15-22 as a home defense weapon?

[sr3jan]

Thinking about my new 15-22 as a home defense weapon. I live in a townhouse with residents on both sides so my 5.56 AR is too dangerous (penetrating walls). Not to mention the blast indoors on my ears, my wife's ears and our (soon to be born) son. Say you have a full mag & proper lights or a laser - could this be an option for fending off an intruder? Of course, if he's wearing body armor I'm screwed but hopefully nobody hates me that much.

Interested to hear your thoughts.

PS - I don't own a shotgun yet but I do have a .40 pistol among the other weapons mentioned above.

 

[thousandstar]

I am not a firearms expert, but in my humble opinion I think the mp 15-22 would be a perfect home defense weapon.
Capasity to put multiple rounds on target very quickly.
Limited noise.
Limited risk of wall penetration.

 

[Beuford T. Rimfire]

This topic has come up before. Startled in the middle of the night and/or under duress, most people are inaccruate, or at least inconsistent, with a pistol. Having a stock to brace against and a longer weapon to work with greatly improves accuracy under stress. In a nutshell, any accurate .22 delivered into a BG is better than a salvo of .40 cal bullets that never hit their mark. And if 25 rounds isn't enough... couple two mags together.

For HD, choose your ammo wisely. Buy something that always works, is accurate, and has some mass to it. Try out the CCI Velocitor .40gr or the Winchester Super-X PowerPoint 40gr.

 

[les strat]

I guess it would be like how some people load their shotguns up with bird shot instead of buckshot to prevent over-penetration of walls. I still wouldn't want to get hit at close range with birdshot. It pretty much has the same impact. I also wouldn't want to get hit with 25 rounds of .22.

I'd use something like CCI Stingers (except in the PC model).

 

[aguablanco]

I believe that a .22, and especially the 15-22, would be a great HD firearm. Adequate capacity, fairly maneuverable in close quarters, and rails for accessories make this a good choice. Also, don't forget that it will be easier to educate and train the wife since the recoil and noise is only a fraction of what it would be with major caliber weapons. My EDC is a Ruger LCP and I sometimes get a little grief from my friends for it "only" being a .380, but so far, no one has offered to take a round to prove how ineffective it would be in an emergency. It is infinitely better to have some type of weapon handy in case of an emergency than to have to rely on voice commands to scare away bad guys. With a new baby on the way, your first concern should be to secure that gun against unauthorized access now so you will be in the habit by the time they reach the crawling stage. It won't be as long as you think.
RichH

 

[Maddmax]

Shotgun and bird shot. Last two rounds are 00buck.

 

[magnetik]

I wouldn't trust my life on it, personally. (jmho) Most criminals will probably run or freeze if they saw someone with an ar and laser/light pointed at them. So intimidation factor is high compared to a handgun, esp at night. However if I was an intruder with a big gun and possibly drugged out, or that off chance the guy has some military type training.. you might wish you'd brought a bigger gun.

I'd might be pissed if you didn't take me out in the initial flurry of shots. At that point.. I'd be "***, I shouldn't have listened to the interwebs and bought that M&P15 or tac shotgun, this guys shooting at me, now what?" heh I think most theives are generally stupid and will run with noise.. but I'm not willing to take that chance for that instance it's not and they start spraying or have more experience than someone on america's dumbest criminals. Don't under estimate your enemy.

 

[Majorlk]

This topic has come up before. Startled in the middle of the night and/or under duress, most people are inaccruate, or at least inconsistent, with a pistol. Having a stock to brace against and a longer weapon to work with greatly improves accuracy under stress. In a nutshell, any accurate .22 delivered into a BG is better than a salvo of .40 cal bullets that never hit their mark. And if 25 rounds isn't enough... couple two mags together.

For HD, choose your ammo wisely. Buy something that always works, is accurate, and has some mass to it. Try out the CCI Velocitor .40gr or the Winchester Super-X PowerPoint 40gr.

That's because the average handgun owner knows little more than how to load it and shoot it at the range. If one does not have at least some basic self-defense training, he is better off hiding under the bed.

