So I have this rookie cop and we are discussing calibers...yeah, one of those threads

[RyanM]

Rule 6. Choice of caliber vs magazine capacity. Refer to rule number one. You are still confused.

I dunno, caliber and mag capacity both tie in with shot placement. Bigger bullets give you a (very) slightly higher chance of nicking an artery, and have (very) slightly faster effect if they hit in a non-CNS vital area. But more shots = potentially more chances to place a shot that intersects the brain or spine. Of course, in the end it comes down to who landed an effective shot first, and in the majority of self-defense shootings things happen so fast that by the time you've burned through 5 or 6 rounds, it's over.

Hm, forget I said anything, then, I guess, you were right the first time.

 

[W Turner]

Any of them will do the job if you do yours. This is exactly why I don't get overly concerned with caliber debates. Every known caliber that can be fired in a pistol has killed someone at sometime in the past. It all depends on shot placement. This is why I pick by platform, not by caliber.


W

 

[Burt Blade]

If a 9mm is improved by advanced bullet designs, then so is a .357, 10mm, or .45 ACP.

I still prefer to use the largest bullets I can reasonably control. If I am facing multiple opponents, I still want the most effective bullet I can control. If that means 7+1, so be it. That is 8 more-effective bullets vs. 18 less-effective bullets.

On one occasion, I had to consider that there were many more hostiles approaching me than the six rounds of .357 in my revolver. After my friend and I extracted ourselves from the problem, I considered that having a high-cap might have felt better. On reflection, I was much more reassured that I could rely on the six I had loaded. If I went the high-cap route, it would hold more of a large caliber, like 10mm or .45.