Poll: Minimum Caliber Size?

[Joe13]

I said 22lr but being as I had to hand eject 3 misfires yesterday shooting my 22s ,I'll have to say 9mm
I believe if the rimfire runs perfect,10 rounds of 22lr in a guys chest or face would ruin his day.And mine can put the shots where you want. But I have to be reminded of the unfortunate misfires with a rimfire
That said the 5.7 wouldn't be bad either.And i carry a 357 with me most of the time

Good points - and part of why I prefer 9mm if I can get away with the weight.

Carrying a .22 keeps me practicing clearing the gun and getting back on target when I'm out in the woods.

I always carry fresh high grade ammo in it as well and as Andy said, I have been very lucky with my rimfire ammo.

 

[mjbskwim]

Now in a revolver in a rim fire wouldn't be bad. A 9-10 shot would give you the opportunity to keep squeezing instead of messing with a jam
And I saw some older girls in sequim who just couldn't handle any bigger caliber

 

[mjbskwim]

I have been very lucky with my rimfire ammo.

I have quite a bit and quite a variety. Maybe i should keep better track?lol

 

[Joe13]

I have quite a bit and quite a variety. Maybe i should keep better track?lol

I don't like Remington thunderbolts.

CCI's
Winchester X
Federal Champion (not target)
Are all very dependable for me so far.

 

[Hrethgir]

I carry a 9mm, but would probably trust a .380 also. But a .9mm seems like it would just be too small to do anything other than sting the bad guy a little!

 

[bivy53]

Growing up on a farm I have seen many, many large animals put down with one .22lr to the head. Drop a full grown steer right in it's tracks.
Saw a video years ago of a .32acp round penetrate a Kevlar vest.
Modern .380acp now performs very close to 9mm.
Used to work with a Vietnam vet that survived 5rds of .45acp point blank. In the chest.
If you don't shoot the bad guy in the head, heart, or nuts, caliber difference is not much of a difference. IMHO

 

[Twodogs]

My bed side gun is a glock 35 in .357 sig with 23rds in it.
I would be fine defending myself with my 10/22 with a 25rd mag.

 

[boogerhook]

It depends a little on situation, but for me the following works:

- .22 for 2-legged is fine (never had a misfire on quality ammo, such as CCI - bulk is a different story)
- 9mm, 38+P, or 357 for 4 legged
- 30 rds of .22 from 9" barrel for HD (plus a 9mm backup pistol)

 

[ROCKintheUSSA]

My standard carry is .40, but especially with today's ammo - like Hornady Critical Defense - I'd feel OK carrying 9mm. Still prefer .40 though

 

[whiskeybill]

As I have posted elsewhere in other caliber discussions, I would trust a 22LR. Why, you may ask? I have been accidentally shot with a 22LR, one shot to the shin, and it hospitalized me for a week. Did I mention it hurt once the shock wore off? Yes indeedy it hurt. Yeah, I keep a bigger handgun available in the nightstand (1911) and generally carry a 9mm or a 40, but if this is all I had at hand, I could use a 22 to repel boarders.

 

[Kruel J]

I don't like Remington thunderbolts.

CCI's
Winchester X
Federal Champion (not target)
Are all very dependable for me so far.

Agreed. Golden's and Thunderbolts either get given away or tossed out if they are just random loosies. I found a mixed box and sorted them out and tossed them.

I like Wichester M22 and CCI tactical as well. Winchester white box has been great for plinking too.

 

[Dreams of Steel]

I personally will not "Trust my life" (meaning I would carry it on a daily basis) to any rimfire round simply for the reliability factor. If I had nothing else, anything is better than a rock or a sharp stick but 9mm is the lowest I will purchase for carry or protection.

 

[Joe13]

These have all been great responses - there is no rights or wrongs, just our opinions.


If only .22lr was center fired then I'd be even more comfortable carrying one.

As is, when I have it on me, I plan for it to fail to fire (jams not so much, it has been very reliable for thousands of rounds) and in my minds eye imagine pulling the trigger and what I will need to do in the seconds or milliseconds after that if it doesn't fire.

Otherwise 9mm is my go to caliber for self defense away from the house and .357mag & 12ga at home.

 

[Joe13]

9mm followed closely by .380 seems to be the top voters so far.

I am a bit suprised that .22lr is in a close 3rd place. I imagined I would be in the super minority on that one.

 

[Kruel J]

Fine, I guess I'll play this silly little game of yours Joe.

.380ACP. It's in my pocket all the time. With 90 grain Hornady FTX.

 

[aksu747]

.32 acp is the lowest I go but I always have it backed up by at least .380 +P incase .32 isn't enough gun.Large .32,small .380.
Neither is ideal but I shoot .32 acp and .380 accurately and can place followup shots with either lighting quick. If they made a .45 or 9mm with the thinness of a .32 and weight of a .32 I'd probably carry a .45 or a 9mm,but my current set up weighs 30 ounces and I get two guns 17 rounds of .32 acp,and 13 rounds of .380,I think that should be more than enough for any situation and if it isn't then I probably should have brought along my AK instead of two pistols.

 

[bbbass]

And fmj bullets. .22 LR is ok if you can make sure you can place your shots in a vital area. .380 and 9mm I've seen not penetrate the skull and skirt around under the skin.

Yah, no FMJ!!! If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right.

As far as .380 and 9mm go, bullet technology has made even the lowly .380 effective against BGs wearing summer clothes. For winter, one may wish to have hotter or heavier loads for heavy coats. I prefer 10mm or .45ACP for winter.

Shot placement: 2 or 3 to center mass, 1 to the facial mask. If you don't know what that is, just imagine the Lone Rangers mask. Keep shooting as long as there is a threat. IMO if one can manage good shot placement for several shots, it hardly matters if one bullet squirts around or does not penetrate the skull. The rest will take up the slack.

Always use high quality factory defensive loads for self defense. Way too many people trust their lives to cheap FMJ target loads!

My home defense guns:
Taurus Judge with 2,5" Winchester PDX loads.. Nasty buggers!
Taurus .357
Taurus pocket .380
Ruger SR9c
Mossberg 500 combat 8rd 12ga with alternating slug and buck
Taurus Circuit Judge long gun with 3" Winchester PDX loads
Custom AR15 pistol with 30 round mags.

Probably should not come here when we're home if one wishes us harm.

 

[Brutus57]

Poll FAIL. You missed .223/5.56 and 7.62x39. Some folks own pistols that are concealable in these calibers.

Brutus Out

 

[bbbass]

I have contemplated buying a .22magnum revolver to add to the wife's arsenal, but that wasn't one of the choices. Ha.

 

[bbbass]

Poll FAIL. You missed .223/5.56 and 7.62x39. Some folks own pistols that are concealable in these calibers.

Oh NOOOOOOOoooo! Probably loaded with Green Tip too.