in size and weight. I do carry a .22 LR handgun in the woods sometimes, but as a hunting or plinking tool backed up by a centerfire pistol.

I also learned during the last 7 years of ammo scarcity that the semi-autos are finicky about ammo and that the manufacturers are putting out a lot of duds. So, revolver for me if I have to rely on it for protection.

toad, I like that little knife...

Maybe, maybe not. I did a penetration test several years ago shoot hardwood ply board and a 22LR fired from a Ruger semi out penetrated every load from a j-frame 38 special all of which were + P loads.

Nothing better than a proper 32 ACP.

32 ACP's are cool.

He got a 32 gun in his pocket full a fun
He got a razor in his shoe

sounds like a bad man.

...He's bad, bad Leroy Brown
Baddest man in he whole damn town

He's badder than 'ol King Kong
Meaner than a junk yard dog

Would Little Larry do that? Yeah, I believe he would. I have a Ruger 22/45 that I've had for 20 years. I shoot it more than all my other handguns combined. Admittedly, this damned artificial ammunition shortage has put the squeeze on how many .22 rounds I'm willing to shoot per session. I use it for pest control and to keep my form (grip, trigger control, sight picture, follow through) in shape.

If i could own only one pistol it would be my Colt Woodsman 4 inch in 22lr

The horror! Being allowed to only own one pistol!

If I could only own one it would be my Glock 20.

Magnumdood: I hope "Little Larry" from Alaska gets through the rest of his life without being confronted by a "critter that can eat him" or by "someone who is intent on shooting at him"!
He is woefully "under-gunned" for either situation.
When I Hunted and fished in Alaska I had along either a powerful centerfire repeating Rifle or a 12 gauge shotgun filled to the brim with the appropriate bear stopping shells.
And when I feel the need to carry concealed I almost always go with the Glock 22 with night sights and its high capacity magazines filled with top quality hollow-point ammo.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

The .22 rimfire is the most useful cartridge produced for many reasons. My grandad did things with a .22lr, rifle and pistol, that people wouldn't believe.

I also don't believe anyone taking hits from a .22lr (or any firearms for that matter) is going to pause to assess their immediate level of threat. They are forked enough to make other choices immediately. And if that doesn't work, outrunning a guy with 400 grains of .22 lead in his belly is going to work. I would also imagine for ladies that a rapest boner fades pretty quickly with each 40 grain serving.

Although it makes for pretty low end personal protection against furry toothed critters, you can flat pour lead out of a .22 semi fast and accurately.

I took my SR22 along on a Colorado blackpowder elk hunt as someone in the group said bring bear protection. Primary weapon was the .50 blackpowder anyway, so I wasn't overly concerned. From a bear's perspective, I figure "bangs" and hits coming from the guy of interest would mean a quick retreat whether the bear dies DRT or recovers. The other two guys brought snubnosed 5 shot .357 mags, FWIW.

When you step up to Grizzlies, you have to wonder if a .44 mag is even enough to reliably stop one.

I worked on an exploration crew in Alaska one summer years ago. The company issued a Ruger 41 Magnum to me as we would be in remote areas with a lot of bears. Noting that all of the full time crew carried 44 Magnums, I asked if the 41 was "big enough". The response was priceless:

"Son, if a bear is coming for you, shoot the first 5 rounds in the air and hope you scare him away. If he keeps coming, the best you can do is pop yourself in the temple, and a 22 is plenty big enough for that!"