Going Ballistic – How To Choose The Right Caliber

The bigger the caliber, the bigger the gun and the better the stopping power. But smaller weapons are easier to conceal. What’s the best choice?

Bullet technology has narrowed the gap between ammo types, but for us it all comes down to concealed carry compatibility.

Well — that and stopping power of course — as in, picking the best defensive-handgun cartridges and ammo to take down a bad guy!

So does that mean the best caliber for personal defense is the one you can hit the target with? Short answer — maybe.

Many would argue that shot placement is more important than caliber. As with real estate, it all comes down to location, location, location. Shot placement trumps everything else according to some experts.

But for the moment at least, let’s put that aside. Experience bears out the fact that most ammo makes holes in targets that are basically the same size.

Hole size. The great equalizer.

That said, let’s compare and contrast some other, equally important, factors for choosing the right ammo:

• .25 ACP – One of the smallest rounds available. Easy to conceal, tough to incapacitate a target.

• .32 ACP – A tad bigger and more powerful than the .25 — super-effective in close-quarter situations.

• .380 ACP – Less recoil and more accuracy when firing multiple shots. Which is what makes it so popular.

• 9mm – When it comes to lightweight options, this is one of the most powerful on the market. Firearm owners are big fans.

• .40 S&W – This is the #1 ammo choice for the majority of policemen and law enforcement officials. For a reason (hint: stopping power).

• .45 ACP – Great stopping power and preferred by many specialists, but this caliber isn’t quite as quick as the 9mm.

• 10mm – The highest caliber for practical usage (you’ll only want something bigger if you’re on Safari), the 10mm is basically a .40 caliber with more powder behind it and more punch in front of it! If you can handle the recoil, go for it.

So what did we learn today, class? While it may be tempting to set your sights (see what I did there?) on a higher caliber weapon, it’s arguably even MORE important to remember that skill, handling, placement and education can all be more useful in a life-or-death situation than simply firing a large caliber bullet.