Best carry caliber

[Frank_N_Stein]

There is no magic bullet. Well, unless you consider the one that killed JFK. Shot placement is the key. Buy a gun and quality ammo and practice til you consistently hit what you are aiming at. Just having the "best" gun and ammo out there isn't going to matter if you can't hit the target.

 

[Steeler]

I agree with the popular answer, what you shoot best. Period.
I just switched from a full size 45 to a subcompact 9mm.
The 9 will offer me cheaper ammo, higher capacity, more accurate follow up shots. For me anyway.

 

[Magnum314]

I'll play. Many calibers are great as long as you know and respect each of their shortcomings, i.e. cost and availability, capacity, practical and concealable weapon platform, etc. I mean hey...can't go wrong with a 45 LC!! But, having said that, all around carry caliber...for me...9mm.

 

[Liberty Sanders]

I am not being argumentative here, but I like to know the details of this? You saying the suspect took 18 shots of 38/9mm before staying down. 18 rounds (FMJ or JHP) is, collectively, a lot of wound cavities and, most likely, with significant damage to vital organs. In the single officer scenario; what caliber would have had the knockdown capacity and round count to stop the guy that wasn't already delivered by the first 12 rounds - which were assumedly fired in quick succession? If it was at room distance, should a taser been employed? I have first hand knowledge of a drugged assailant not stopped by a magazine of 9mm that dropped with a solid taser hit.

This was prior to officers being equipped with personal tasers.

According to the lead physician in the ER the suspect had a number of hits that should have been lethal, and his remark to our Night Chief was "this guy is dead, he just doesn't know it."

I'm not in a position to say what would have worked on this guy, only that .38 Special did not.

 

[Expat]

I read somewhere that capacity is more important than caliber, so I moved to a 9mm and carry a Shield or G43.

 

[tcecil88]

Currently, I carry 9mm Federal HST 147 gr. +P backed up by .380 Hornady Custom 90 gr. XTP. I did alot of online research and these 2 loads consistently worked well in gel and through heavy cloth out of short barreled pistols. Then I shot a bunch of it through my EDC pistols to make sure they functioned well and I could hit well with them.
That said, I feel pretty good with the loads I have chosen for my .357's, .40's, 10mm's, .45's & .44's too.
There is no best caliber. All handgun bullets are under powered with the exceptions of the .44 Mag and up, but those generate so much recoil that a quick second shot is not a sure thing. Rent a bunch of guns in different calibers and carry the pistol & caliber combination you can make quick, consistent hits with and reserve the others for the range or the woods.
Shoot the snot out of your chosen EDC and get training. Your no good to anybody in a self defense situation if you can't quickly hit a human sized target in the chest at 10 yards or less.

 

[crewchief888]

in the past ive carried
charter arms undercover in 38spl
glock 27 in .40sw
1911 in 45acp

all good guns, all with some drawbacks
i prefer my 1911, it's whats most comfortable, and concealable to me.

 

[DanVoils]

.50 BMG. Ain't no one going to mess with you when you're carrying a Barrett!
Seriously though it's what you are most accurate and comfortable with.
Dan

 

[DCowboysCR]

I've shot/owned all the duty calibers except 10mm. Came full circle over 23 years and came back to 9mm.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

I carried a Charter Off Duty .38 for years, never felt undergunned. Nowadays it's a Sig 238. Why? Because I've had .45s for years, but rarely carry them. The 238 I slip into a pocket holster and go. My thought is that it's better to have a gun I can comfortably carry when I need it, than to not have any.

 

[Amishman44]

Simple....a .45 ACP...

Why?

Because out of all of my defensive-caliber pistols, I shoot my Glock 36 the best! (That, and because I'm comfortable with and love a .45!)

For everyone else...and because everyone has to answer it themselves...to each their own!

 

[ChalupaCabras]

Why isn't anyone talking about the REAL problem?

Page 4, and nobody has even mentioned defense against bears.

 

[KellyinAvon]

Phased Plasma Rifle in the 40 Watt Range.

 

[rugertoter]

What do you think is the best carry caliber and why?

The one you can shoot well and make sure hits with. It is true that some carry more muzzle energy than others, but I would not also want to stop a couple of well placed .380 Auto rounds either.

I guess you have to go with as much horsepower that you can safely and effectively handle. JMHO.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

Phased Plasma Rifle in the 40 Watt Range.

Hey, just what you see pal!

 

[Falconpuch]

I like to think the BFR 45-70 makes a decent carry caliber...

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

Why isn't anyone talking about the REAL problem?

Page 4, and nobody has even mentioned defense against bears

I was pretty sure I saw one this morning when I first got up. Turns out I need to pay those lovely little ladies down at Ngoy's to shave my chest and back again. ...

 

[KellyinAvon]

Hey, just what you see pal!

Da Uzi 9 millimeter

 

[actaeon277]

[video=youtube;1IfWXjRLCDc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IfWXjRLCDc[/video]



[video=youtube;TTXjgOan_KI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTXjgOan_KI[/video]

 

[thunderchicken]

As others have mentioned, what's best depends ona number of variables. I am fairly confident that all of us IF we knew we were going to get into a gun fight would - A. Try to avoid it and B. Take a long gun. Handguns are all basically a compromise anyway. I don't know anyone who wants to get shot by any caliber. I believe any of the most common personal defense calibers are effective. I will carry - .380, .357, .40, .45 and 9mm depending on concealability. Again a lot has to do with shot placement. Last I would say target practice is great but it's even more important to get some live action training. Something that raises the heart rate, creates stress, makes use of cover/ concealment is needed.