Mas Ayoob on .380 for Self Defense

[JFootin]

Originally Posted by steveschu

Nope, silver bullets are for werewolves.

You're right. It is a stake through the heart for vampires.

[Longitude Zero]

It is better than nothing but not by much.

[jocko]

Originally Posted by JFootin

You're right. It is a stake through the heart for vampires.

the lone ranger used nothing but silver bullets. He had his own silvermine, didn't u know that. thats why he made silver bullets. thats my story and I'm stickin to it

[ScottSouth66]

I've got one .380 experience to share. A few years back,I carried a Colt Mustang,with Silvertips. At a friend's house in the boonies,he had a mangy and hostile large breed dog that would wander into his yard and try to fight his lab. There were no neighbors for miles,so it must have been a dump off,wild dog.

I was over for a cookout and the dog came for a visit. My buddy wasn't a"gun guy" and had nothing to dispatch it with,and animal control wouldn't respond that far out. So I threw a pork chop around back to lure it away from the other guests,and confronted it. I got about 10 feet away and aimed,while he stooped down in a charge stance and snapped at me. I fired once,and saw blood trickle behind his ear,but he stood his ground and started barking at me.

Then I emptied the other 5 shots all into his front section,and his ran around the fence toward the other folks,barking! My friend charged him with a shovel that we were gonna bury him with,and BRAINED the damn animal.That stopped him.

I soon sold the gun and NEVER relied on anything smaller than a 9+P.
I currently carry a K40 with PDXs. Just my personal observation,YMMV....

[kerby9mm]

I have heard that animals are harder to kill than people. A deer can be shot with a rifle and if a vital organ (heart) of the head is not hit they can in some cases escape until they bleed out. A drug crazed attacker could maybe be hard to kill also. Could be that in either situation a rifle would be best. A 380 is not a hunting gun but it is adequate to carry as insurance against something that in all likelyhood will never occur.

[muggsy]

I've seen a .22 short used to put down a 300 pound pig. It's all about shot placement.

[Longitude Zero]

Originally Posted by muggsy

I've seen a .22 short used to put down a 300 pound pig. It's all about shot placement.

Kinda but not 100%. I have witnessed trauma surgery to a 44 mag to the head that required almost 1/4 of the brain to removed with almost zero noticable deficit.

Shot placement is important but it is not the only factor involved. I have also seen a 32 to the thigh nick the femoral and death is relatively quick. There are really NO absolutes as to what will work and when, only relatively better choices vs worse.

[Planedude]

Originally Posted by Longitude Zero

Kinda but not 100%. I have witnessed trauma surgery to a 44 mag to the head that required almost 1/4 of the brain to removed with almost zero noticable deficit...

So we are'nt talking about the shooting of an Einstein here are we?

Still, he did have a bad day.

[Longitude Zero]

Not really. He was a school teacher and after recovery went back to teaching. His wife, now ex went to prison.

[josp]

I agree that the 380 ain't the baddest of the bunch, but beats the hell out of a sharp stick when it's not possible to carry my 45.
I have killed a large whitetail buck, after it was struck by a car and had a broken leg, with one shot from my Colt mustang loaded with corbon. I have also had to shoot another doe, much smaller, with four 45 rounds to achieve the same effect. YMMV.