Is .22 LR adequate for SHTF?

[Landmonster]

How does the .22 LR perform against humans?

Let's say you theoretically had a highly accurate and tricked out 10/22 rifle that fed banana magazines reliably. (Just to remove reliability from the equation.)

Your shots would be quiet, and very controllable. You'd also have high capacity like the AK and AR guys. Would you have adequate power for combat?

[Landmonster]

example: http://www.ruger.com/Firearms/FAProdView?model=1178&return=Y

(lol)

[mitchshrader]

in situations where you could maintain cover against more powerful weapons and still effectively deliver fire.. ie, 'ideal stealth'.. they have a lot more effectiveness.

they really suck at instant stops, and if you're dodging bullets your ownself, you may be seriously wishing for something a bit more emphatic.

CAN you use them? yeah.

would you be smart to use them as first default? eh. likely not.

limited, that's the issue.

given a GREAT DEAL of training, a committment to the platform, etc, you're not going to be in predictable territory. one guy MIGHT make it look smart, the next guy MIGHT drop the ball entirely.. lots of folks talk 12 gauge pump for opposite reasons to that .22... it's swimming upstream to even talk about LOW END pistol performance per cartridge, when you may get ONE shot, and a fifth of a second head start.

at that point i want something not a .22 jmho, ymmv, free refunds for bad advice..

i like J frames, and i can mostly preach a good sermon against .38 5 shooters as primary handguns. . they SUCK at extended firefights..

but they're just so darn EASY to tote around.. that's about the .22 issue, it's CHEAP.

ok, it's cheap. it ain't a real rifle, it's not even a real pistol caliber carbine.. how cheap are ya?

IMO< .38 or 9mm is where defensive handguns start.. and AR is where defensive rifles start.. and that .22 don't have a home in my world outside of assassinating squirrels and helpless timid fuzzy bunny rabbits.

LOTS better to use a .22 (wrongly) for poaching game bigger'n proper..

than to give it credit for defensive ability it lacks.

[alwaysshootin]

Is .22 LR adequate for SHTF

In a word, yes!

Is perfect for shtf? No! But in a pinch, it would do the job. Can easily dispatch table fare, and I personally have 1 or 2 rifles that will hit a softball sized target at 100 meters consistently. If you choose your shots wisely, one properly place shot will allow you to acquire a different caliber which you may deem more adequate!

[wanderinwalker]

Depends on what your envisioning of SHTF is. If you think it will involve zombie-like hordes and massive shoot-outs, no. (Additionally, if you think there's a high-probability of shooting it out at the end of the world, I hope you're not in my neighborhood! ;) )

If you think it means you'll have to forage and fend for yourself, and two-legged aggression isn't a high-probability, then yes, it is adequate. Table-fare means more than large creatures such as deer and bear. It includes squirrels, turkey, grouse, quail and any number of other small edible things. For such use, a .22 would be well suited. Also handy would be some kind of fishing gear and a knowledge of edible plants, but that may be getting more in-depth than this thread.

As for using it in a combat-situation: Get out of there! SHTF, to me, means surviving to the next day/week/month. Avoiding armed confrontations would fit into this mindset well.

Of course, if you get caught without any options, then by all means, fight your way clear with whatever you have, doing whatever it takes.

[RMTactical]

It's better than nothing.

[Daryl in Az]

First you have to define the SHTF situation.

What is your goal? Is it to hide, hunt game for food, and only defend yourself in a pinch until you can escape to safer ground? If so, the .22 LR is probably a reasonable choice. Centerfire ammo gets heavy if you carry a lot of it around with you for long distances, and everyone in the area will know when you shoot. .22 LR ammo is lightweight, quiet to shoot, and can be effective for keeping you supplied with food. it'll work for SD in a pinch, but it's not optimal for stopping an agressive attacker.

Are you going to be defending your home against a mob? Against...????? If so, you'll likely want to have something more in the centerfire category.

SHTF can mean a lot of different things to different people, and you likely won't know what you need in the way of a firearm until it happens. One way or the other, a good .22 rifle and several bricks of ammo isn't a bad thing to have around. They're mostly cheap to buy, are fun to shoot, make for cheap practice, and can be useful for a lot of different things.

Daryl

[novaDAK]

My father has a 10/22 and it has never jammed while using the Eagle 30rd mag I bought for it. I would rather reach for the AR15, AK, M1 carbine or my 12ga Pursuader with slugs that are right next to the 10/22 in the safe but using some minimags it wouldn't be that bad. But there are definately better choices.

[Danny Reid]

If that's all you got, then it better be good enough...

The better question is...are YOU good enough?

