Though most of these new .22 WMR loads were for designed for hunting, the options now extend to personal defense. Speer is offering a 40-grain Gold Dot load for the .22 WMR. While I'm sure this stuff would expand more from a handgun with a longer barrel, the low velocity limited expansion out of the little North American Arms Pug. But of course, with every load there is a trade off; do you want greater expansion or deeper penetration?
| Load | Handgun | Velocity (fps) | PEN (inches) | EXP (inches) | RW (grains) |
| .22 WMR Speer 40-grain Gold Dot | NAA Pug (1-inch barrel) | 741 | 10.75 | .270 | 40 |
