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Fieldcraft Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

22s scare the crap outta me. I made a double shooting once and I won't go into the details but it may high lite the difference between stopping power and lethality. A suspect shot a man in the chest with a 45acp at close range with 1 round. The man went down immediatly and died several hours later. The mans' son armed with a 22lr. target pistol chased the suspect into an alley and (according to witnesses) took a target shooters' stance and fired one round. The suspect was about a block away by this time. The 22 round struck the suspect about midway of the upper right arm. The suspect ran another 1/4 to 1/2 block and collapsed. He was still alive and talking when I got to him. He died on the way to the hospital while I was performing CPR. The bullit had struck the bone in his arm and followed it up into his chest where it ran around like a mad bee.
The 45 stopped the argument now but the victim lived several hours but was unable to move. The 22 killed it's victim within a short time but he was still able to run a fair distance after being shot in the ARM.
22s do strange things and they scare the crap outta me!
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

LOL, Had a Emg Room Surgeon tell me, shoot a guy with a .22LR, and he will usually die, in 24hrs, or less,(Torso), and depending on defelection..
Shoot em' with a .22 Mag and kill em' NOW.
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

When I was younger I use to acquire extra deer (as needed) with a .22 between the eyes. I never shot one that didn't fall. Never shot one that was truly dead either, I found that interesting.

my .45 mag black powder has em dead however
smile.gif
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

Shoot them behind the ear and they will be dead.So i have heard.
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

Nope loaded em up live and whacked with a hammer in the garage when we got home........simpler times
smile.gif

Another crack would make people look around to much.
I prefer my life now don't need anything. praise the Lord.
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

My son brought home a "road kill" sunday night that was doing pretty well for lying in the back of his truck .
I pulled it out and it was trying to get up 3 machete whacks and it was a 2 part deer, that was funny.
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

Some of these "reports" on lethality really make me wonder... I have shot, conservatively, in excess of 50 whitetail deer with the .22 LR, testing just about all the different commercial loads available. Real handy being a Nuisance Wildlife Control Officer, and filling Damage Control permits.

The LR is entirely too unreliable for head shots, and if you take shots at the chest cavity, expect a challenging trailing job. Make just a little jump, up to the WMR, and it becomes a night & day contrast. Hollow point loads make chest shots considerably quicker to drop, and when applying solids, the head shot becomes superbly reliable.

Not to imply that the .22 LR hasn't been used countless times, or that it can't work for those applying it for subsistence hunting, but for a quick, reliable, and humane dispatch, it can only be counted upon when used at spitting range. In fact, my personal trapline companion is a Colt Diamondback loaded with .22 shorts. No worries about reliable penetration on skulls from 'coons to coyotes.
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

In all honesty, probably less than ten dropped within 50 yards, but all eventually succumbed and were recovered. I'm sure that your State has a similar arrangement for controlling damage to crops, etc.
Please don't misunderstand me, as it is illegal here in New York for the recreational hunter to use a rimfire for big game. There are somewhat different regulations concerning what may be used by licensed Control Officers, as well as when animals can be taken (closed season, after nightfall, etc.). This is not hunting per se, it is accomplishing a goal, to control an otherwise unacceptable condition.
Keeping this thread on track, just send me a PM if you have any further questions.
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

This thread inspired me to upgrade my (basic) 10/22 for longer-distance shooting -- my wife thanks you for the dent in the checkbook.
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

my grandfather prefers to gut shoot feral dogs and coyotes with a .22.... that way he doesn't have to fool with the body lol
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

That's amazing!!!
I would have never believed that was possible out of a standard velocity .22 round, or for that matter a high velocity round.
Compare that to the .223 at almost triple the velocity.
All I can say is shot placement..

Good Job and Thanks for the eye opener..
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

So all that stuff they tried to teach me about shot placement being more important than shot size was true!? But wait... I can still knock a man back 100 feet with a single .45ACP to the chest right?

Seriously though, outstanding thread.
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MontanaMarine</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I've decisively killed many rabbits with a 5mm Sheridan air rifle </div></div>

+1
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

Some turd out here in idaho is shooting cows and horses along the bingham and bonneville county lines with a .22 and killing them, albiet slowly...

I'd surely like for the turds to wander in front of some rather advanced technology!!

