What's the best caliber for HD?

'Best' is the one you shoot best.
Which do you shoot best?
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Hmmm... a 9 feels like a 45acp to me or should that be a .45acp feels like a 9 ! Honestly?..i really don't feel much of a difference between my xdm 9 (it's not very forgiving on the recoil) and my Loaded (finding it a joy to shoot).

The difference between 9mm and 45 ACP isn't worth a hill of beans. All pistol calibers are weak. None of them will do the job if you don't hit a vital area. And even if you do hit a vital area, they might not do the job fast enough.

You would be far better off spending time and energy on training than worrying about the difference to between caliber X and caliber Y -- it simply isn't important.
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Given my comment above, perhaps this is right obvectively speaking. However, subjectively, the above penetration chart seems to indicate that the .40sw and the .45 acp cause a lot more tissue damage on the way to their final resting place as compared to the 9mm. And that .357sig round just looks sick!

Having never fired eitehr a .40sw and the .357sig round, how is the recoil perceived on both? Is the .357sig more 'snappy'?

Personally, I feel the 9mm is the perfect compromise for a carry gun.
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Actually, my question is related to HD and not CC. They are two different beasts as far as I'm concerned. Weight is a major factor for me in CC whereas for HD it is not....

Controlability- from lightest recoiling to heaviest in most guns 9mm, .357 Sig, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .357 Magnum
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Webleymkv. Thta's an interesting comment (practical observation???). I was under the impression that the .357sig was more snappy than the .40sw. Also, again, by my comments above, if I can handle the .45acp round, then by extension, i should be able to manage the .40sw and the .357sig rounds - right? Given that i don't find much difference betwen a 9mm and a .45acp, would the .357sig and the .40sw feel about the same to me?....
 
the recoil difference is just that, a 45acp feels more like pushing back, a 40sw has more muzzle flip to it. the sig i dont know as i havent fired one. personelly i tend to agree with others the one you shoot best is your best hd gun. mine happens to be a 9mm, i wouldnt even think of letting a 357 lose in the house, if you miss you wont be able to see or hear the BG after that. a good shotgun is also a very good hd gun. just my opinion and we know we all have one.
 
I would add that you need to be able to shoot whatever handgun you choose with only one hand. Two hands are better, but it's a good idea to be proficient in one handed shooting.

Control and confidence outweigh caliber.
 
Webleymkv. Thta's an interesting comment (practical observation???). I was under the impression that the .357sig was more snappy than the .40sw. Also, again, by my comments above, if I can handle the .45acp round, then by extension, i should be able to manage the .40sw and the .357sig rounds - right? Given that i don't find much difference betwen a 9mm and a .45acp, would the .357sig and the .40sw feel about the same to me?....
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Recoil is pretty subjective, but if we examine the popular self-defense loadings in each caliber we find that most 125grn .357 Sig loads develop a smidge over 500 ft.lbs of energy at the muzzle and that 155-165grn .40 S&W loadings (these seem to be the most popular weights for self defense) also run in the high 400's to low 500's in terms of muzzle energy. In my experience when two cartridges of roughly equal muzzle energy are fired from similar guns, the one with the heavier bullets will have the higher felt recoil. As far as what you may be able to handle, that depends a lot on what type of gun you're shooting. The last .40 I fired was a Glock 23 and it was rather snappy (not unmanageable) as compared to my other autos including my S&W 1076 10mm with Double Tap ammo. In a steel frame gun, I think the extra weight would go a long way towards soaking up recoil. Likewise, the degree to which the gun fits you is likely to play a large part in your perception of recoil. A .40 S&W Glock 22 that does not fit you well is likely to be less controlable than a .45 ACP 1911 that fits you extremely well. Finally, what one shooter thinks to be hard kicking may not be to someone else. I personally don't worry about recoil with any of the above calibers because I don't find any of them to be unpleasant, nor do I find a .357 Magnum, 10mm Auto, .41 Magnum, or .44 Magnum to be unpleasant or uncontrollable.
 
