Let’s just address the elephant in the room right out of the gate:
The .22 LR is NOT the best choice for self-defense
There, we said it.
No one will deny that the .22 Long Rifle cartridge is a great training tool for new shooters thanks to its nonexistent recoil. It’s amazing for plinking and pest control, but the simple truth is that larger calibers like the 9mm, 38 Special, and 45 ACP make better self-defense cartridges than the 22 LR.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the 22 LR, but it simply doesn’t cause a large enough wound channel to reliably put down bad guys (and FBI ballistic gelatin tests confirm this).
As such, every time I walk out the door I’m grabbing my Glock 26 and not my Walther P22.
BUT!
If all you own is a short-barrel 22 LR Ruger LCR or Taurus TX22, and it’s between carrying that or a pointy stick…Then all I’ll say is that a 22 LR in the pocket is better than a 45 ACP on the nightstand any day.
Can the 22 LR protect your life in a self-defense situation? You bet your rimfire rear-end it can! However, if you want to increase your chances of surviving a self-defense situation using a rimfire handgun, then you need the right ammo to get the job done.
Below you’ll find our top 5 picks for the best 22 LR self-defense loads on the market today (plus a few honorable mentions!)
For those of you who want to place an order now, grab a few boxes of the Browning Performance 36 Grain CPHP. But if you want to explore the best .22 LR rimfire ammunition for self-defense, keep reading.
If you’re new to buying .22 LR ammo, check out our Buyer’s Guide HERE to learn more. Otherwise, just scroll down a little more for the top 5 best .22 LR ammo you can buy to defend your life.
The Best .22 LR for Self-Defense
- Browning Performance 36 Grain CPHP
- CCI Stinger 32 Grain CPHP
- Winchester Super-X 40 Grain CPHP
- Aguila 38 Grain CPHP
- Federal Punch Defense 29 Grain FMJ
Best 22LR for Self-Defense - Overall
Browning Performance 36 Grain CPHP
Specs
- Bullet Casing: Brass
- Bullet Type: CPHP (Copper Plated Hollow Point)
- Bullet Weight: 36 Grain
- Muzzle Velocity: 1,280 fps
- Muzzle Energy: 131 foot-pounds
Pros
- Affordable
- Easy to find
- CPHP offers some fragmentation
Cons
- Questionable reliability is some handguns
Why We Chose It
As far as rimfire cartridges go, you aren’t going to find many .22 LR rounds that are versatile enough for plinking, varmint hunting, and self-defense. To make the best .22 LR ammo for self-defense, we had to consider reliability, price, performance, and availability. For us, that’s the Browning Performance 36 Grain CPHP.
A simple copper-plated hollow point round with a solid lead core, this ammo is versatile enough to stop threats from home intruders to rabbits and squirrels. Due to the copper-plated encasement, the projectile penetrates well and won’t deform before creating a deep wound channel.
It’s a non-corrosive round with a high velocity that maximizes kinetic energy transfer (stopping power) and can be used in self-defense scenarios. However, make sure that you test this ammo in your preferred rimfire handgun before you decide to CCW it, as I had some reliability issues with Browning rimfire ammunition in my Walther P22.
However, if you find that your handgun likes this ammo, then you won’t be disappointed by its performance.
Honorable Mention
Winchester Silvertip 37 Grain Segmented Hollow Point - Another hard-hitting, fast .22 LR cartridge is the Winchester Silvertip. This cartridge also maximizes stopping power for a small-caliber bullet with high velocity and a hollow point projectile.
However, it can be a bit difficult to find, so when you can get your hands on a box of the Winchester Silvertip, snatch it up.
CCI Stinger 32 Grain CPHP
Specs
- Bullet Casing: Nickel-Plated Brass
- Bullet Type: CPHP (Copper Plated Hollow Point)
- Bullet Weight: 32 Grain
- Muzzle Velocity: 1,640 fps
- Muzzle Energy: 191 ft-lbs
Pros
- Extremely affordable
- Reliable
- Hollow point provides some expansion
- High availability
Cons
- Lower velocity in typical CCW handguns
Why We Chose It
If you want incredibly reliable .22LR ammo that goes “Bang” every time you squeeze the trigger, then make sure to grab some CCI Stingers.
One major bonus of the CCI Stinger is that it utilizes a nickel-plated brass case that is incredibly smoot feeding. This is important for self-defense ammunition, because clearing a jam can mean the difference between life and death.
CCI Stingers also have some of the highest muzzle velocities available for rimfire ammo, outstripping CCI Mini-Mag and CCI Velocitor ammo by quite a wide margin.
Similar to the Browning ammo mentioned earlier, the 32 Grain CCI Stinger fires a copper-plated hollow point to initiate bullet fragmentation inside the target. But there are some notable differences. For example, the CCI stinger has a much higher muzzle velocity than the Browning (although this may vary depending on barrel length).
Ultimately, it’s a varmint round, but it can also be effective in other scenarios. The copper-plated hollow point tip keeps the bullet from expanding too quickly and gives us penetration of 11” and 13” (in a gel test).
One thing to keep in mind is that most (not all) manufacturers report their muzzle velocities from test barrels that are typically longer than 16". I don’t know about you, but I’m not planning on EDC’ing a Ruger 10-22!
Short barrel 22 LR pistols like the Ruger LCP will generally have a lower muzzle velocity than what’s listed on the box, and this is true for most all manufacturers. This is not to say that the rounds are ineffective, but it’s something you should be aware of before carrying a 22 LR handgun for self-defense.