Later
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

I recall one time I was waiting to get a haircut and I was paging through an outdated field and stream magazine and there was an article with pictures of an eskimo woman who had been surprised by a 12 foot grizzly bear the only weapon at hand was a .22 rifle,she took a shot and killed it instantly, the bullet went through one eye and into his brain dropping him on the spot I believe it's listed in the book of world records?
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

Great post also have seen some amazing shots here in alaska with 22lr/22mag/17hmr aseals head is quite small at 100 meters and the young men with good eyes are deadly. The 17 in many flavors tends to drift with the wind first mag is the best but Im sure you guys know this already.And more moose have been killed in Alaska with the 30/30 cal than all the rest put togather I use a 77/22mag ruger two excell 17hmr,s three 22lr,s as trainers for 8&10 year olds am planning to convert the one excell to 22rim mag as its my fav of all would be nice to see some detailed tests like this one
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

I must say this post inspired me. I threw my super sniper scope on my 10/22 and did some 200yd shooting this weekend. With HEAVY 20+mph winds i was able to hit an 8" steel plate 9 out of 10 times. Had to use 17.5 moa of drop. I'm gonna put a target out next time just to see how I can group it. VERY fun cheap shooting. Wish the squirls were a little more active right now.
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Triggerfifty</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Some turd out here in idaho is shooting cows and horses along the bingham and bonneville county lines with a .22 and killing them, albiet slowly...

I'd surely like for the turds to wander in front of some rather advanced technology!!

Later </div></div>

Sounds about as bright as the person mentioned above who gut-shoots dogs and coyotes.
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

Excellent post!. I had a buddy from Monroe Michigan who used to kill woodchucks at 250yds with a 3-9 scope and a 10/22. Big old bean field behind his house where we would shoot. I did not believe it when he told me but went over one day and watched him hit a milk jug repeatedly with it.
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

The Israelis used to use Ruger 22 pistols for whacking Nazis hiding out in South America. And I can certainly see someone using a .22 if that's all they have, or if the shooter is not versed in any other weapon. But for a well-trained individual with access to good equipment, it seems the .22 is a bit of a handicap. It might work out fine, and it might not.

Very interesting study, however.
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

The 22LR's are very deadly, especially with CCI stingers. As a boy I killed so many birds that our next door neighbor ( An old lady) pleaded with me to not shoot the pretty song birds......I think I ignored her or I was a little more discrete....I can't remember....I've had to put deer out of their missery with the 22lr's out of a Walther P-22. Pop....In the brain and put to sleep....SmokeRolls
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

Out of self defense against a 1500 pound bull, I shot him across the head with a 22 lr. The first shot impacted his skull at approximately a 30* angle. It scalped a stripe to the top of his head and then spun off into orbit. Later he came back at me before I could get away. I let one go toward the same spot (at about 20 yds away). Unfortunately this time his head was down, and the bullet impacted at nearly a 90* angle. His legs folded up and he was suspended midair for a fraction of a second. Dead before he hit the ground. It was at that point that I had to reconsider how much a .22 really is.

FWIW, a 1500 pound bull makes a lot of hamburger.
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

Great post! I can tell you from my past paramedic days that the 22LR is nothing to shrug your shoulders at. I have seen many gunshot wounds and almost every 22LR wound that was center mass or head were all fatal. With that said, we did not get any other information about distances and such.
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: hatidua</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Sounds about as bright as the person mentioned above who gut-shoots dogs and coyotes. </div></div>

hate that it offends you, but some people have better shit to do, other than spend their day paying respects to varmints that hurt business.....
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

athhud, your and your grandfather are an embarrassment. People who cannot be relied upon to act responsibly (that includes respecting all animals shot/hunted) should not be allowed to own weapons. Wonder how you would feel with some hot lead in your gut...
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

I'm sure I'll lose plenty of sleep over the tears of a flea bitten 'yote......

edit: Might I add that the majority of coyote deaths on our farm are center mass with a 30-06.... However, when u can only get a running shot from a tractor, u just wanna be sure that they will not be returning.....
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

Not admitting that I have ever poached deer in our National Park right under the noses of the park rangers covered up under a camo net with them shining torches less than 10 feet away with one ranger shouting " I know you little bastards are out here and im gonna get you fucking pricks"... I hear that a .22lr suppressed is very good at taking down the average size beast.... also makes little or no noise...

