Important question. I'm ignorant when it comes to guns.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I'm looking to buy a rifle for self defense. I would like it to be rimfire sence the ammo is cheaper, but I would like the rifle to use a bigger round than a .22. I would greatly appreciate any input on my questions. Thank you all and let Liberty rein!
Maybe you can find one of the old 22 over shotgun Savages( or Stevens) then you have a 22 and something bigger. The shotgun for defense, bird hunting or even deer with slugs the 22 for small game. You may want a carbine in a handgun caliber like 9mm or 40 S&W but use hollow points for defense. Hope this gives you something to think on.
well being for self defense I would not suggest any rimfire round. You can get into legal issues by crippling someone. Dead people cant sue! Being a defense weapon I would suggest a shot gun in 12 gauge however 20 will do if you don't want the recoil of the 12. Ammo is not very expensive for the 12 or 20 gauge guns either. Neither are the platforms for which you would use these rounds. A good defensive shotgun brand new can be had for 300 dollars. You can spend less or more it is up to you really.
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Shotguns get the job done, they're very versatile weapons within their limits. 00 Buckshot isn't all that pricey, and there are some great recoil pads out there that really tame the 12 guage. I've got a really good slip-on buttpad on my pump and it really does reduce felt recoil quite a bit.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I'm looking to buy a rifle for self defense. I would like it to be rimfire sence the ammo is cheaper, but I would like the rifle to use a bigger round than a .22. I would greatly appreciate any input on my questions. Thank you all and let Liberty rein!
Welcome to G&G!
.22 is NOT an adequate DEFENSE round. What is your life worth to you?
Get a rifle that has some power, or get a shotgun. The cost of ammo is the price you pay for vigilance and freedom.
__________________ Criminals cheer for infringement of the Second Amendment. AR10 MBR GLOCK CCW
I would go for a shotgun instead of a rifle. With shot, you don't have to worry as much about over penetration as you would with the rifle (unless it is a handgun caliber as big boomer suggested). I keep a Mossberg 500 under the bed with 00 buck. You can pick up a 500 at Wal-mart for about $170.
Well, I suppose you could buy a Calico .22 with a 100 rd. drum, but it's going to take a heck of a lot more ammo to put an attacker down (in most cases) than a single 00 buckshot, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP rd.
All of these nay-sayers never used a .22mag much.I sugest a quality semi-auto .22mag if you are determined to use rimfire.They deliver enough punch to tear things up inside a human body and are about twice as deadly as a .22lr.The power ranges with a .380 with a lot more range,firepower,and accuracy. ,,,sam.
All of these nay-sayers never used a .22mag much.I sugest a quality semi-auto .22mag if you are determined to use rimfire.They deliver enough punch to tear things up inside a human body and are about twice as deadly as a .22lr.The power ranges with a .380 with a lot more range,firepower,and accuracy. ,,,sam.
Well Sam, I've seen both sides of the argument. My brother was shot in the back with a .22 revolver at close range and it nearly killed him because the bullet ricocheted off of his pelvic bone, took out his spleen, and lodged so close to his heart that the docs refused to touch it. The other case was a hispanic co-worker who got shot in the face with a .22 snubbie and the bullet poked a hole in his lip, knocked out two ft. teeth, and lodged in the roof of his mouth-he was @ work Mon. morn. just like normal. If I were going to be shot, I'd prefer a spitwad, after that it's gonna leave a mark...
Toolman!I'm ashamed of you!Did you miss .22MAG? Do you realise the .22mag has about 250ft-lbs of energy,compared to a .380acp with 150/200ft-lbs,or the 9mm with 300/330ft-lbs?Do you realise the .22mag will penetrate much deeper than either? The .22lr is not to be denied as a sd,but the .22mag is very plausable.(not quite as much in a handgun,but still very deadly.) ,,,sam.
Where as I can agree with all of the comments made, to one degree or another, of the other responders to your question. I feel compelled to put in my two cents worth.
In rimfire cartridges you have 4 choices: 17Mach2, 17HRM, 22LR and 22WRM. The .17 calibers are necked down versions of their .22 predecessors. I would personally go for one of the larger, if only slightly, 22 calibers.
