Self Defense Calibers-How Much Is To Much

C

COLT_45

New member
For CCW self defense I carry my good old standby 45 Long Colt.
Good stopping power, very accurate, reasonable manageable recoil.
I feel that some of the big bore magnums and high speed ammo
calibers are just to much of a good thing. First two shots speed
and accuracy is what I practice, practice, practice, 5 & 7 yards.....
 
The .45 Colt or .45 acp would be the largest cartridge I'd carry for self defense. The 9mm or .38 special seem to be the cartridges I choose most often.
 
I think the 44 special, 45lc, 45acp got it just right-tour proven so to speak.
Don't get me wrong as the 38 special & 357 mag are great calibers too but,
with the 38 or 9mm I think they're less affective and the 357 magnum
type recoil, noise, penetrations, etc keep me glued to my 45.....
 
I think a .45LC is about all you would need in terms of power for a regularly carried self defense pistol in most enviroments. Anything beyond that would probably be a little too much for most people because of the additional recoil and muzzle flash.

I most often carry either a .380, .38spcl or 9mm in very lightweight (sub one pound) pistols.

The only reason I can see for carrying anything larger than a .45LC would be for protection against large animals.
 
I dont think there is a "too much". Carry what you are comfortable with and can shoot well. I carry a Glock 22 (.40) and a Armscor .38 special snubby.
 
Too much is the point at which you can no longer shoot the gun quickly and accurately, a point which varies from person to person. My personal maximum is .44 Magnum, but YMMV.
 
For your generic average shooter, the .44 mag and possibly the 10mm/.357 may be too much depending on the weight of the handgun. Shot placement is everything as can be a follow-up shot.
 
Too much is the point at which you can no longer shoot the gun quickly and accurately, a point which varies from person to person. My personal maximum is .44 Magnum, but YMMV.
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I tried .45 Super and .460 Rowland and quietly just went back to my .45 acp +P loads. In this case, my +Ps aren't much different than standard .45 acp as near as I can tell for recoil purposes (Federal HST)
 
I don't think that any gun cartridge that you can conceal easily and most importantly, shoot accurately is too big. Personally, I carry a small .380 in the summer and usually carry a full size 1911 .45 in the winter. A .45 is as big as I feel I need to go.
 
"There is no such thing as 'overkill.' There is only 'commence firing' and 'I need to reload.'"

I think there's a reason very few people carry anything bigger than a .45. Beyond that you're into boutique calibers and oddball weapons, where the rounds are prohibitively expensive to shoot on a regular basis and the guns are far too big to be carried concealed by a normal-sized person. They're mostly intended for hunting and/or showing off. Which is fine, and they'd work for self defense if they were all you had, but that's not really what they're for.
 
COLT_45

Self Defense Calibers-How Much Is To Much
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I would say that it depends upon the individual. Each of us has different levels of skills, physical abilities, and differing attitudes about training and tactics.

So depending upon those factors which can determine what that person can competently handle, most people can be well served with a handgun which shoots something in the range from a 9mm or .38 Special up to something a bit less powerful than a full load .44 Magnum (240gr @ 1500fps). There may be some really skilled shooters who could actually shoot a full load .44 Magnum nearly as well as Jerry Miculik shoots his game loads, but I doubt it.

I can only speak for myself, and .44 magnum is too much for me. My full load 10mm is just right (200gr @ 1200fps). If I carried a revolver I'd like a 4" .45 Colt, 240 - 250gr @ 1000 - 1100fps. A .44 Special shooting a 240gr @ 1000fps would do as well.

When choosing a handgun for self-defense we make compromises.
 
Yes-I really like the Buffalo Bore Heavy's 45lc (Standard Pressure) 255 @ 1000
CCW speaking the Blazer 45lc 200 JHP @ 850 work for me well in the shorter
barreled Colt Sheriff & Ruger Montado.....
 
If a 230-grain .45 ACP won't put a target down, I don't especially think a larger caliber will. At that point it's going to be about poking lots of holes.

Personally the largest I would go for carry is .40 - the capacity loss gets more serious at that point. I'm more likely to carry a 9x19 or smaller due to higher recoil in smaller guns.
 
Self Defense Calibers-How Much Is To Much
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I have a Ruger SA .44 Mag, . . . and at times I can see myself carrying it for CCW, . . . just not on the streets of Columbus, Ohio.

The whole question begs for placement, . . . wandering some of the hills of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, South Eastern Ohio, Eastern Ky, . . . probably have that .44, . . . might have a 1911, . . . it would all depend on the circumstances.

For sure if I could reload and shoot that Ruger as well as I can my 1911, . . . I'd carry it in a New York minute.

May God bless,
Dwight
 
For the house I use a 12 ga shotgun. I think anything from a .32 on up to .44,.45 caliber would work for self defense. The main thing you need to do is become proficient with what you choose.
 
I fell confident with my S&W model 64 loaded with 38+P. I also have 357 and 45 cal sometimes I take them out, but mostly it is the 64.
 
There is a point where it is too much. There is all so a point where its too little. I think any thing between these points is fine.

I think any thing between a 380 acp and a 44mag (or 45 colt +p) would work fine. If you get much smaller then it could be questionable. You get much bigger and it is too big of a gun to carry every where.

Me personally I will take a light 357 magnum. 110 grain or 125 grain loaded fairly hot. I grew up shooting 357 magnums and I feel the most confident with that round.

p.s. There are all ways out liers. I am sure the 22 short has killed before. I am all so sure that it is possible to take a bad shot from a 500 magnum and live to tell about it. In both cases I am sure luck would play its role.
 
Lots of good answers. I think most everyone would agree that a 45, either acp or Colt is the upper limit for self defense in a CCW gun. This limit would be set by controlability of the handgun, concealibility, and also the performance of the ammunition. Other more powerful handguns would also work with custom ammunition designed to expand, and a dedicated shooter willing to master the recoil.

Now for Rural America and a house or truck gun the field is wide open. I have packed my 480 Ruger Super RedHawk out in the yard with a flashlight a few times. Not because I needed the power, but that was what I happened to have handy. It would not be out of the ordinary for me to be packing the 480 in my UTV or truck either. Lots of rural folks will have a 41, and 44 Magnum Single Action revolvers. Is this more gun than you need for self defense? Probably, but you are not going to feel undergunned.

The CCW gun I carry most when running around in town would be a S&W 638 with +P 38's in it. It is Lite, Handy, Accurate, and very Concealible in a Lobo Model 1 Pancake or pocket carried. Do I consider this to be enough power for self defense? Probably Not. But it is better to be carrying a 2" 38 airweight, than to have a 45 at home on the dresser.

Bob
 
+1 with Skans "anything larger more powerful than .45ACP, 10mm, .357." in most cases. However if you live in Alaska, or maybe rural in one of the Rocky Mountain states something bigger would be for comforting if you ran into a grizzly while carrying out the trash after dinner.
 
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