Let’s be real for a second. There is a weird, almost obsessive debate in the world of firearms about whether the .22 Long Rifle (LR) is a "toy" or a legitimate weapon. You've probably heard it at the range or seen it on some sketchy internet forum. Someone usually scoffs and says it’s only good for squirrels. They're wrong. If you’re asking can a .22 kill a person, the answer is a definitive, factual, and unfortunately grim yes.
It happens more often than you might think.
The .22 LR is the most popular cartridge on the planet. It’s cheap. It has basically zero recoil. Every kid starts on one. But that approachability creates a dangerous sense of complacency. People treat it like a BB gun. It isn't. It’s a lead projectile traveling at over 1,000 feet per second. When that hits human tissue, the physics don't care about the size of the casing.
The Lethality of the Smallest Round
Ballistics is a messy science. Most people think "stopping power" is the only metric that matters, but that's a bit of a myth. Stopping power is about making someone stop what they are doing immediately through shock or physical incapacitation. Lethality, however, is just about whether the wound eventually causes death.
A .22 caliber bullet is small. It’s usually 36 to 40 grains. For context, a 9mm bullet is often 115 or 124 grains.
But here is the thing: a .22 is fast enough to penetrate the skull. It’s fast enough to reach the heart. Once it’s inside the body, the low mass actually becomes a terrifying variable. Larger rounds like a .45 ACP often have enough momentum to pass straight through a target. This is called over-penetration. A .22 LR, however, often lacks the energy to exit the body. Instead, it hits a bone and ricochets. It bounces.
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Imagine a marble in a pinball machine. That is what a .22 can do inside a chest cavity. It can enter through a rib, deflect off the spine, and shred multiple organs before it finally stops. Surgeons often hate dealing with .22 wounds because the "track" isn't a straight line. It's a jagged, unpredictable mess.
Real World Data and the FBI Perspective
We don't have to guess about this. We have decades of crime statistics. According to historical FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data, the .22 caliber remains one of the most frequently used rounds in homicides in the United States. Why? Because the guns are everywhere. They are easy to hide. They are easy to fire accurately under stress.
Accuracy kills.
A .45 caliber miss does nothing. A .22 caliber hit to the ocular cavity or the carotid artery is fatal. Expert marksmen and even some specialized military units—like the Israeli Mossad or the US CIA in the mid-20th century—have famously used suppressed .22 pistols for "clandestine operations." They didn't use them because they were weak; they used them because they were quiet and, with precise shot placement, absolutely lethal.
The High Standard HDM is a classic example. It was a suppressed .22 used by the OSS (the precursor to the CIA) during WWII. If it wasn't capable of killing, the government wouldn't have spent thousands of dollars developing it for assassins.
Why People Underestimate the Danger
It's the "mouse gun" stigma.
If you hold a .22 round in your hand, it looks tiny. It’s cute. But "tiny" doesn't mean "safe." One of the biggest issues with the .22 is that the wounds often look superficial on the surface. A person gets shot with a .22 and they might not even realize how bad it is initially. Adrenaline is a hell of a drug. They might stay on their feet, keep talking, and then collapse ten minutes later because of internal bleeding that wasn't immediately apparent.
This is known as "delayed lethality." While it might not stop an attacker instantly like a .308 rifle would, it can still be 100% fatal without immediate, high-level trauma surgery.
Case Studies: The Grim Reality
Think about the 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. John Hinckley Jr. used a Röhm RG-14 .22 caliber revolver. He fired six shots. One hit Press Secretary James Brady in the head. Brady survived, but he was permanently disabled and eventually died years later from those specific injuries—a death that was later ruled a homicide. Another shot hit a police officer in the neck. One hit a Secret Service agent in the abdomen.
The bullet that hit Reagan himself didn't even hit him directly. It ricocheted off the side of the armored limousine, entered his underarm, hit a rib, and punctured a lung, stopping just an inch from his heart.
That was a "puny" .22.
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It nearly took down the President of the United States and several of the best-trained security professionals in the world. Anyone who says a .22 isn't "deadly enough" hasn't looked at the history of that day.
Physics vs. Perception: Velocity and Tissue Damage
Standard .22 LR rounds move at subsonic or slightly supersonic speeds.
- Subsonic: Around 1,050 feet per second.
- High Velocity: Around 1,200 to 1,300 feet per second.
- Hyper Velocity: Up to 1,600 feet per second (like the CCI Stinger).
When a bullet hits tissue, it creates two types of cavities: permanent and temporary. The permanent cavity is the hole the bullet actually drills. The temporary cavity is the "stretch" caused by the shockwave. While the .22 doesn't create a massive temporary cavity, it is exceptionally good at creating deep, narrow permanent cavities.
If that narrow channel intersects with a major blood vessel, the result is the same as a larger bullet. You bleed out. Exsanguination doesn't care about the diameter of the hole; it only cares that there is a hole.
The Danger of Rimfire Reliability
There is a technical aspect to why the .22 is dangerous in a way people don't expect: the "hangfire" or "dud" factor. Rimfire ammunition is notoriously less reliable than centerfire (like 9mm or .223). This leads to a lot of accidental shootings.
People think the gun is empty or the round didn't fire. They get careless. They point the muzzle in a direction they shouldn't. Then, a few seconds later, the primer finally ignites.
"I thought it was a dud" is a sentence spoken in far too many emergency rooms.
Safety and Practical Insights
Knowing that a .22 can kill a person should change how you interact with any rimfire firearm. Whether you are a competitive shooter, a hunter, or someone who just inherited an old Ruger 10/22 from their grandpa, respect the lethality.
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Treat Every .22 Like a Magnum
Basically, you've got to follow the four rules of gun safety regardless of the caliber.
- Treat every gun as if it is loaded.
- Never point the muzzle at anything you aren't willing to destroy.
- Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
- Be sure of your target and what is behind it.
Range and Backstops
A .22 bullet can travel over a mile. Just because the gun doesn't have a loud "bang" doesn't mean the projectile stops at the tree line. If you're shooting into the air or at a bad angle, that bullet stays lethal for a long, long distance.
Self-Defense Reality
Honestly, while a .22 can kill, it is rarely recommended for self-defense if you have other options. Why? Because it lacks "immediate incapacitation." If someone is attacking you, you want them to stop now, not bleed out ten minutes later. However, recognizing its lethality means acknowledging that if you do use one for defense, you are using lethal force. There is no such thing as "just shooting them in the leg with a .22." That leg has the femoral artery. If you hit it, they die.
Actionable Next Steps
If you own a .22 or are considering buying one, here is how to handle the "lethality" factor responsibly:
- Upgrade your ammo storage: Rimfire rounds degrade faster than centerfire. Keep them in a dry, cool environment to prevent hangfires that lead to accidents.
- Use proper backstops: Use at least 4-6 inches of solid wood or a dedicated dirt berm. Don't trust thin plywood; a .22 will zip right through it.
- Invest in a trauma kit: If you shoot, you should have a tourniquet and hemostatic gauze. Even if it's "just a .22," a training accident requires professional medical intervention immediately.
- Check local laws: Many jurisdictions treat all firearms the same regardless of caliber. "It's just a .22" is not a legal defense for negligence.
The .22 LR is a masterpiece of engineering. It’s the gateway to the shooting sports for millions. But the moment you lose respect for its ability to end a life is the moment it becomes the most dangerous thing in the room. Treat it with the same gravity you would a 12-gauge shotgun. The physics of death don't do discounts for smaller sizes.