That same person will probably be just as inept and ineffective with a 15-22 and a 50-round drum because they have NO training in shooting in high-stress situations. Spray and Pray is not a valid self-defense plan.

If one is going to use ANY firearm for self or home defense, he better get training. Either that or leave an address of the funeral home he wants the flowers sent to.

My .22s are the LAST firearm I would be using and the LAST ammo i would use in a shotgun is bird shot. I want to STOP an intruder, not make him mad.

 

[cryptiq]

Personally, I bought my 15-22 for plinking. I don't know anything about the ballistics of a .22 round as far as it being effective against a home invader. I think there are a lot of things that factor into your question tho. Some things that came to my mind are:

- Can you safely secure your 15-22 and still allow quick access? For me, it's much easier for me to access and have my handgun ready vs. my 15-22.
- Since you mentioned you lived in a townhouse, are there a lot of tight spaces that would be difficult to maneuver in while holding the rifle?

Shotgun and bird shot. Last two rounds are 00buck.

I follow a similar philosophy with my .40 H&K USP (my primary home defense). The first 1/2 of the mag has FMJ rounds, if it's bad enough I go thru 1/2 a mag, then the hollow points will start flying. My thinking on this was minimizing collateral damage. If, heaven forbid, someone other than a criminal took one of those rounds, I think FMJ would do much less damage than the HPs.

 

[les strat]

A Glock 30 .45 Auto with a TLR1-s mounted and an 18.5" Mossy tactical persuader with 00 buck is what resides by my bed. And a doberman

 

[Majorlk]

I follow a similar philosophy with my .40 H&K USP (my primary home defense). The first 1/2 of the mag has FMJ rounds, if it's bad enough I go thru 1/2 a mag, then the hollow points will start flying. My thinking on this was minimizing collateral damage. If, heaven forbid, someone other than a criminal took one of those rounds, I think FMJ would do much less damage than the HPs.

This flies in the face of every self-defense class I have ever heard of. I want the MOST potent round first. My sole intent in shooting an intruder is to STOP him. Why start with the less effective round? If you don't STOP the intruder, you may well not be alive to worry about hitting someone else.

 

[Beuford T. Rimfire]

Very good points, Majorlk!

I guess my thoughts were that it beats using a lamp or other midnight bedroom item to defend yourself!

Shotguns are cheap and generally reliable. Anyone interested in keeping their home safe should at least go buy a $200 Maverick or something similar.

 

[HotRoderX]

One thing I am always told is something is better then nothing. While a 15/22 is not the ideal HD weapon. Its better then nothing I would just make sure to extensively test what ever kinda ammo I planned to use. I would not use bulk ammo

 

[Beuford T. Rimfire]

I follow a similar philosophy with my .40 H&K USP (my primary home defense). The first 1/2 of the mag has FMJ rounds, if it's bad enough I go thru 1/2 a mag, then the hollow points will start flying. My thinking on this was minimizing collateral damage. If, heaven forbid, someone other than a criminal took one of those rounds, I think FMJ would do much less damage than the HPs.

Yep. You're doing this backwards.

America seems hung up on the idea that movies accurately portray the stopping ability of handguns - in ANY caliber. Even with the most devestating HP's, one shot stops are NOT the norm.

 

[les strat]

Actually, you are more likely to get collateral damage from FMJ. It will over penetrate walls and people.

 

[murphydog]

Practice often with your .40, use an effective expanding round (perhaps one designed for limited penetration) and secure it well. The presence of a firearm may prevent a situation from going bad, but don't count on having time for more than one round if it comes down to that, and the .40 will be much more effective if so.

 

[Snake Plissken]

I read that in case of an encounter of some sort you should shoot for the groin / family jewels area to help stop them in their tracks., I don't think any kind of bad dude wants a laser light in that area reqardless of the caliber.

 

[cryptiq]

Wow, thanks for all the feedback guys. I confess I've spent a lot of time at the range practicing, but I've never had home defense classes. You've given me a lot to think about, sometimes you don't know what you don't know. As much as I value the security of my family, and my responsibility to protect them, I greatly appreciate all the feedback...even though it wasn't what I expected hear. Adding a home defense class to the top of my to-do list.

