Best carry caliber

[Hohn]

During my law enforcement tenure I carried both the .38 Special and 9mm and both were consistently poor performers. I am personally aware of incidents in which one suspect took six rounds at handshaking distance and then walked to the ambulance, and another (a psychotic acting out with a knife in each hand) who took six rounds from three officer's sidearms, went down, got up and charged them again, took another six rounds, went down, got up again and took six more​ rounds before he went down and stayed there, dying later in the ER. For the mathematically challenged that's eighteen rounds delivered across the distance of a residential room. If that had been a lone officer instead of three he'd have been dead.

I hear the arguments here about improved ballistics of these calibers but my experience is real-world, not academic, and I don't trust them.

The problem with anecdotes like this is that they imply that if something stronger were used-- say .45, .357 sig, or 10mm-- that the BG would have instantly dropped.

Logic doesn't quite work that way, even though our emotions do.

There are plenty of anecdotes of BGs absorbing lots of .45 as well--though I suspect a good bit fewer anecdotes, but extant just the same.


In situations like the one described above (18 rounds) I have to wonder about the role played by shot placement. You simply can't blame the caliber for failing to make glancing shots or even COM hits into that rare breed of instantly capacitating shot.

 

[700 LTR 223]

Carried a 38 Special 642 Airweight for a while and still do at times. Very light and easily concealable. Acquired a 9mm Shield and like it quite a bit and this is coming from one that started out with revolvers and who once stated - "I will never own one of those plastic abominations." Although back then 25 years ago or so I was referring to Glocks. Liked the 9mm Shield so much I added one in 45 ACP!

 

[NKBJ]

The best carry is what you find out you are good with.
Bore diameter and foot-pounds aren't squat.
Gun design and magazine capacity aren't squat.

Find out what you're good with.
And then get really good with it.

 

[88E30M50]

Everyone has a different set of priorities when choosing a caliber for carry. For some, it's capacity over capability. Others want capability first, then capacity. There's no perfect caliber for everyone. Choose what makes sense to you and then shoot enough of them to be proficient if you ever need to shoot in a dire situation.

 

[Lees]

I think what's most important is that it's a gun you'll actually have with you and that you know how to use. My own "best carry" has changed a lot with my capabilities and concealment needs. I would love to be one of those people who carries a .45 and is awesome with it, but realistically I'm a .380 person, maybe just graduating to 9mm after a couple of years of practice. My husband used to bug me about carrying a larger caliber but he has recognized that I was dealing with a combo skinny wrists and not much experience. It's hard to shoot a large caliber in a tiny gun that conceals well when you don't have a lot of experience. I have carried a Glock 42 more than anything else because it's really easy to conceal, and I can shoot it. Even after a lot of practice I still have had a problem with limp wristing it and I have to carry it with self defense rounds to solve that problem. I just got a P-938 and I love it and I feel like I can finally carry a tiny 9mm, but I still need self defense rounds to fix my limp wristing issue. I have shot other tiny 9mm guns that I just cannot handle at all. However, it's hard for me to conceal even a Glock 26.

 

[2cool9031]

The bottom line ...carry the largest caliber you can shoot well. No sense in choosing a caliber that you can't put a round in your target.

 

[Cree]

Don't start with the caliber, start with the gun. As the weather changes, your choice for EDC will likely change as well. Buy the model that will give you the biggest bullet for that size pistol. I cannot see buying a smaller caliber if the same size gun comes in a larger caliber.

Andy Cree

 

[indy4x4fab]

I would say what you feels right to you as well as feels conformable where you want to carry it. Is what is the right caliber for you. I like the 40cal, it's what feels good to me what I like firing. Mom likes the 9mm that's what she carries. Dad and my girlfriend carry 45cal, it's what feels best to them. Take a day go down to the gun shop tell the guys at the counter what you'ld like to try out shout it, if they have a range. Then see how it feels in a holster on you. It may take a few times before you know what works best for you.

 

[aaron580]

.577 T Rex duh...

 

[6mm Shoot]

44 mag in the woods and around the farm. 45 ACP in the hood.

 

[sdb321]

For me it's .357/158 grain bullet.

 

[logguy]

I don't ever want to use it but ,if needed 45 acp will end the conversation

 

[migunner]

I will stick with 45 ACP

 

[Fixer]

The best caliber is the one you can put shots on target in a high stress situation.

That means pick something you can:
1. Control the recoil
2. Actually carry
3. Can afford to shoot regularly

 

[Excalibur]

Educated personal preference. Don't go with "pick caliber whatever" because someone else told you. Do your own research. Educate yourself on ballistics, what type of gun, how you carry. It isn't just saying "This is the best caliber because..."

Like me, I prefer 9mm because of ammo capacity, light recoil on most carry guns I own and I shoot it best out of most handguns.

 

[Glockman20]

full load (not watered down factory loads) 10mm... I reload so mine are full loads 1320 FPS golden sabers for projectiles... pretty lethal round

 

[DanVoils]

9 mm. In 1911 it may have been the best but today with multiple bad guys and them possibly being impervious to only a round or two actually striking them due to adrenaline and drug use the larger capacity 9mm handguns are far superior.
Dan

 

[hog slayer]

Larry Vickers: The Defense Handgun Caliber Wars Are Over

Interesting read