.45 = Home Defense


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If looking for long gun home defense,,,

12 ga PUMP shotgun

Chances are after you pump it, the rats will skidaddle.
If they don't, well there will be a lot of rat pieces to clean up.

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Plus me on the 00 Buck. The best caliber for HD is not actually a caliber, it is a gauge, probably 12. Although experts argue and some say 20 gauge with bird shot.

Despite owning a diverse collection of handguns and rifles, my HD gun is a Mossberg 12 gauge pump with 00 Buck.

Never bring a handgun to a gun fight
 
9mm seems a lot louder to me than my .45, sort of like .223 versus .308

sharp crack versus milder boom but that may be me being subjective
 
9mm is a great defense....

....9mm is easier to control (Depending on the handgun), makes for less to be "scared of" in the case that your not an experienced shooter. And that counts for ALOT in an HD situation.

Every gun I've bought, I've shot my first shot with out any hearing protection at the same open range, in the same stance, just to see how they compare.

My 9mm is loud, loud enough that I always were ear plugs. But the first and only time I shot my .357 with a .357 load without hearing protection, I got my mind blown. It HURTS, and I would have considered it a horrible experience had I not done it to myself. Same goes for my .45, HOLLY CRAP a .45 is LOUD. Much louder than you might expect.

My point is this. I could stand to empty a mag with my 9mm with no hearing protection, sure my ears would be ringing and in pain afterward, but I'd still be coherent, and capable of reloading and figuring out whats going on. Now if I were to do the same with a .45 or even 6 rounds from my .357, I'm sure I would find myself in major pain for the first few shots, and then after an entire magazine, I'd imagine my whole head would be numb, and I'd be senseless. Infact, I'd probably be trying to find the nearest bedroom so I could cover my head with a couple pillows and just pray that I got the bad guy.

Remember, the pain I actually felt from just the single trial shots was in an open outdoor range with no big objects around to bounce the sound back at me. Imagine how much worse is would be in your house, or in a car. I heard a "story" about a guy who shot his .45 from inside his car in self defense. Yes he survived, but he lost almost all his hearing in one ear, permanently.

These mostly made up examples are enough to keep me from using anything louder than a .38 special or 9mm in a home defense situation. I'd be more than happy to use a 12 or 20 gauge shotgun as well.

Only way I'd want to use a .45 for defense is if it's ALL I HAD, or I had enough time to put in some balled up toilet paper or other types of earplugs that still let you hear, but block most of the harmful noise.

By the way, just a quick tip, I find balled up toilet paper to be GREAT for hearing protection, Especially if shooting smaller calibers. It takes away most of the damaging (BOOM type) pressure, while still allowing plenty of sound through. So you can hear people talking, you can still hear things like someone flipping through a magazine, or someone lightly tapping or scratching at the door. But when it comes time to start shooting, you will have enough protection to keep your head on straight.

Now I'd just like to say... I have no experience with any sort of violent situations involving firearms or not. But I know what a loud noise can do to you. Just ask the people that make those new "sonic weapons" that they intend to install on cruise ships. They will use them to blast sound at approaching pirates. And apparently it works:)
 
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I'll back up mellow c on the 357 magnum.

Satan made that noise.

Cause it's just like someone put two steel frying pans up to the sides of your head and hit them with two steel hammers at the same time.

38+p is not even close.

And a 9mm is'nt either.
 
Cause it's just like someone put two steel frying pans up to the sides of your head and hit them with two steel hammers at the same time.
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so hearing damage is your main criteria?
 
this is just my $ .02 worth;

1) semiauto...

9mm has it in the cost department and with good hollowpoint loads makes a formidable defense caliber; its low recoil and good controlability mean multiple hits on intended target; somewhat noisier (higher pressures);

.45 acp costs more; higher recoil, moderate controlability, lower noise (lower pressure); more bang per round; so-so on my list;

.40 S&W...a compromise between 9mm and .45 acp; not alot of love for it and not alot of experience;

.357 sig...super fast medium weight 9mm; no experience with it;

2) revolver...

