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About LinkBacksWhat do you all think is the best defense round to carry?
I'm favoring the .40 S&W.
This is a discussion on Best Cal. for defense within the Defensive Ammunition & Ballistics forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; What do you all think is the best defense round to carry? I'm favoring the .40 S&W....
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What do you all think is the best defense round to carry?
I'm favoring the .40 S&W.
First welcome
Second - you may not realize but this question is actually the basis for what we call ''caliber wars''
As such it is a very much debated deal and suffice it to say - the best cal is probably the one (with suitable platform) where you can place shots so they matter! Shot placement is in essence way beyond cal - because if a larger cal and more power don't hit and stop - it is to no avail!
If .40 is your bag and you shoot well with it - then - that will most surely get the job done if you do your part.
Chris - P95
NRA Certified Instructor & NRA Life Member.
"To own a gun and assume that you are armed
is like owning a piano and assuming that you are a musician!."
http://www.rkba-2a.com/ - a portal for 2A links, articles and some videos.
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.300 Win Mag.
But for everyday life, nothing beats the old tried and true .45 for me.
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I like a 45 acp or 45 lc and any shotgun.
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Not trying to be harsh here, but there are tons of opinions on this, IF YOU CAN SHOOT IT WELL THE .40 is a fine round, my friends all give me trouble because I shoot 9 and 45, I shoot them well, so i dont care about the "advantage of the round" if your not hitting your target no bullet is good, that said what type of handgun are you going to be using, because a light .40 cal handgun has a lot more recoil than the same sized 9, but when you start getting to compact like glock23 size vs sub compact I dont feel that much difference, again if you can hit your target with a .40 its a good round, more expensive to train with than the 9 but in my opinion a little less likely to overpenetrate if your round fails to expand. Lots of others here with more experience with the .40 than me, hope they can help you out there, since my basic comment is "if you can shoot it use it, if you cant go to a 9 or even a .380 if the 9 is too much for you in a short barrel/light gun"
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oh boy, not another one.
whatever caliber you can shoot the best.
Georg BüchnerWo die Notwehr aufhört, fängt der Mord an
(Murder begins where self-defense ends)
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Can't go wrong with a .45 ACP and a 12 gauge pump :) I'm also a big fan of the tried-and-true .357 Magnum if you like wheelguns, but since this is a 1911 forum, we'll stick to .45 and 12g.Originally Posted by iowain45-70
Think this question has been asked enough times?
Peace,
Pete Zaria.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
- Margaret Mead
"Booger Hook Off the Bang Switch" - unknown
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120mm smooth-bore with M1028 anti-personnel canisters.
Failing that, a .45 ACP to fight to my 12 gauge will do.
"Wise people learn when they can; fools learn when they must." - The Duke of Wellington
Actually, a headshot with the .50 BMG might be the best defense round.
Since they are awfully heavy to carry and even harder to conceal, I'll just go with the .45.
With that being said, with the advances in modern ammo, the gap between the 9mm,.40 and .45 is'nt near as big as it once was. They all work.
It is better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand years as a lamb...
AR. CHL Instr. 07/02 FFL
Maker of cool things to shoot
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Can I change my mind?
from left to right: 44 mag, .825 std, .825 premium, .357 mag
The NEW .825 G&S Online Express Magnum
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OK...I'll bite...10mm
...if ya can't deal with that...second best...45 ACP.
"If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." Romans 12:18
...if not...be prepared to meet Mr.10mm, .45, .40 or any one of their little brothers.
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You know, cheers. If it wasn't for the higher cost and lower availability of 10mm, I'd definitely be looking at one. 10mm has better penetration and "stopping power" than .45 or even .357 on paper.
But I believe in shooting "mainstream" calibers for ammo cost and availability reasons. And I think .45 ACP and .357 MAG are the best common calibers to choose for SD.
@ HotGuns re: 9mm, .40, and .45 are getting closer because of better ballistic technology - IMHO this is only kind of true. Modern hollow point designs along with better powders, etc... has made headway on leveling this playing field - but I still think this is one of the few instances where bigger really is better, as long as you can shoot it well.
There is no "magic number", its not all about penetration or velocity or expansion or ft/lb of energy, but rather some little-understood combination of these that we seem to refer to as "stopping power". Statistically speaking, bigger, heavier bullets going faster = more stopping power. So I'll take something that starts with a "4", please.
Peace,
Pete Zaria.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
- Margaret Mead
"Booger Hook Off the Bang Switch" - unknown
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OK....i'll post it too..........The BEST caliber for defense is the one that you can drop the BG with.
.....Other than that............something in the M134 minigun configuration
Why Waltz when you can Rock-N-Roll
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