Best round all 'round

[B1gGr33n]

Looking for opinions on "If you could only have pistol caliber..." sort of question. Ok first off, I'm aware everyone has they're own opinion on which round is BEST for this, that, or the other thing. What I want is one round that doesn't necessarily excel at any one thing, but does all things well. Hunting, self defense, sporting, plinking, pest control, etc. If it can be done with a pistol, 'this' round can do it.

I've already whittled down my inventory to .22lr, .308 Win, 12ga, and .50 cal blackpowder, mainly on interests of universal round availability, variety, and performance. And that's the key thing here, it has to be a round that is universally available at a whim. If you can't get it at the nearest sporting goods store regardless where in the continental USA you are located, I'm not interested.

Ideally I'd like a round that performs equally as well in a revolver as a semi, but I do realise there are limitations on performance in this regard. But again, the central interest is a universal round, regardless of the host firearm.

So what do you suggest?

 

[memphisjim]

Top chooses would be 9mm 40s&w 45acp and 357/38spec

 

[klcmschlesinger]

45 acp

I voted for the 45 ACP based on what you described. It can do just about anything, it is available everywhere, and you can get semi-auto's and revolvers for it pretty easily. If I had to have one, I would choose 44mag or 45colt which would give me more punch if I wanted to hunt something big with them.

 

[CraigC]

The .44Mag hands down. For the handloader, there is no limit. It can be loaded for everything from self defense, plinking and game of all sizes.

 

[Cosmoline]

If you want to use a semi, you're going to have serious limits on bullet size and shape. If you go with a .357 revolver you can load everything from shotshells to 200 grain hardcast slugs.

 

[Nushif]

9mm ... cheap, easily reloaded, common and gets the job done. Kinda surprised its not on the list.

 

[SpentCasing]

I prefer 9mm+P for my pistol, but in the OP scenario Id choose 357/38 for versatility.

 

[25cschaefer]

If 40s&w is the middle ground between the controlable 9 and the high recoil of the 45, the 10mm is the better bigger brother of the 40.

 

[buck460XVR]

The .357 is known universally as the most versatile handgun cartridge.....and there's good reason. Everything else is just personal preference.

 

[ChristopherG]

For full-range, platform-crossing versatility, I'm going with the 10mm. Get a S&W 610 and you have a revolver that's a truly legitimate choice for hunting and, with appropriate loads (of course the kind of range you're asking about will be best attained by handloading), the full range of other stuff on your list. And because it handles both 10mm and .40S&W, you get a two-fer--similar to the .38/.357 duality, but with MANY more options in the range of semis.

The .45acp can actually achieve the same power range in a S&W 625, but you have to go off the charts of published reloading data to do it.

Upon re-reading: that's a really poor answer to the OP's question. For the kind of universal availability AND versatility of uses you want, give up on a semi and get a .357.

 

[USAF_Vet]

I'm another fan of the 9mm, but I also would +1 the .357

 

[Shadow 7D]

Um, there isn't one
and that is why we have choices
so you can choose your flavor


But the BEST all around round

Yeah you forgot it, the workhorse, the .22 LR,

 

[B1gGr33n]

Thanks for all the input so far folks, appreciate it! I have to admit, I kind of surprised that the .357 is leading.

For those mentioning the 9mm, the main reason I didn't include it on the list is that the general consensus is that it's too underpowered for hunting anything larger than small game. I wouldn't plan on going larger than a whitetail or a hog with a pistol anyway, that's what the .308 is for. Yes, I'm aware shot placement and range and all those other things considered it 'could' do it, but so could a .22.

 

[Mike J]

I like .40 in a semi-auto but I agree with the posters before me .357 is probably the most versatile.

 

[skoro]

So what do you suggest?

For me, it would be the 357mag because of the versatility of the revolvers and the powerful punch of the round itself. It can go from mild to wild. From plinker/target action to enough for most four legged predators. The ability to use 38spl as an alternative to expensive 357 ammo is a plus.

 

[Onward Allusion]

9mm...

Inexpensive, plentiful, "good enough" power, and availability of hi capacity pistols.

 

[NMGonzo]

.357

In the right gun it can do fantastic things.

 

[o Unforgiven o]

I voted other because my choice would be 9mm. It is cheap, common, effective and allows for a higher capacity in modern handguns. Although I don't think it would be ideal for use in a revolver.

