Let’s Talk Self Defense Rounds

One question I get from students a lot in a lot of different classes from beginner to expert is, “What kind of rounds should I use in my gun for self defense?” Seems like a simple question to answer, but getting to the correct answer is anything but. Let’s go through a few things and then we’ll get to the different calibers.

First, what is the gun being used for? Are you using it for concealed carry or is it a home defense gun? Do you have a job where you have to carry a weapon for duty purposes such as an armed security guard or a police officer? It’s important to recognize the difference between the uses for each, because lets say for example I wanted to protect my home, I might use something like an AR-15 which is one of the best things we can use for home defense. A good full size handgun is awesome as well.

The first thing we need to figure out is what caliber are you comfortable firing and what caliber is too much for you? If we’re talking handguns, ideally we’re going for 9mm or .45ACP. If those are too much for you, go down one to a .380 and if that’s still too much for you, go with a .22LR. If we’re talking an AR, I would say .300BLK, 5.56, or .223. Starting with pistols, there may be a myriad of reasons 9mm or .45 is too much for you. It could be that muscle-wise you’re just a weaker individual – and there’s nothing wrong with that. Maybe you have some sort of muscular issue going on with your body like muscular dystrophy or MS and it’s too much for you. In that case I would recommend going down to a .380 or .22. Another reason could be you’re an older individual and as you’re getting older you’re getting weaker. Again, there’s nothing wrong with that – it’s something that can happen to all of us as we age. It doesn’t limit your right or access to self defense though.

Shattering Some Myths

If you listen to these macho, jackass, alpha male types they’re going to tell you stupid things like, “Pssh, you’re not going to kill someone with a .22. You’re just going to piss them off.” Bullshit. There’s a lot of dead people in the ground (and not just in cemeteries – lots of people have been killed by the mob and buried in the ground, dismembered and put in trash cans all over the state, or something similar) that have been shot with a .22LR. The Mafia, in particular, love this round because it usually doesn’t leave an exit hole and when it enters the head it tends to tumble around kinda like a Pac Man which means it’ll get so damaged that there will be no hope of matching it up to a gun. Also, the deadliest school shooting ever in America was perpetrated with a .22 and a 9mm pistol, specifically a Walther P22 and a Glock 19.

Effective Attributes of Self Defense Rounds

When you’re looking to buy self defense rounds for your pistol or rifle, you’re going to want to make sure that they’re hollow point rounds. Because some guns can be finicky with some types of ammunition, we recommend that once you decide on a brand/type of hollow point ammo, you go to the range and shoot 250 – 300 rounds of it through your gun. You should have 0 malfunctions. Remember, at the end of the day, you’re putting your life in the hands of this ammunition, and you want to make sure it works in your self defense firearm 100% of the time. Anything less than that is not good enough.

Pros / Cons of Pistol Rounds

.22LR

Pros	Cons
Easy to shoot, no recoil	Will take more shots to bring down an attacker
Abundant supply – easy to find	Can be a problem with more than one attacker
Cheap	Prone to malfunctioning more than other rounds

.380

Pros	Cons
Easy to shoot, some recoil, but not much	More expensive than 9mm
More knock down power than .22LR	Harder to find than 9mm
Makes the same size hole as 9mm	Less penetration power than 9mm

9mm

Pros	Cons
Very effective knock-down power	Can over-penetrate target
Cheap
Abundantly available

.45ACP

Pros	Cons
Very effective in terms of knock down power	More recoil than 9mm
Slower moving round – less chance of over-penetration	Magazine capacity is usually limited to 7 or 8 rounds
Very reliable	More expensive than 9mm

Pros / Cons of Pistol Rounds

.22LR

Pros	Cons
Easy to shoot, no recoil	Will take more shots to bring down an attacker
Abundant supply – easy to find	Can be a problem with more than one attacker
Cheap	Prone to malfunctioning more than other rounds

.223 / 5.56

Pros	Cons
Easy to shoot, barely any recoil	Rounds will most likely over-penetrate walls/attackers
Abundant supply – easy to find
Higher velocity – effective at stopping an attacker

.300BLK

Pros	Cons
Quieter than 5.56/.223, especially subsonic rounds with a suppressor	More expensive than the other rounds listed
Very effective at stopping attackers	Suppressors are illegal in Illinois because we have dumbass politicians that don’t know anything
Designed to be run in guns with short barrels, which is better for moving through structures

Overall Verdict

If I had my ideal choice and I lived in a state where AR-15’s aren’t banned my ideal home defense round would be a subsonic .300BLK hollow point round run out of a gun with a 10.5″ barrel. If I was using a pistol (handgun) for home defense I would be running 9mm hollow point rounds.