... I'd prefer a 700 fps .32 S&W Long wadcutter over a 40 gr RN/HP at 1,100 fps.
I still don't think 85 gr HydraShoks are the answer. My problem with .327 Federal is more about the muzzle blast and report, than recoil. I have suffered instantaneous, permanent hearing damage from people shooting .357 Mag when I had no hearing protection, at least three different times (in open spaces, not confined spaces!). Though I consider .327 Federal's muzzle blast to be 'better' than .357 Mag, it is still substantial...
FrankenMauser, I would too. I asked that question to make a point about .22 mag in this scenario. It's not a bad round overall and I like it in rifles but I think it's
far from optimal for defensive EDC.
Speaking of noise, yes. The .327 is
almost as loud as .357. My earlier comment about the 85-grain Hydra-Shoks having indistinguishable felt recoil from your average budget .38 +p is true. It feels the same in hand. However, it is definitely louder. Unlike the .38 +p, a discernible crack could be heard echoing across the hills with each shot. It makes sense given the higher pressure and velocity. While that particular load remains remarkably controllable with the increased power, the trade-off in sound is unavoidable.
I know it could be brutal on the ears, especially in an enclosed space. Ideally, I'll never have to fire it in defense of life. If I do though, I understand and accept that cost. Between gel tests, meat targets, and my own diverse history of shooting everything from water jugs to watermelons with all sorts of stuff; I understand what more it gives me over quieter options like .38 special, .32 S&W Long, etc. Shot placement will always be king in defensive encounters but encounters can be messy and involve all sorts of odds, like only being able to shoot an attacker in the gut, pelvis, or thigh. In those cases, I want that difference on my side!
On that, I actually saw something interesting the other day. I was watching a recent video from Lucky Gunner and an experienced trainer commented that muzzle flash and report may factor into stopping power. I had never considered that before. I always thought those things would be working against me instead of for me. Could it be that the cost in question here is buying me more than I thought?