Well thats what I hear
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

Eddieo, you Old Sod skunk, how the heck are you doing?? My last trip to the Emrald Isle was in October, 2008. Hope all is going well for you now. regards, Dale.
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

I have gotten kills on groundhawgs out to 300 yards with my 10/22 and 36 grain Winchester super x hollow points. But never expected to pass through a turkey. Thanks for the great info and write up.
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

Greta research, well done, good info.
i have used a 10/22 .22 as a defense rifle since it was the only one available.
while the lethality wasnt there, it kept heads down and caused more then a few fight stopping wounds.
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

about ten years ago i read a report on stopping power. this was directed at pistol round performance. the numbers were low for american leo's. we carry the "big" guns like .45acp and .40 s&w and at that time i carried 10mm. our numbers were like 60?%. now the irony here is that as i can remember that the sweedish or swiss (can't remember which) used .22 lr. our numbers were like 60 something percent one shot stop. theirs were 98 or 99% one shot kill.
the moral of the story was, skill comes thru training. folks think that they can do it with a bigger gun and the shot placement is not so critical if the gun is bigger. so they think they don't need to practice as much. or is it they can't afford to practice with those big guns?
i noticed that most all 9mm shooters qualified at cleet training where the big .4 shooters struggled and in some cases did not qualify. this is why my ruger mark 3 sees 10k rounds a year and my glock 17 sees only a couple thousand.
but as you all know the .45 acp is america's round and is preferred in a 100 plus year old design. we've came a long way since then. bullet designs are better. pistols are designed to be more ergonomic and less recoil conducting.
if i were to find myself in a gun fight with my mark3, i would not be too worried. remember, only the hits count. and the whimpy little .22 is up to the task of taking you ass out!!!
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

alright i concur that a .22 will hit and penetrate, but i would consider "lethality" to mean "fight stopping" and a .22 aint it. mostly folks shot with it still have a whack at the shooter. theres no expansion or temporary expanded wound channel to devastatingly stop the tango and the hole created is so small that it easily closes itself preventing massive hemmorage in many cases. sure theyre likely to die but maybe after killing you, your team, your family, your dog, everyone you know...
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

You are a brave soul bad mouthing the 1911 like that.






Just messing with ya.
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> but i would consider "lethality" to mean "fight stopping" </div></div>

I use the dictionary definition of "Lethality"

Which is: <span style="font-weight: bold">Capable of causing death.</span>

Not the same as: "Stopping Power" or "Fight Stopping"

It is quite obvious that a 22LR does not have a lot of "stopping power" and it wasn't the intent of "experiment". It was related to how lethal the 22LR can be at long distance.

 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

DesertFrog-

Great experiment and thread, thanks for posting!

Shawn
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

Due to budget restraints, and HH6 (Household 6)I am restricted to essentials.
I wonder how well a factory Ruger 10/22 would shoot at distance? Any experiences? What kind of 10/22 round works best?
Thanks...
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

If I recall correctly (that was many years ago) my grouping was around 5 to 6 inches at 100 yards with my factory Ruger 10/22 and as usual with a 22 - mostly with a stock barrel IMHO - you need to try various ammo.

The best ammo at the time for my rifle was ScoreMaster which does not exist anymore. The bulk ammo would shoot pretty much like crap and the subsonic would not recycle reliably.

In your position, I would start with some Federal AutoMatch. I've heard some good results with those rounds in 22.

IF YOU CONSIDERING UPGRADING:

A match barrel is not that expensive - well, sort of... but is worth every $

Here is a link to one of the top manufacturer:

http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/catalog.aspx?catid=10-22.920sporterdiameterbarrels

Problem is, you gonna need to change the stock too to accomodate the larger barrel.

So, a basic upgrade (barrel and stock) would cost you around $ 80

See: http://www.1022partstore.com/?gclid=CO_Jka7xtpkCFRYiagod30aV6g

So I think for around $250 you can have a basic tack driver.

 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

DF,
Great to know! Keep up the good postings, and I look forward to hearing more about your tracking/survival classes.
 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

I'm a little late on this thread but I'm a huge fan of the .22 rimfire and it's Sniper Configurations. I believe the Chechen's are using something similar to this:

sv99-l.jpg


sv99-lo.jpg


sv99-2_sm.jpg


sv99-1_sm.jpg



Here's as close as I could get to a copy: (after jumping through the tax stamp hoops, etc).


DSCF1044.jpg


DSCF1037.jpg


It's super quiet and lot's of fun.

Paul



 
Re: Lethality of the 22LR- Results!

Was a Cold Case files or Forensic Files on the other night - the LE spoke about a guy killed with a 22LR - took 3 minutes for subject to die, he caught one in the main artery to the heart.

But 3 minutes is a long time..