Pocket .380 advice

[jackmoser65]

Handgun hunting objectives hardly relate to self defense.

The intent is different but the objective is identical. To create the most trauma possible and stop the target as quickly as possible. Like I just said, you guys are focused on intent and I'm talking about wound characteristics. Do you think the bullet cares if it passes through a human or a deer?

Any discussion about CNS hits is irrelevant. Are we reallly gonna get hung on a half inch wide target? Head shots? Or are we going to focus on the more realistic prospect of center of mass torso hits?

Do you really want to insult my intelligence with the "knocking deer down" anecdotal nonsense??? I ain't Joe-Bob at deer camp.

It is widely held, among those who actually do a lot of handgun hunting, that the .357 is rather marginal for deer. That larger cartridges like the .41 and .44 magnums are more appropriate, more effective and have a greater tendency to put game down more quickly. We don't know this because we read about it, heard it from Joe-Bob or came up with a wild theory. We know it because we tried it. Yet, in a self defense discussion, based entirely on theories and studies, "they're all the same"??? Don't whizz down my back and tell me it's raining. Anything we learn from hunting, actually killing critters, is far more useful and valid than anything gleaned from anecdotal nonsense, flawed studies or conjecture.

 

[Cheapshooter]

The intent is different but the objective is identical. To create the most trauma possible and stop the target as quickly as possible.

However, there is one very big difference in human behavior, and animal behavior. A deer reacts to being shot. They don'tthink about it.
A human can be, and often does stop just because of the mental shock of being shot. The three ways an attacker is stopped instantly.
1. Central Nervious System destruction.
2. Physical shock from intense pain.
3. Psychological shock from realizing they have been shot, fainting.
Then there is the psychological effect ofthe assailant not wanting to be shot again, wanting to seek medical attention, or not wanting to get shot in thefirst place. All not depending onetiny bit on the caliber of the gun he was, or could be shot with.

 

[Cheapshooter]

NOW! Back to the topic of the OP!

I have a Kahr PM9 that I carry in my pocket in a DeSantis Holster. I am thinking of selling it and getting a .380 that I can pocket carry. Yes, I realize that the .380 would be a step down in stopping power but if I go through with it I m willing to accept the trade off of stopping power versus comfort and the fact that I probably could shoot more accurately a pocket .380 than a pocket 9mm.

Two points.
1.If you now carry the Kahr, and are comfortable with how it carries, and it's concealability, a pocket 380 would be of little advantage.
2. Small, pocket 380 pistols aren't all that easy for some to shoot accurately. To many the "snappy" recoil is more objectionable than many 9MM small handguns.
Definitely shoot one of the mouse guns, with your chosen SD ammo before you sell your Kahr to buy one.

 

[K_Mac]

Jackmoser65, people have been shooting and killing each other for a while now. There is plenty of evidence to support the fact that a handgun in any commonly carried caliber is not a great choice if there is a long-gun option available. It is the reason Alaskan guides carry long-guns in bear county. Yes, they may carry a large caliber (too large to be practically carried in any urban area) handgun, but generally only as a backup. You may kill a grizzly with a 45acp, but unless it is a CNS hit it will likely kill you before it decides to die.

You can reject the data if you wish. A poorly placed shot with any handgun will not immediately incapacitate an attacker. A CNS shot with any handgun will. Arguing about wound characteristics is a great way to spend some time, but I understand that whether I'm carrying a 380 or .357 magnum or a 40 something if I don't hit my target I am probably in trouble. For the record I carry a 9 most of the time, a 380 at times, and a 357 when wandering in the woods. Works for me.