Dolphin

I apologize if this is a stupid question but i'm just learning about ballistics and have a thousand questions. I've read about velocity, energy, momentum, etc. and I understand that shot placement is paramount. I have 2 guns a Glock 19 9mm and a Ruger Security Six 4" .357 / I've found that I'm twice as quick with the Glock on follow up shots and have comparable accuracy with both.
For defensive purposes if i can hit the target 2x with the Glock 9mm for every 1x with the .357 mag how would this relate defensively? I would think 2 wounds on target might be superior to the one shot with a higher energy load but i've never seen this addressed before. I've been told carry the 125gr sjhp .357 as it's the best manstopper, but again if i can hit at a 2/1 ratio does that even the field?

45MINK

TRY 9mm in 147gr. it has comparible ballistics to a .45acp !! Don't get me wrong I love my 2" security six for home but my Baby eagle 9mm has GOLD DOT 147gr for carrying .

Dolphin

Comparable to which .45acp load?

Shizzlemah

Um, I don't think that is correct.

Cupcake

I'd also say that is incorrect. Don't get me wrong, 147gr 9mm is my carry ammo of choice, but they are just completely different animals.

I suppose if I were to play and answer the OPs question, I'd rather get shot once with the .357 than twice with the 9. (would you rather get hit once with a 15lb sledgehammer, or twice with a 13.5 pounder?) We are of course assuming that any of the shots will hit home. Don't confuse target accuracy with combat accuracy. Generally, the first GOOD hit will dictate the winner. Caliber (between certain extremes) is relatively unimportant compared with shot placement. Practice drawing and firing, stay away from FMJs, do your part on placement, and send me 10% of your salary and you'll have the best odds of coming home.

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nn

Maybe, maybe not. Not much of an answer; but, each case is it's own depending on shot placement, as you said.

f8lranger4x4

I don't wanna get hit by either!!!!

Kerbouchard

To COM? I would say 1 9mm or 1 .357 could be enough...Guy on drugs and mad...17 9mm or 6 .357 might not be enough.

One shot stop ratios are very unreliable. Some criminals are going to quit if they get winged with a .22. Some won't stop trying to hurt you until they give their last twitch. Add that to the fact that a lot of 'street fights' tend to involve the cheapest ball ammo that they could find. That makes a huge difference in the 'statistics'.

For the interests of your question...assuming point shots to COM, IMHO, 2 rounds of anything has a better chance of disrupting the central nervous system, hitting a vital organ, or causing massive blood loss than 1 shot of anything in pistol ammo. YMMV

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sniper58

Magtech Guardian Gold, .45 ACP 185+P JHP: MV=1148 fps, ME=540 ft/#
Corbon Self-defense, .45 ACP, 185+P JHP: MV=1050 fps, ME=543 ft/#

Remington Golden Saber, 9mm 147 JHP: MV=990 fps, ME=320 fps
Double Tap, 9mm 146+P JHP Speer Gold Dot: MV=1135 fps, ME=421 ft/#

Shot placement is far more important than this data!

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garn

Did you conveniently leave off Double Tap 115+P? If you are going to compared the lightest, highest energy .45 load to 9mm, might as well do the same for 9mm, but instead you chose the weakest energy load!?!!

115+P JHP Speer Gold Dot: MV=1415 fps, ME=511 ft/#

And that is out of a Glock 17 with a 4.5" barrel whereas most .45 energy figures are out of fullsize 5" barreled 1911's.

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