However, CCI Stingers are very affordable and easy to buy in bulk to stockpile for multiple purposes. Take a few boxes to the range and ensure your .22 LR pistol (or rifle) likes the ammo, then keep the rest at home for the worst-case home defense scenario.
Winchester Super-X 40 Grain CPHP
Specs
- Bullet Casing: Brass
- Bullet Type: CPHP (Copper-Plated Hollow Point)
- Bullet Weight 40 Grain
- Muzzle Velocity: 1,435 fps
- Muzzle Energy: 108 ft-lbs
Pros
- High velocity for a heavier bullet
- Very affordable
- High availability
Cons
- Reliability
Why We Chose It
You can’t go wrong with Winchester. The company has delivered excellent, high-quality, and effective rounds for generations. Of course, the Winchester Super-X 40 Grain is another excellent option for self-defense for those who want or need to use a .22 LR.
This high-velocity cartridge has a copper-plated hollow point that has more kinetic energy transfer (often referred to as “stopping power”) due to the projectile’s opening on the tip.
Compared to other bullet types, the CPHP’s copper jacket decreases fragmentation. While expansion is typically great for other calibers, the lower-powered .22 LR must stay intact to increase penetration.
The wider meplat (bullet tip) combined with higher velocity and copper-plated tip means there’s a larger wound channel on impact. You’ll also get adequate penetration and more kinetic energy transfer.
Of course, it’s probably no surprise that, like all ammo, some shooters experience feeding and accuracy issues with the Winchester Super-X. Fortunately, it’s a pretty low-cost round, so getting to the range to test it (as you should any self-defense rounds) isn’t going to break the bank.
Honorable Mention
Federal Champion 40 Grain LRN - The Federal Champion is a 40 Grain bullet with a led round nose (LRN) that’s reliable, accurate and hits pretty hard. You’re bound to get excellent penetration with a 1,200 fps muzzle velocity and the higher-weight grain.
Aguila 38 Grain CPHP
Specs
- Bullet Casing: Brass
- Bullet Type: CPHP (Copper Plated Hollow Point)
- Bullet Weight: 38 Grain
- Muzzle Velocity: 1,280 fps
- Muzzle Energy: 138 ft-lbs
Pros
- Very accurate
- High reliability at this price point
- Lowest cost/round on our list
Cons
- Lower muzzle velocity
Why We Chose It
The Aguila 38 Grain copper-plated hollow points is one of the lower-cost options on our list. But it isn’t lacking in quality. On the contrary, Aguila is well-known for producing high-quality rounds that feed well (in most cases) and have excellent accuracy.
This cartridge has a lower muzzle velocity than other .22 LR recommendations for self-defense, but it also has excellent penetration and isn’t likely to expand too quickly. As with many other recommendations you’ve seen, the Aguila has a solid lead core encased in a copper-plated jacket to keep the projectile from breaking apart on impact.
Of course, what’s better is that for less than one dime per round, you can easily stockpile it, practice with it, and keep a few boxes on hand if you ever find yourself or your family in harm’s way.
Honorable Mention
Fiocchi 38 Grain CPHP - The weight, design, and velocity of the Aguila 38 Grain CPHP are incredibly similar to the Fiocchi 38 Grain CPHP. It’s an excellent .22 LR cartridge that can be used for self-defense as well as small game hunting and varmint control. If, for any reason, you can’t get the Aguila we’ve listed above, grab a few boxes of Fiocchi instead. You won’t be disappointed.
Federal Punch Defense 29 Grain FMJ
Specs
- Bullet Casing: Nickel-plated brass
- Bullet Type: FN (Flat Nose)
- Bullet Weight: 29 Grain
- Muzzle Velocity: 1080 fps
- Muzzle Energy: 75 ft-lbs
Pros
- Specially designed for self-defense
- Affordably priced
- High-quality
Cons
- Availability
Why We Chose It
The .22 LR has plenty of drawbacks when it comes to self-defense. The smaller projectiles with lower muzzle velocities can veer off course and often have too little penetration to stop a threat effectively. Federal’s engineers recognized these drawbacks and designed this cartridge to overcome them.
As far as rimfire cartridges go, this one is designed to maximize penetration and weight retention. Whereas some of the other options on our list are designed to expand, the Federal Punch 29 Grain, surprisingly, does the opposite.
This cartridge has a flat nose, and its lead core is encased in a heavy nickel-plated jacket. The design allows the bullet to penetrate deeper than other .22 LR ammo while also keeping a straighter path on impact.
Furthermore, this round’s brilliant design and increased muzzle velocity help it exceed the FBI standard of 12” penetration in ballistic gel (penetrating nearly 14” with a 16-inch barrel). The listed muzzle velocity from Federal Premium comes from a 2-inch barrel, which is what most responsible civilians will choose to concealed carry.
While it won’t replace a solid self-defense caliber like the 9mm or .45 ACP, all of these features combined definitely increase its effectiveness.
Parting Shots
While we wouldn’t run out and buy a .22 over a Glock or a Ruger 9mm (or another semi-auto firearm that packs more punch), we would rather have a .22 than a pointy stick or baseball bat.
While many tout the .22 LRs’ ineffectiveness in personal defense, it also has its benefits (especially if you’re using the best self-defense ammo available). For example, it’s an excellent caliber shooters who are extremely recoil sensitive or have weak hands.
So, if you plan to keep a few boxes of .22 LR ammo around in case the worst should happen, order one of the options above. If you want to pick up a few other boxes for plinking or target shooting, head over to our .22 LR ammo page for more cartridges.