.357 magnum offers alot, but comes at a cost; high recoil, very noisy (high pressure); low to moderate controlability...a compromsie at best for enclosed environments; advise to stay away from fullbore 125gr loads; if you must use this caliber, go for a medium velocity load (eg: Remington Golden Sabre 125gr jhp, Winchester Silvertip 145gr jhp , Winchester WWB Personal Defense 110gr sjhp, Speer Gold Dot 'short barrel' 135gr jhp) that will somewhat reduce the recoil, muzzle blast, and audible report and give back some controlability;

load yer .357 mag with good .38 spl +p for lower noise, more controlability (eg: Remington 158gr lead semiwadcutter hp; Speer Gold Dot 'short barrel' 135gr jhp; Winchester SXT 130gr jhp, Federal HydraShok 129gr jhp; Remington Golden Sabre 125gr; Winchester WWB Personal Defense 125gr sjhp; Remington 125gr sjhp, et al)
 
If looking for long gun home defense,,,

12 ga PUMP shotgun

Chances are after you pump it, the rats will skidaddle.
If they don't, well there will be a lot of rat pieces to clean up.
Click to expand...

my thoughts exactly..if i was a baddie and heard the sound of someone racking a shotgun coming from somewhere out of the darkness i'd be back out the way i came in!:eek:
 
Let say about 9mm.

The 12 gauge shotgun is the most devastating and lethal weapon yet devised for inflicting rack and ruin at close range. A safe bet for ammunition selection is to use the 2-3/4-inch 00 buckshot load. The impact of one of these shot shells is essentially equivalent to getting hit with a nine round burst from a submachine gun.
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internetarmory.com
 
I would disagree with the arguments about hearing damage in regards to caliber selection. In the event of a self defense shooting your stress level is going to be very high. BAR (body alarm reaction) will be almost inevitable. BAR causes the body to undergo a stress induced physiological change which prepares the body for "fight of flight." Some of these changes include an elevated heart rate, tunnel vision, vasoconstriction, and auditory exclusion, among others. Its commonly reported among individuals who have defended themselves with their handgun that they never heard a single one of their shots. Yet at the same time, immediately after shooting, each piece of brass could be heard hitting the floor. Because of this, I think that its unnessesary to practice shooting without ear protection. The only thing thats going to do is cause hearing loss. During the stress of a gunfight, hearing loss is less of an issue.

As far a caliber selection goes, basically anything that will reliably penetrate 12" in b. gel (which has become the minimum standard for a defensive cartridge), can potentially penetrate through walls, especially dry wall. Bullet selection is important across the caliber spectrum. A 9mm, .40, .45, .357, .38+p, etc... are all fine selections when used with a modern hollowpoint bullet. The best caliber largely depends upon the shooter as well as the platform its being launched from.

As a side note, there is not one magic bullet that can be counted on as a one shot stopper. At times, everything launched from small arms has failed to stop, including shotgun slugs. The only reliable way to stop an attack is to fire a servicable round into an adversay multiple times until the threat ceases to be a threat. Multiple shots to the "T" zone are the best way to end a deadly encounter.
 
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.357 mag for Home Defense!

I take the point of view that the .357 magnum in the apropriate revolver is the "Best" home defense hand gun.

If you are recoil sensitive, buy a large S&W N frame or Ruger double action Revolver. Since it is a house gun and lays on the bedside table or fireplace mantle and is not carried, size is not important. Go Big and recoil is reduced.
I also like the 6" bbl for a house gun, the added velocity with 158gr hpts is very deadly. Velocity plus weight = killing power defined as expansion plus penetration.

My opinion is based upon the fact that I have killed many deer and hogs using the 9mm, 45 ACP and .357 magnum. (Thank God I have never had to shoot another human)
The .357 mag kills much better than the 45 or 9mm/38special.
You have to get into the 41mag or 44 mag class to start getting faster reactions from the animals.

All that being said, training and coolness under fire will count for more than the caliber or weapon firing it. Choose one, get proficient with it, and you will be able to effectively defend yourself and family when the time comes.
 
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