Caliber, bullet, "One shot stop", placement.... Stopping power

[RonBernert]

I would like to know what type of 45 ammo plain old ball or a good brand HP

The amminition was HP, but I can't remember the actual brand.

 

[MCgunner]

Where's that dead horse beating gif when you need it? Somebody's probably already used it, though, as I haven't read much of this thread before posting. I carry everything from .22 to .380 to .45ACP to .357 magnum depending on mood, threat level, what I can get away concealing, season, etc. 9x19 is my favorite. I can almost always conceal my P11 Kel Tec. I like .45ACP, particularly my Ruger P90 that shoots it. Of all the calibers I carry, .357 magnum is my favorite. I've kill more with it than I have anything else and it kills well. I've killed with the 9 and the .45 in my hog trap and they don't measure up to the lightening death of the .357 magnum. I've seen it with my own eyes. Oh, they die, but they'll thrash around more before they go down. To me, .357 magnum (not sig) is where hunting calibers start. If you want an auto as good, you have a small selection of full size models to choose from in 10mm. But, ya know, for self defense in an auto, the .45 serves me fine. I'm not out looking for 10mms. I wouldn't hunt with the gun and I'm just as happy with a .357 magnum revolver, 3" barrel, which is easier to carry. Hell of a recoil and muzzle blast, not for babies, but it will end the fight post haste if you can shoot it. Some can't, so that's where the problem lies in such powerful cartridges in handguns. Everyone makes their own choices based on their own skill levels. I'm not stuck on one caliber, though. I believe more in shot placement and HAVING a gun when you need it. In the south, I just can't always carry a belt gun. And, frankly, I like my P90 over my P85 because it's more accurate and has a better trigger, not because of the caliber.

 

[mljdeckard]

The real world difference between 9, .40, and .45 may well be minimal. People take multiple hits from .45s and keep moving. People get dropped from one .22. There absolutely no guarantees of any kind from any bullet. There is no such thing as a bullet guaranteed to stop someone every time.

So why bother with different bullets, hollow points etc? The simplest answer is that handguns are fundamentally inadequate for personal defense at all, and you should give yourself every possible advantage. If that means shooting everything AT LEAST twice to maximize the odds, then do it. If that means using hollow points to increase the size of the wound channels to increase the likelihood of hitting something that will stop the bad guy from moving sooner, then do it. If you need to shoot repeatedly until the threat stops moving, then do it. This always applies whether you are using 230 gr HSTs or 9mm NATO ball.

So in a word, yes. Pick the one you shoot best, and are the most likely to make repeated hits with, and use it. I tried a lot of different guns and calibers, and realized that I shoot .45 1911s the best. I recently picked up a G-17 for the first time in many years and realized I had forgotten how much I like shooting it. I have been issued a Beretta and I remembered how much I despise it. Try a lot of them and see what works for you.

 

[benzy2]

The "Less filling - Tastes great" argument continues...........The 9mm is to the .45 ACP what the 5.56 is to the 7.62..............and the 5.56 is nowhere close to the 7.62 in the ability for one-shot stops.

Right. Decent JHP in both .45 ACP and 9mm will expand to similar diameters and penetrate to similar distances. The .45 ACP may have an edge over 9mm in terminal ballistics but the idea that 9mm is nowhere close to 45 ACP (assuming both use quality JHP) is a joke. Use ball 9mm ammo and the story is a different debate, but using top quality JHP ammo things even out quite a bit, especially when follow up shots are taken into consideration.

 

[Philo_Beddoe]

Speaking as hunter of white tail deer in IL, where the deer roughly approximate human size and are actually tougher (less fat).

I would say that shot placement and adequate penetration is key.

Slug size is an after thought after shot placement and enough penetration to hit vitals.

I have seen 100 lb does run off to never be found with multiple 12 guage magnum holes in them in non vital areas.

I have seen 270 lb bucks drop in their tracks from a single well place 20 gauge shot through the vitals.

I have a friend with many mounts in his home who took the majority of them after he traded in his 12 guage pump and switched to a single shot 20 guage with a scope.

He traded both slug size and capacity for accuracy and found that he was more lethal with the 20ga, as he practiced more and was more accurate due to less punishing recoil. Not to mention a much lighter gun.

 

[gofastman]

He traded both slug size and capacity for accuracy and found that he was more lethal with the 20ga, as he practiced more and was more accurate due to less punishing recoil. Not to mention a much lighter gun.

BINGO!!!

I think this applies to any/all guns (a few obvious exceptions of course)

 

[Cactus Jack Arizona]

Hmmm, the great "one-stop shot" debate. If you are confident in your chosen round, in your chosen firearm, and in your abilities when the adrenaline begins flowing, it doesn't really matter if you're using a .25 or a .50 cal. If you are a lousy shot, well....

 

[Ratdog68]

 

[Rexster]

Thoughts?

Regardless of the accuracy of the M&S data and rankings, this was based on data gathered from now-obsolete ammo. Controlled-expansion JHP technology has progressed since the data in the "Stopping Power" books was collected. The anecdotes make for interesting reading, but from a historical perspective. I do believe Evan Marshall sincerely tried to help armed good guys stay alive.

With Glocks in 9mm, .40, and .45 being considered, I would go with the one least likely to cause drama, the G19. The G30 seems an OK weapon, too. I would avoid .40 Glocks, unless compelled by regulation. Glocks built their reputation for reliability with 9mm ammo.

Independent of weapon brand name, I like big bores, such as .45 and .40 S&W, launched from 1911s and SIGs, and the faster medium bore, .357 Magnum, launched from sturdy Ruger revolvers.