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22 vs 9mm
Published on 2020 by AmSJ Staff

Viewing the 9mm vs .22LR comparisons is not about which is the

better caliber, but which calibers serves best for Self-Defense, Hunting
or Plinking.

Which is better for Self-Defense, Hunting or

Plinking?
The 9mm and the .22LR are two popular ammunition out in the market.
They are different in respect to cartridge sizes. Comparing the two in a
head to head is easy when you’re only viewing the size of the caliber.
The 9mm is bigger than the 22 round.
The .22 rounds have much less energy than 9mm rounds, the powder
load is smaller. When fired has less acceleration and kinetic energy.
Which means the penetration and knock down power is not in the same
class as the 9mm caliber. However, that doesn’t mean the .22 isn’t
good for anything.
Beginner shooters can start with the .22. With the less recoil, it helps
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 newbies in learning all the basic marksmanship shooting.
For the more seasoned shooter, the .22 does offer speed in shooting
and accuracy.

Now thats not to say that you can’t do the same with the 9mm. The FBI
commissioned the 9mm caliber as the standard carry for their agents.
In this instances, from a beginner perspective the .22LR would be a
good starting point to develop their marksmanship. As a more
experienced shooter, its a matter of preferences. (more on this later)

Which is better is not a simple A or B answer. These two calibers are

quite popular amongst avid shooters, some may be more of the die-
hard but it seems that they prefer these calibers for self-defense,
hunting and plinking.
Let’s take a look at why these purposes serve one caliber and not the
other.

Self-Defense
For personal defense stopping an attacker in their track with good shot
placement to the vital area takes paramount in priorities.
Which is why the 9mm takes the lead in this due to the bigger size and
was specifically design for this purpose. (no brainer)
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 A quick word about “stopping the attacker” it means creating enough
damage to cause significant blood loss and/or causing enough pain to
make the attacker change their mind. So even if you’re packing a .22 J-
Frame revolver and put 5 rounds into the attacker which compelled
them to stop is also a good thing.

Shooting accurately and reliably can be about the Indian. But both of
these rounds can do the same. The .22LR is probably more
comfortable to shoot. Penetration is another important factor, the ideal
penetration needs to be at least 12 inches. (according to the FBI)
Most 22 LR does not reliably penetrate deep enough to strike
something critical. 22LR was never designed to be a self-protection
round and it serves poorly as one.
However, in some self-defense circle they believe the .22 is more
capable than a lot of people give it credit for. For example, with the
advancement in loads, the CCI Velocitor 40-grain small game load has
been known to perform relatively well out of handguns.

Lucky Gunner tested a 1.9-inch snub nose revolver with the 22

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 shooting at the ballistic gel. All five rounds penetrated between 10 and
12 inches. There was no expansion, which is expected for a .22.
Penetration is by far the more important attribute. The FBI uses a
minimum standard of 12 inches of penetration for duty ammo but 10
inches is nothing to sneeze at.
With good multiple shot placement, a bullet from a .22 handgun should
be more than capable of reaching the vital organs to physically disable
an attacker or create enough pain to make them stop.

Hunting
In this department its sort of unfair to compare the two for hunting
because the 9mm was never meant for hunting purpose.
22LR ammo is a better choice for hunting for this purpose. The .22 is
the more ideal round in this environment due to practicality. Of course
we’re not talking big game here, but small game. Another thing is most
.22LR for hunting is from a rifle. Unless you’re able to find a Stevens
Model 35 pistol from the past.

This single shot pistol in rimfire calibers and the more rare .410 shotgun
shell including the .22LR were the favorite of sportsman and target
shooters of yesteryear.
The downside to this pistol is that its a single shot. This gun was
knowns as “bicycle guns” because they were light and handy and
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 perfect for bringing along on your country bicycle trip for small game
and plinking. (back in the day)
The 9mm can be used for hunting, but its likely to cause much damage
to small game, it would destroy the meat that you’re harvesting.

Plinking & Target Practice

Both rounds are accurate and easy shooting. Both are chambered in a
variety of platforms and both are abundant and affordable. When it
comes to basic target practice it seems either round will serve you well.
22 LR is often a much cheaper option as compare to 9mm ammo. The
easy shooting 22 LR is excellent for new shooters and older people.
9mm is often the perfect caliber for shooters to move up once they are
comfortable with the 22 LR. The 9mm can be used in rifle form for
training and is still a blast to shoot. Both rounds certainly have their
place when it comes to plinking.

Final Shot
Think about it this way — most of us who are serious about practicing
our handgun skills on a regular basis tend to do the vast majority our
shooting with a full size or a compact pistol chambered for a service
caliber. That’s where we dedicate most of our training hours and our
ammo budget.

Both rounds excel at what they are designed and to do, and that’s why
they are the king of their respective bullet genres. Ideally its nice to
have one of each.
If you are just starting out – it’s impossible to go wrong with a .22 LR
caliber rifle/handgun as your first pick.
For a more experienced shooter and their purpose is everyday carry for
self-defense, they will lean more towards the 9mm.
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 Then theres the prepper groupies, if they had to choose only one
caliber, they will go with the .22LR. The .22LR is more pragmatic in that
environment and conditions.
What would you choose?
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