 

[PO2Hammer]

9mm ... cheap, easily reloaded, common and gets the job done. Kinda surprised its not on the list

Well, it really doesn't have much of a reputation as a hunting round, does it?

Ideally I'd like a round that performs equally as well in a revolver as a semi, but I do realise there are limitations on performance in this regard. But again, the central interest is a universal round, regardless of the host firearm.

If it has to work in a semi auto and a revolver, and still be a hunter, the only one on your list would be the 10mm auto.

I would skip the auto and go straight to a .44 Mag or .45 Colt revolver if you're serious about hunting. Both can be loaded up or down to the power level you need.

I think a S&W model 625 Mountain gun in .45 Colt would be the ultimate jack of all trades handgun.

 

[Nushif]

What I want is one round that doesn't necessarily excel at any one thing, but does all things well. Hunting, self defense, sporting, plinking, pest control, etc. If it can be done with a pistol, 'this' round can do it.

And that's the key thing here, it has to be a round that is universally available at a whim. If you can't get it at the nearest sporting goods store regardless where in the continental USA you are located, I'm not interested.

You said ...

And that's the key thing here, it has to be a round that is universally available at a whim. If you can't get it at the nearest sporting goods store regardless where in the continental USA you are located, I'm not interested.

The .357 doesn't exactly have mad sporting and plinking cred either. This is about a trade-off. And the second quote to me seemed quite significant.
You can find 9mm *everywhere.* Finding .357 in the middle of a large city, for instance will be a tad harder than 9mm. And last I checked large cities are still part of the CONUS.
The .357 is probably the most versatile round here. But not if you're talking store-bought ammo. That's reloader territory. And even in that case I'd argue a 10mm is the more capable round because the power envelope is wider.

So keeping the universality of the round in mind there is probably not a single more prolific round in the CONUS or outside of it for any pistol. And while you seem to have latched into the Hunting comment, I latched into the universality.

 

[clang]

500 S&W Magnum - because if all you have is a hammer, everything starts too look like nails...

No, if I had to pick just one, I would probably pick .45ACP, if only because you can get great autos and revolvers in this caliber.

 

[memphisjim]

Wow 357 is crushing 45 one check out Jerry miculek shoot a 45acp revolver fastest in the world. Two any 45acp revolver can have the cylinder altered to shoot 45 Roland which jumps you up to 44mag. Power

 

[Onward Allusion]

PO2Hammer

Quote:
9mm ... cheap, easily reloaded, common and gets the job done. Kinda surprised its not on the list

Well, it really doesn't have much of a reputation as a hunting round, does it?

But the OP did not specifically state that it should only be a hunting round. Not to start a caliber war, but (oh heck, why not) the 9mm is definitely great for

- plinking; inexpensive & plentiful
- pest control; powerful enough
- sporting; inexpensive & plentiful
- self defense; definitely adequate
- hunting; powerful enough for small to medium size game

OP -
What I want is one round that doesn't necessarily excel at any one thing, but does all things well. Hunting, self defense, sporting, plinking, pest control, etc. If it can be done with a pistol, 'this' round can do it.

 

[gofastman]

Im torn between the 10mm and .357

 

[B1gGr33n]

Must say as much as I'm surprised at the turnout for .357, I'm yet more surprised about the turnout for 9mm. Now my most basic thought is that if it's suitable to drop a 200+ pound 2 legged predator, it should be sufficient on a 150 pound 4 legged prey, correct? And vis-a-vis, if that round were deemed to be insufficient for prey, why would you consider it worthy of predator? That's why I question the validity of hunting with a 9mm, and subsequently using it for self defense. I'm not saying the 9mm isn't worthy of consideration, I'd just appreciate for people to explain their stance with something more substantial than "because it is", for everyone's benefit.

A bit more explanation, I'm leaning a little more heavily on the defense and hunting points as those are in my opinion the more practical reasons for owning a handgun. But what fun is a gun that you're not going to shoot, right? lol

Also, I understand that handloads can pack more whollup in a factory firearm, but I'd like to focus on readily available commercial ammunitions for this debate.

And 'Onward Allusion', this is every bit a caliber war lol So feel free.

Thank you all who have contributed so far!