Comments on: .22LR: The Best Survival Ammunition?

By: 264Win

264Win — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 04:49:35 +0000

I agree with all of the above. It may be puny in someones opinionbut if someone is shooting at you it doesn’t matter what size the bullet you don’t want to be hit.

By: justbill

justbill — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 23:45:05 +0000

If the .22LR was as effective against big game and humans as it appears most respondants believe, why in the world did hunting and defensive arms move so far beyond the tiny rimfire in terms of energy, bullet weight, penetration, etc? The mantra of “accuracy trumps power” only goes so far. Even headshots are not a guaranteed kill/stop. The cartridge just doesn’t do that much damage.

Don’t get me wrong, the .22 serves a useful place in a survival battery. It would be foolish not to have a reliable, accurate .22 available. But please don’t delude yourself into thinking it is even a marginally adequate replacement for a larger, more powerful centerfire when the targets are much bigger than a groundhog. Or desire your demise as much as you do theirs.

By: Blacklion66

Blacklion66 — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 16:37:09 +0000

A old moose hunting tip from Alaskan natives using a 22 rifle, shoot a moose in the belly and then leave the moose alone for a hour or more. The Moose will run a short distance, lay down and will die at that spot if left alone. The Natives claim the moose starts feeling sorry for itself and just gives up. And no I’ve never tried this but heard this story years ago from the wife of a native elder.

By: VictorB

VictorB — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 16:00:59 +0000

I have used the 22LR as a primary weapon for survival for more then thirty years from North to South America. Between my father and I we have kill everything from Canadian black bears to 800 pound Amazon Tapirs with the common 22lr. Of course, being a good shot and knowing where to shoot a large animal to kill it makes all the difference. Since I moved back to the US several years ago, I found the alarming trend of people using virtual cannons to shoot regular animals like whitetail deer. I once saw a man wound (Yes, wound)an Axis deer with a Weatherby 300 Winmag. I agree totally with the author, that the 22lr is the best all around round for practicability and survival. In the hands of the right users, it can be a great tool. If you feel that it is not big enough, you can always upgrade to the .22 Magnum and get more kill power and range for not that much more weight.

By: SmithKoWitz

SmithKoWitz — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 23:43:56 +0000

I am fan of the 22 caliber as well, not only in 22LR but also 22WMR. I carry a 22WMR NAA Black Widow as a warm weather back-up, nice and small with quite a punch for a tiny gun. I also shoot 22LR every time I go to the range to practice, roughly 125 rounds a visit. Generally warm up with my 22 Buckmark Practical or a S&W 617 revolver w/6″ barrel. The 22WMR is quite a bit costlier, but if you shop around you can find 50 packs around $7.50, not too bad considering some 22LR ammo is more expensive for 50. I generally buy Federal 525 packs, reasonably accurate and a failure rate under 1%, more than I can say for cheap Remington bulk pack ammo (failure of about 5%). I rarely if ever, have to fire Federal more than a second time, but have attempted to fire some Remington ammo 4x’s to no avail. In the same gun the same day. I know it’s not a Buckmark issue, as I have a Ruger MK III that has issues with the Remington ammo, as does the S&W 617, though not as often as the semi-autos. The revolver must strike the cartridge more effectively; that or Remington just makes a lot of duds. For low price ammo, I would recommend the Federal 525 packs.

By: felipe.sfea

felipe.sfea — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 15:55:27 +0000

22LR was the first caliber i have ever shot, i was 18.. or maybe 19. Was an old Rossi revolver my grandad gave me.. and i still like em both, revolver and caliber..

By: Ernie White

Ernie White — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 06:17:20 +0000

I got my first 22 sears single shot when I was 10 years old. I later got a H&R 8 shot target pistol when I was 16 years old. I had to teach my younger brother to shoot.
I use to shoot with 22s in scouting.
I hunted rabbits & squirrels with it too.
I never had to shoot a person yet. I hope I never have to but if I ever do I may use a 22LR to do it with. I will be 70 years old in December of 2012 & I can still shoot out to 100 yards with iron sites. I do have scopes on my Deer rifles. Win 30-30 model 1894 & a Marlin 30.06 both zerro in at 100 yards.

By: October

October — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 05:36:45 +0000

Well, I grew up with a single shot marlin 22 bolt action with the red and green plastic inserts for the thumb safety. We were country people, and used a 22 short to kill beef and hogs. Open sights with a whittled match stick for elevation. Longest kill was a Canadian goose at 324 yards (he had sat down on Langley Pond while I was shooting fish).
Have lived in Alaska for 35 years. Put most water fowl and spruce hens and ptarmigan in the freezer with a 22. Take a young moose every other year with the 22. and rabbits, and most predators (for hides). Most shots are at 50 yards or so. Haven’t shot fish up here, but would be very effecient if needed.
I have a couple of .338′s, a 7×57, and a 12ga that I use regularly. But… I use a 22 for so much because it will do all that I need.

By: shortypa

shortypa — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 04:34:28 +0000

I have been using a 22 since I was very young, and if it came down to carrying a firearm for survival it would be a 22. I have shot a lot of rabbits and other game with the 22. I still have the very first 22 rifle that I ever bought, and it still shoots as well today as it did back in the early 1960′s.
It is a firearm that you can always count on to get the job down. I do agree with all the information that has been shared on the 22 shells, and their ability to do the job right.

By: Texasgiant

Texasgiant — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 04:02:22 +0000

Feed you, entertain you and defend you.