Best Defensive Round ! ! !

Favorite defensive round

  • .38

    Votes: 2 1.7%

  • 9mm

    Votes: 25 20.7%

  • .40

    Votes: 17 14.0%

  • .45

    Votes: 66 54.5%

  • .357

    Votes: 11 9.1%
  • Total voters
    121
M

massman

New member
Beat Defensive Round

I had trouble answering this one. I voted the 45 as I am very comfortable shooting the round and I am confident in it stopping any 2 legged vermin. When hiking I tend to carry a 357 especially for black bear (which are becoming much more common to my area).
 
R

rich52us

New member
I voted .45 ACP

I recently moved up to the .45 ACP from 9mm. I guess I decided I would rather have less rounds, but rounds that I feel are more effective individually. I carry 185 grn +P Gold Dots in my Glock 30.
 
T

threegun

Moderator
135 grain cor-bon 40S&W @1300fps. Enough weight to plow through bone while still sizzling fast for reliable expansion if no bone is hit. The best of both worlds.

If more readily available and able to fit in a smaller gun, the 10MM with the same bullet as above only pushed some 100-150fps faster.
 
J

Jeepmark2005

New member
That's not bad. 135 gr at 1,300 fps. I imagine that would get the job done. I just like a round that does not have to depend on expantion to be really effective. If the .45 expands great but if not, well that is okay too. I really should have listed the 10mm on the poll. An outstanding round that I over looked.
 
M

MTMilitiaman

New member
If more readily available and able to fit in a smaller gun, the 10MM with the same bullet as above only pushed some 100-150fps faster.
Click to expand...

If you're getting 1300 fps with a 135 gr bullet then that is some 300 fps slower than the 10mm is capable of. If you're going by CorBon's ballistics, you should know they load their 10mm to moderate levels to make their .400 CorBon look better. The 10mm is capable of pushing a 135 gr bullet @ 1600 fps from a 4.6 inch barrel.

You might lose a little velocity but if you step from the fullsize G20 to the compact G29, you can get 10mm firepower in a compact package.
 
T

TxPhantom

New member
Need opinions

I've been considering buy a new plastic pistol for some time and I've read many threads on various forums comparing ammo. I was going to buy the S & W, M P in 357sig when it came out. Then I read a post by someone that made sense to me. He said the 45 & the 357 have a lot of stopping power but too expensive as a plinker (which I do a lot of ) and the 9mm is pretty fast and inexpensive to shoot. But the 40 caliber has both stopping power and speed and not very expensive to play with. At this time I am leaning toward the 40 caliber for that reason. Does this make sense to you?
I already own two 9mm semi's (a Desert Eagle & a Sigma SW9VE), a S W 686, 357 Revolver, two 380's & a couple of 22 pistols. But I feel the need for a new gun. :eek: A friend of mine has caught "Black Rifle Feaver" I'm try to avoid him in case its contagious!!:barf:
 
5

5whiskey

New member
Actually, I think you can shoot .45acp cheaper than you can .40. Winchester white box (100 rounds) runs about 20$ at wally world. $20 for a hundred rounds isn't too bad. I'm not sure if you could find .40 that cheap (I don't shoot .40, so I don't know for sure). Obviously, 9mm will be your cheapest to shoot if you plink alot, and .357 sig will probably more expensive than anything mentioned here except for 10mm.
 
M

MTMilitiaman

New member
Obviously, 9mm will be your cheapest to shoot if you plink alot, and .357 sig will probably more expensive than anything mentioned here except for 10mm.
Click to expand...

10mm actually runs about as much as .45, it just isn't as common.
 
A

ATW525

New member
I like 9mm, .40 and .45 pretty much equally. My vote goes to .40, though, mainly because lately I've been renewed love for my Beretta 96 since parting with my PX4.

On the subject of WWB pricing... I just bought some in all three calibers today and I'm pretty sure it ~$12 for 9mm, ~$17 for .40 and ~$21 for .45
 
G

givo08

New member
I don't think anyone will argue that shot vs. shot, 9mm is not as good as .45. I think the arguments come from 9mm having a lot of other advantages over .45 (capacity, recoil/controllability, pistol size for concealability, price of practice ammo) and people trying to weight the advantages vs. disadvantages of each round. I don't think the bullet diameter difference is very significant and I think it's focused on way too much (.07", and with higher velocity 9mm will probably expand more reliably). I think the primary advantage of .45 is the bullet weight for higher momentum for penetrating bone, muscle, and fat and remaining on course. If you only ever hit soft tissue, I think the 9mm is better than the .45 because it will penetrate just as far and do just as much damage, only you have all the other advantages as well. I think people question whether or not the 9mm will be deflected off course by bone though because of the ligher weight bullets. The .40 is kind of middle of the road because it's velocity, weight, capacity, and recoil are somewhere between the 9mm and .45.

As far as "knockdown" power, there really isn't such a thing. A bullet will exert the same force on your target as it exerts on your hands in recoil "IF" it's stopped in the target. That in itself is not enough to knock anyone down (i certainly don't know anyone that falls down from the recoil of shooting a gun), and if a bullet passes through someone it won't even dump all that energy in them.
 
H

Hook686

New member
.357 magnum, 170 grain Buffalo Bore JHC (1400 fps with 740 ft-lbs energy, less than 3-1/2" bullet drop at 50 yards) ... besides my .44 magnum gets too heavy to carry well by 3 pm. The .44 magnum gives about the same ballistics, except softer recoil and more bullet drop.
 
U

ugaarguy

New member
I already own two 9mm semi's (a Desert Eagle & a Sigma SW9VE), a S W 686, 357 Revolver, two 380's & a couple of 22 pistols. But I feel the need for a new gun
Click to expand...

TxPhantom,

Buy a reloading press. Load your 9mm in bulk to offset the cost. Load your 357 Mag to 38 Special specs for practice - that will save tons of money. If you're up for loading 380 that could be another cost savings - if you plink with your 380s. Price here a walwats is about $12/100 9mm P and $18/100 for 380, both WWB. The 380, if you shoot it enough, can save some money. Load at least the two of the three you shoot the most to pay for the press. Then you just buy a set of dies for whatever caliber the new pistol is and after loading a few hundred rounds the new dies are paid for. Loading 45 ACP is a major cost savings.

On the original subject of the thread,

I feel quite comforable with anything I have from 380 up. Now that I just got a press I'm looking at getting a 1911 with the cost savings of rolling my own. The large supply of free once fired brass at the local shootin hole helps.
 
T

threegun

Moderator
MTM, I was comparing the corbon loadings. At 1600fps there is nothing that can be fired in a combat sized pistol more powerful. I don't reload so 1450 from corbon was my tops.
 
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