Well, I seem to be about 5 years laet on this post with my 2 cents, but what the heck! I agree with everybody that likes the bigger calibers, but on the other hand, I have great faith in the .22 LR for a survival round. I use to know a custom butcher that would custom kill your animals at your place, and haul them in to his shop and hang them then cut them up, and quick freeze the meat. All he used is a .22 LR rifle, to kill 1000 lb. beef, 600 lb. hogs, and the likes, But he knew exactly where to shoot them in the head, for a one shot kill! I ask him once why he didn't use a larger caliber gun on the big hogs that are hard to kill, as I've heard horror stories about people trying to kill a large hog, and after about 20 shots to the head, finally killed it with an ax, His reply was, "all depends on where you hit them, I've had to shoot a couple twice to take them down".

For better than 20 years in L.E. I packed a little Erma Excam .22 LR, in a shoulder holster, a cheap copy of the Walther PPK, but this little pistol is very accurate, and I loaded it with CCI Stingers, and never felt under gunned for a back up. I've dispatched several wounded deer along the highway with this little .22, because I didn't want to get my 1911 .45 dirty on duty, And never had to shot a wounded animal twice with it, or resort to the .45. And I'll guarantee you, that if you hit the biggest man up on heroin or cocaine right beetween the eyes, with a .22 LR, he's going down for the count!

Also, I've seen several suicides where the victim shot himself in the head with a .22, and I believe the trama caused with the .22 is just as great as with a .38 or .45, if not more, as the .22 bullet always does strange things inside the skull, the larger calibers usually punch right on through, doing great damage on the exit side, where the .22 might spin around inside the skull, and might exit through the eye socket or nose, or end up in the throat area. If you keep a fanny pack in your vehicle for emergency breakdowns, having a small, very accurate .22 pistol and a couple boxes of premium ammo, would be a very good choice along with your other survival gear, for that unexpected overnighter in the back country.

But I also pack a .45, .44, or .357 mag when I go into the back country on my hip, the little .22 in the fanny pack is just added insurance. Badger