I do believe that the late handgun master Elmer Keith one time wrote in "Shooting Times Magazine" that when asked what gun he would suggest for home defense use. His answer was the Ruger 10/22. The Ruger 10/22 is, I believe, available in both 22LR and 22 Magnum.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I'm looking to buy a rifle for self defense. I would like it to be rimfire sence the ammo is cheaper, but I would like the rifle to use a bigger round than a .22. I would greatly appreciate any input on my questions. Thank you all and let Liberty rein!
Patriot As many here have already stated the rimfire rounds available are not the best choice for self defense, but if that is the only way you are willing to go, the 22 Mag is far and away above the 22 lr in power.
The use of a rifle at all depends where you want to defend yourself! If this is at home then there are several questions you need to ask yourself.
No1 who besides yourself is usually inside your home?
If you live alone then most of the other questions don't matter, but if you have others in other rooms a rifle is a dangerous choice.
No 2 What are your walls made of?
If your walls are solid like Brick, then the rifle may be OK, but if they are stud & drywall, then you have to worry about killing or enjuring some one in another room, or even outside your home by shooting through the walls.
No3 What is the longest distance inside your home for a clear shot,
without hitting a wall?
If like most homes the longest distance will be no more than about 25 feet down a hall way, but the average distance in most of the house will be about 10 feet. So you don't need range at all, which again negates the rifle.
No 4 What is your desire? stop agression, or kill the opponant, if need
be?
This is something to think about because the taking of another human's life is a serious matter, one that you never want unless absolutely necessary.
Then what is your tollerance for recoil?
If the answer is you can handle a shotguns recoil, then for home defence this may be your best choice, depending on your answers to 1 thru 4 qurestions above. If No 1 is there are others in you home this again indicates a shotgun. The reason for this is it is less likely to shoot through more than one wall, and with proper ammo, will do a fair amount of damage on the first layer of that wall knocking a 3" hole right through the first dry wall covering, but will barely go through the second layer into another room. I say WITH PROPER AMMO, meaning no buck shot, or slug! They penetrate too much. But at the distances you will be shooting inside your home, a 12 ga one oz load of of No4 or five shot will still be in a very tight pattern at under 20 feet, because new ammo for shotguns today are always in a shot cup, and really don't spread wider that about 5 or 6 inches in 20 feet. The act like a solid bullet at 10 feet, but scrub off power quite quickly after hitting anything.
What guns have you shot before?
If you are thinking of a handgun then you don't want a very powerful pistol like a 357 mag, or a 44 mag, those damn things will kill all your kids three rooms away. A 38 spcl, with something like a winchester silver tip hollow point will almost all ways scrub off most of it's power in the perp, and is desirable because you don't want to shoot through and kill an innocent bystander. In the auto pistols inside a home a 380acp 9mm, or 40 acp with the same hollow point silvertip ammo is the best choice.
And will this firearm be used out on the road as well?
If the answer to this is "YES" then the rifle may be usefull, but is hard to put into use while trying to get your car stopped with someone shooting at you. So here a handgun will be your best choice. What you really need is a shotgun, and rifle, and a good handgun, and learn to use them all. The shotgun for home, the handgun to carry, and the short rifle for any longer distance shooting. However, the law forwns on shooting people from long distance, they seem to think you are out of danger if a rifle is needed to reach them.
Which only proves that even people that know little about terminal ballistics and penetration of drywall can write about guns and home defense. ,,,sam.
Not all of you started out at 8yrs of age with a singleshot .22 and are now turning 70yrs and still shooting them.My first .22rf shot shorts only and as I recall 50rds cost $.36. A lot of money back then. ,,,sam.
Since you said your ignorant when it comes to guns, I personally think a revolver would be a better choice for you for self defense more so then a rifle.
And revolvers are a plenty in rimfire. lol But again, I personally think a .38 would be a much better choice for self defense then a .22. Just my opinion FWIW.
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Last edited by GlockMeister; 09-27-2009 at 02:43 PM.
Important question. I'm ignorant when it comes to guns. 
