I carry a .25 over a .380 of same size
- Thread starter MrBigStuff
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MCgunner
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Well, at least we agree on that one.
sm
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At least it is about firearms, My head hurt hearing the Cell Phone / Cell Phone Provider Debates...
Real emergency too, could not get the Pizza Folks to have a pizza delivered to their home.
"Why didn't you use your landline?" I said as I finally left the area to study in quiet elsewhere...
Deer in the headlight looks...
Back to our regularly scheduled debate.
CSA 357
Member
give me a good knife over the 25 any day!
Ummmm....Let's see if I get this straight:
1. Best .25 ACP loads send 50-70 gr pill @ 900fps;
2. Best .380 loads send 85-95 gr load @ 1050-1150fps
3. The .380 penetrates deeper
4. The .380 makes a larger diameter hole aka wound channel
5. But there's no difference in performance against bad guys?
Fellas, I don't think we could see a huge difference in one-shot stops....on mice. Once you move up to rats, the .380 is the way to go. Racoons and opossums? Good luck with that .25, I think you'll need multiple shots if you miss the head shots (remember of course, shot placement is everything ).
All joking aside, a bigger, heavier faster bullet is the way to go. I know the .25 can do in a pinch (sometimes); I had a homicide case where the victim took a .25 slug under the arm - the bullet hit in just the right spot and went into the guys heart and he died. But in most instances you're going to miss most of your shots, and will be lucky to hit the bad guy at all. You want a round that disables when you miss the vital organs and only hit an arm or leg, as opposed to a round that may not disable even if you hit where you are aiming.
The .380 is a marginal round...but compared to the .25 its an elephant gun.
The .25 doesn't guarantee quick kills against a racoon; do you really want to trust your life to that?
-David
1. Best .25 ACP loads send 50-70 gr pill @ 900fps;
2. Best .380 loads send 85-95 gr load @ 1050-1150fps
3. The .380 penetrates deeper
4. The .380 makes a larger diameter hole aka wound channel
5. But there's no difference in performance against bad guys?
Fellas, I don't think we could see a huge difference in one-shot stops....on mice. Once you move up to rats, the .380 is the way to go. Racoons and opossums? Good luck with that .25, I think you'll need multiple shots if you miss the head shots (remember of course, shot placement is everything
).All joking aside, a bigger, heavier faster bullet is the way to go. I know the .25 can do in a pinch (sometimes); I had a homicide case where the victim took a .25 slug under the arm - the bullet hit in just the right spot and went into the guys heart and he died. But in most instances you're going to miss most of your shots, and will be lucky to hit the bad guy at all. You want a round that disables when you miss the vital organs and only hit an arm or leg, as opposed to a round that may not disable even if you hit where you are aiming.
The .380 is a marginal round...but compared to the .25 its an elephant gun.
The .25 doesn't guarantee quick kills against a racoon; do you really want to trust your life to that?
-David
444,This flies in the face of so much other testing. I hope you will rethink this before you put your life on line depending on this line of thinking.... I view a .25 as strictly a nose and eye gun.......at point blank range if my primary weapon fails..
I view a .25 as strictly a nose and eye gun.......at point blank range if my primary weapon fails..PX15
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I'm an old fart of the "if one 4 barrel is good, then two must be great" generation.
I've owned a 25cal pistol in the distant past... I gave it to my elderly Aunt who recently offered it back to me free... I passed.
There are simply too many options out there on the firearms market to settle for a 25cal anything.
I'm not against small caliber handguns.. When wx or wardrobe deny me concealed carry with my Sig P239, or even my S&W Airweight Bodyguard I often find myself carrying my KelTec P32..
But I stay higher on the caliber power chain every chance I get.
But that's just me.. Carry what you have faith in, it's your butt on the line.
Best Wishes,
J Pomeroy
I've owned a 25cal pistol in the distant past... I gave it to my elderly Aunt who recently offered it back to me free... I passed.
There are simply too many options out there on the firearms market to settle for a 25cal anything.
I'm not against small caliber handguns.. When wx or wardrobe deny me concealed carry with my Sig P239, or even my S&W Airweight Bodyguard I often find myself carrying my KelTec P32..
But I stay higher on the caliber power chain every chance I get.
But that's just me.. Carry what you have faith in, it's your butt on the line.
Best Wishes,
J Pomeroy
MachIVshooter
Member
This is an interesting thread. I have always considered the .380 minimum for defense, and it is a pipsqeak IMO. But it is still pushing bullets nearly half again the diameter of the .25 and with up to 3 times the energy. That is equivalent to comparing the .38 super to the .50 AE. HUGE difference.
It is well known that any conventional handgun cartridge is marginally effective, so why would you opt for anything less than the most you can carry/handle?
It seems to be somewhat common wisdom that 12" of penetration is considered adequate. The .380 cannot achive this with most ammunition and under most circumstances, and the lowly .25 does not even come close. This combined with the fact that handguns cause trauma by crushing and tearing tissue would lead to a conclusion that a larger bullet that penetrates deeper is preferable to a smaller bullet that achieves less penetration (duh).
Many, MANY people have walked out of ER's a couple hours later with a gauze bandage and a bottle of pain pills after being shot with .25's. I'll stick with my 10mm for defense.
It is well known that any conventional handgun cartridge is marginally effective, so why would you opt for anything less than the most you can carry/handle?
It seems to be somewhat common wisdom that 12" of penetration is considered adequate. The .380 cannot achive this with most ammunition and under most circumstances, and the lowly .25 does not even come close. This combined with the fact that handguns cause trauma by crushing and tearing tissue would lead to a conclusion that a larger bullet that penetrates deeper is preferable to a smaller bullet that achieves less penetration (duh).
Many, MANY people have walked out of ER's a couple hours later with a gauze bandage and a bottle of pain pills after being shot with .25's. I'll stick with my 10mm for defense.
NOW I'M READY!
Knowing someone who took four rounds of .380 and still managed to kill the BG with a maglight, I would not carry a 380 for anything i had to stake my life on.
I carry a .45 because I expect to make two holes for every shot. one in and one out.
I have gutted deer that have been shot with .357's and .44 and .45's The interior differences in the wound channels were very evident. 140 JSPs in 357 do a very good job of penetrating and expanding. 225 JHP out of a .44 make nice holes, 260 JHP out ofthe 45 are sledge hammers and if you up to a 300 grainer, I suppose you may think there is no not much reasaon to carry anything larger, but after you see what they do, you will change your mind
I carry a .45 because I expect to make two holes for every shot. one in and one out.
I have gutted deer that have been shot with .357's and .44 and .45's The interior differences in the wound channels were very evident. 140 JSPs in 357 do a very good job of penetrating and expanding. 225 JHP out of a .44 make nice holes, 260 JHP out ofthe 45 are sledge hammers and if you up to a 300 grainer, I suppose you may think there is no not much reasaon to carry anything larger, but after you see what they do, you will change your mind
Valkman
Member
Hmm, it's tempting to switch to the .25 from my .45acp, but I'll stick with it a while longer I guess. The "other gun" in the truck is a .357 - no way in this world I'm trusting my life to .25 or .380, although my Makarov would get the nod if that choice were a necessity.
The "other gun" in the truck is a .357 - no way in this world I'm trusting my life to .25 or .380, although my Makarov would get the nod if that choice were a necessity.Manedwolf
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