EDIT: Sorry if I derailed the OPs questions, I'm getting a lot of benefit from this thread as well.

 

[Beuford T. Rimfire]

I read that in case of an encounter of some sort you should shoot for the groin / family jewels area to help stop them in their tracks., I don't think any kind of bad dude wants a laser light in that area reqardless of the caliber.

I always aim for the righthand eyesocket area of my perp targets. Assuming that the majority of the population is righthanded and hopefully thus right eye dominant, I have then taken out the most important aiming feature of the body. You can't hit what you can't see.

 

[Kefka21]

Also as far as shooting in between the legs and groin area, I would assume that a 22 would also be an effective penetrator stopper as well.

 

[magnetik]

printed target sillouettes of groin areas for practice will probably get strange stares at the range. You're going to have to practice.. I think bullseye crown jewel shots are not as easy a shot as people make it. lol Maybe if you have a red dot or something

 

[Beuford T. Rimfire]

penetrator stopper

What??? Please tell me you meant "perpetrator."

And even then, I'd never shoot someone attacking me in the crotch. Kinda like getting kicked in the jewels, you've got 10 seconds to unleash fury on your attacker before the pain sets in. People, don't shoot perps in the cods. No one wants to get hit there, but only because none of us WANT to survive that wound - not becasue the wound is unsurviveable.

 

[Snake Plissken]

Here is an interesting read

Answering some well asked questions about personal defense by Massad Ayoob

 

[DelFuego]

I always aim for the righthand eyesocket area of my perp targets. Assuming that the majority of the population is righthanded and hopefully thus right eye dominant, I have then taken out the most important aiming feature of the body. You can't hit what you can't see.

I think that aiming center mass to the chest is more effective. Something about ribs cracking, shattering, and leaky lungs, should stop most people. Plus, the heart is in that region somewhere. Hmm, 2-3 bullets should suffice with most calibers. Head shots should be left for snipers and Hollywood movies. If you have to think too much about your shot in a high pressure situation, most will miss...even in a hallway.

 

[Kai Winters]

Based on the weapons I own and use I'd use my 20g shotgun first. Living where I live noise and penetrating the walls is not a concern. I do want the biggest impact...damage, sound and flash I can create and I feel the 20g is sufficient.
I do not own a handgun nor a weapon of higher caliber than my 2, 22lr's, and the 20g.

 

[Beuford T. Rimfire]

Honestly, I don't shoot for the right eye of targets. I was using a bit too much irony in my reply.

However, If I were using my 15-22 for HD at short distance I wouldn't hesitate to go for a 10 round headshot. Any other firearm and I'd shoot for center mass.

 

[Majorlk]

I read that in case of an encounter of some sort you should shoot for the groin / family jewels area to help stop them in their tracks., I don't think any kind of bad dude wants a laser light in that area reqardless of the caliber.

Hogwash! You shoot for the center of the chest. Shut down the central nervious system and he STOPS!

I don't intend to "light 'em up" or give them any other warning. If a perp is illegally in my house, he is toast. Any other mentality will get you or a family member killed,

 

[Majorlk]

Also as far as shooting in between the legs and groin area, I would assume that a 22 would also be an effective penetrator stopper as well.

Totally invalid assumption. .22s can easily be deflected. If you simply must use a .22, aim for the middle of the chest or the eyes and keep shooting until you are out of ammo.

 

[xxspudxx]

No way. While it may get the job done, I would not put my life on it.

Rem 870 or Mos 500.

 

[Linejudgemick]

IMHO for home defense... first choice - shotgun with #4 buck shot, second choice choice - 9mm or larger handgun with quality JHP ammo tested for correct function, no other choice - 22 caliber anything. All my rifles are bolt-action hunting rifles and almost any rifle larger than a .22 will definitely penetrate more than the other choices. In my home, I have no way to adequately secure my shotguns from young grand children other than the safe, so my actual first choice is my carry pistol on my person, or my .40 S&W in a discrete quick access lock box.