A real discussion about caliber

[Papersniper]

I don't think that much has really changed as far as peoples feelings about caliber. They can all be deadly. What has changed in a big way is the ability for gun makers to make larger caliber guns that are physically small. Now a .380 gun can be as small as a .32. 9mm handguns are now getting very small. So people now are saying why not carry a larger caliber if the gun is virtually the same size. Obviously there are other factors such as recoil that affect what people carry, and thus why you still see people carrying the smaller calibers. But if you can overcome that then there is a strong argument to carry a larger caliber in a small gun.

I think you're on to something there.....never thought about it, but it makes sense, at least from a person SD perspective.

[berettabone]

I would encourage you to read the new FBI report. I have always been a 45 ACP fan for reasons you stated and believed the 125 gr Winchester HP in 357 to be the ultimate. (That is what is in my 4" 686.)

Here is the Executive summary:

Executive Summary of Justification for Law Enforcement Partners

• Caliber debates have existed in law enforcement for decades
• Most of what is “common knowledge” with ammunition and its effects on the human target are rooted in myth and folklore
• Projectiles are what ultimately wound our adversaries and the projectile needs to be the basis for the discussion on what “caliber” is best
• In all the major law enforcement calibers there exist projectiles which have a high likelihood of failing LEO’s in a shooting incident and there are projectiles which have a high ting incident likelihood of succeeding for LEO’s in a shooting incident
• Handgun stopping power is simply a myth
• The single most important factor in effectively wounding a human target is to have penetration to a scientifically valid depth (FBI uses 12” – 18”)
• LEO’s miss between 70 – 80 percent of the shots fired during a shooting incident
• Contemporary projectiles (since 2007) have dramatically increased the terminal effectiveness of many premium line law enforcement projectiles (emphasis on the 9mm Luger offerings)
• 9mm Luger now offers select projectiles which are, under identical testing conditions, I outperforming most of the premium line .40 S&W and .45 Auto projectiles tested by the FBI
• 9mm Luger offers higher magazine capacities, less recoil, lower cost (both in ammunition and wear on the weapons) and higher functional reliability rates (in FBI weapons)
• The majority of FBI shooters are both FASTER in shot strings fired and more ACCURATE with shooting a 9mm Luger vs shooting a .40 S&W (similar sized weapons)
• There is little to no noticeable difference in the wound tracks between premium line law Auto enforcement projectiles from 9mm Luger through the .45 Auto
• Given contemporary bullet construction, LEO’s can field (with proper bullet selection) 9mm Lugers with all of the terminal performance potential of any other law enforcement pistol caliber with none of the disadvantages present with the “larger” calibers

Very interesting.

Sounds like the best caliber/cartridge is the one that you will practice with until you become proficient.

I'll stick to my larger boolits.................................