If I were limited to 22 LR, I would be focusing on my ability to pull off throat shots

[Daddy13]

My SHTF arsenal (if you can call it that :embarassed: ) Includeds my ruger 10/22. I can put alot of food on the table with it! I live very near the everglades, which is full of rabbits, armadilos, possums, squirels n such (Elmer Fudd comes to mind). As for self defense, well Im sure i can poke an eye out up to 75 yrds easy with open sights. ( my brother & I use to tape stickers about the size of a quarter and hit it with great frquency all the time).

[J1Z06]

Aguila's super high velocity stuff penetrates almost as well,if not a little more torque than a makarov round(so i'm told) so i think if the shots we're well placed, you'd be ok with it. i can rapid fire the heck out of my mosquito and form a pretty tidy little group...so would i trust my mosquito .22 lr with aguila? sure.

like the others have said, it's better than nothing.

[Blitzer]

Maybe an over-under 12ga. / .22 cal.

[fredj338]

Define "adequate". Yep, better than throwing rocks, but poor barrier penetration & 0 stopping power. The only real upisde is you can have lotws of ammo on hand, then again, you'll need to make lots of hits to get significant results. We won't even go into BGs wearing even low grade body armor.:upeyes:

[Bubbala]

In a true SHTF scenario how long do yo think the game will last? There are so many people. This gets very site specific, but if you're way out in the boonies, miles away from any urban area you might get by with a .22 for a while. If you're anywhere near a large urban area you will have serious problems with a .22.

[michael t]

SHTF if its a true SHTF No EMT's no Doctors no hospitals Don't think I want to be on reciving end of a 22 . A man in right place could put hurt on lot of people with a 10/22 and a few hicap mags . For some strange reason people don't enjoy being shot even by a little 22 LR . People want to live being shot even by a 22 in this type of situation reduces your chances .

[mitchshrader]

game getter yes, personal defense no *For Most People* (because they're not invested in the training & redundancy & backup supplies that would be sensible for SD weapons) ..

the whole point is how defined your 'shtf' need is.. post apocalypse bunny huntin'? uh, no offense, you can hear even a .22 for a Long Ways, agriculture works according to my info, i can RAISE bunny rabbits if i so desire, and if somebody is thinking seriously about doing me harm, i want a straight down the middle ordinary defensive caliber to fight back with. Or more to the point, to shoot first with.

The two categories here are shoot small animals for edible purposes, and shoot large primates who intend you harm.

for the first one a .22 is fine, and for the second one it's sub-optimal, and in most cases not arguably adequate. Given that there IS training, and IS disciplined skill acquisition and analysis.. if you KNOW you can use it defensively, by test... in THAT case it's adequate.

but not till you have proved it, cause it's darn sure borderline even with skill added. it's plenty fine for funsies, nor does it HURT to have it..

but, light to medium rifle, or possibly high end pistol caliber carbine.. when you need a defensive weapon have a weapon that was BUILT TO DO THAT JOB.. cause i dunno about you but proving points gets right in the way of my staying alive habit.

i got no points to prove whatsoever.. bigger guns shoot harder, size matters, i ain't defending the homestead with a .22 as first pick.

they may be, due to other circumstances, more easily acquired, trained with, or suited to the size of the shooter (esp juveniles) ..

but that don't make 'em a proper SD platform no matter what you saw on the internet.. and if you start talking the volume of fire and training that makes UP for the lack of power in that cartridge, it'd get awfully hard to prove there was all that much monetary savings.

high end .22 can get expensive.. which sort of washes out that cheap arguement, don't it?

[LoneRanger19]

Some spree shooters have used a .22 rifle with deadly results.

You can kill or at least severely wound a bunch of bad guys with a tricked out 10/22 with a high cap mag in some wacky SHTF world.

The question is , is a .22 rifle adequate. Yes, its adequate, but bigger is better.

Can a guy with a 10/22 kill a guy with AK-47? Yes

Can a guy with a AK-47 kill a guy with a 10/22? Yes

Its all about the shooter, and his weapons limitations/advantages, and terrain they are in, and most important...luck.

[demusn79]

outside of assassinating squirrels and helpless timid fuzzy bunny rabbits.

.

:rofl:

[Longbow]

I've heared that a drizzle can affect the .22LR's trajectory/accuracy, more so than a heavier bullet. ' not too sure about this though, as I never tried the experiment myself. If this is true, then, just make sure it isn't raining when your SHTF scenario happens.

[glockman23]

I'd mount one of these on my nightstand...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSzshkg9LJ0

:rofl:

[V12]

Just make sure you aim for the head or the neck and you'll be fine