Handgun caliber arguments are dumb

[SirBannedAlot]

When a medical professional talks about bullet placement being the key factor, you have to remember that he's not talking about shooting a "tight group" at the range. We're talking about the very specific body structures that the bullet hits or passes by close enough to disturb through hydrostatic shock. This is a matter of millimeters, possibly centimeters, but not inches.
So while shooting a 4 inch diameter group right over the X ring of your silhouette target is great, inna man some of those shots through the X ring may not hit the specific nerves and organs that are needed to stop your adversary.

Skill with your firearm can cause you to have accuracy within inches. But really it's a matter of luck whether your bullets are on the correct course --millimeter by millimeter -- to hit what they need to hit.

THEREFORE I favor shooting multiple hits as rapidly as possible, rather than counting on a one-shot stop. The more tickets you buy in that lottery, the greater your chances of winning!

But there's a limit to how far I would actually bet my life on this information that I have been told and or deduced from years of study on the subject of stopping power of handgun bullets.

I "say" that having a rapid-firing semi auto gun in a modest caliber should be better protection than a very powerful magnum that holds fewer rounds, but in real life I don't know that I would choose a 12-round self-loading pistol in 380 caliber over a six shot 44 magnum revolver.

It was made more in jest, as I have a thread discussing the viability of carrying a PMR30 for concealed carry. Hardly any recoil, extremely accurate, and packing 30 rounds of .22Mag ammo at barely 19oz seems like it could be viable on paper, anyway...

 

[SirBannedAlot]

And you won't get hydrostatic shock out of a handgun... I don't know of many pistols breaking the 2200fps barrier...

 

[RevCov]

25acp forever.

 

[Joshua223]

But, everyone knows 45 hits hard enough to take your soul when your hit!

And a 357mag will penetrate an engine block!

 

[Control for Smilers]

LOL, .45 acp, DOES NOT steal souls...cause souls dont exist. when you die, back to dirt, after you ROT.

 

[greg vess]

I agree 100%. When it comes to shooting it doesn't always have to be tactical or even practical. Sometimes it just has to be all about the fun value. If you can afford it and have room for it and want to add it to your collection then by codds have at it.

 

[41mag]

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When a medical professional talks about bullet placement being the key factor, you have to remember that he's not talking about shooting a "tight group" at the range. We're talking about the very specific body structures that the bullet hits or passes by close enough to disturb through hydrostatic shock. This is a matter of millimeters, possibly centimeters, but not inches.
So while shooting a 4 inch diameter group right over the X ring of your silhouette target is great, inna man some of those shots through the X ring may not hit the specific nerves and organs that are needed to stop your adversary.

Skill with your firearm can cause you to have accuracy within inches. But really it's a matter of luck whether your bullets are on the correct course --millimeter by millimeter -- to hit what they need to hit.

THEREFORE I favor shooting multiple hits as rapidly as possible, rather than counting on a one-shot stop. The more tickets you buy in that lottery, the greater your chances of winning!

But there's a limit to how far I would actually bet my life on this information that I have been told and or deduced from years of study on the subject of stopping power of handgun bullets.

I "say" that having a rapid-firing semi auto gun in a modest caliber should be better protection than a very powerful magnum that holds fewer rounds, but in real life I don't know that I would choose a 12-round self-loading pistol in 380 caliber over a six shot 44 magnum revolver if I *KNEW* I'd be involved in a deadly force encounter later that day.

When it boils down to it....if i knew i was gonna be in a gunfight (which is impossible to know in real life, everyday living) I would want the biggest, most powerful caliber i could have within reason, with the longest bbl.
So a .44mag with a 12” bbl would be ideal. Of course you need 4 or 5 speed loaders too !!

 

[Trailrider]

Oh yeah? My gun is bigger than your gun!

 

[SirBannedAlot]

Yeah, and I firmly believe that in the event of most self defense shootings, the fact that you have *A* gun, is the most important aspect.

Arguing about ballistics is stupid. Any decent caliber can get the job done if you put it where it needs to go. Lot's of people in pine boxes over the years from "inferior" calibers...

I think it is in our nature to think that bigger is better, but it's not always the case. The level of comfort of carrying a "big powerful gun" is a nice perception, and it will certainly get the job done... but if I can protect myself just as well or better with a less powerful gun, why not?

Follow up shots with powerful calibers are harder, they tend to carry less rounds, and most people will struggle with accuracy under duress anyway, right? Maybe more rounds in a lesser caliber is the answer?

It's not going to be like the gun range, where you take your time, place your shot, breathe, etc... It's gonna be "HOLY ****!" and drawing and pointing towards the target and spraying a couple shots and hoping you see good hits over the adrenaline and tunnel vision... That's the reality, I would imagine, despite how prepared we think we might be... until you are actually there, its all academic...

 

[1EDsson]

45 for the soul stealing win!
Unless I'm carrying the G19, .
Then sometimes I have the Security Six, 38 +P!

Seriously though, that's about as good of a caliber discussion, the video, not you/us yahoos, as I've seen, .