Watch: 22 Rimfire Rifles for Home Defense?

It’s nice to see someone talking guns who actually knows what he’s talking about and is ready, willing, and able to back it up on the range. And that describes Paul Harrell well.

This time, he takes on the subject of whether a 22 rimfire rifle is a suitable tool for home defense. And as usual, he doesn’t hesitate to address the general BS you hear from the folks I call “know-nothing know-it-alls” who never hesitate to repeat whatever gun myths they’ve invented or absorbed.

I have heard so many people say so many cockamamie things about 22s over the years, I can’t even BEGIN to address it.

Paul thoughtfully considers a number of important points, such as velocity requirements for proper expansion of hollowpoints, accuracy, and expansion of different bullet weights.

Bottom line: If the only gun you own is a 22 LR rifle, turns out it’s a whole lot better than nothing, and ought to get the job done in the sad circumstance that you have to drop the hammer on another human being.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.