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Guest
·As to bullet weights for defensive pistols one only need to look to the real world for easily obtained performance estimates.
Let us look at some real world scenarios.
What I mean is this:
Although their is a very real difference between hunting predators, game animals, and using a defensive arm.
One can estimate their needs from a similar body weight/size equation.
Think in terms of logic, forget the caliber issue/debate and look at bullet weights and hand gun hunting.
You are a hunter and you will be traveling alone in the "country" far from backup and medical assistance you cannot afford to be injured as you may in fact die before assistance can reach you.
You know that large aggressive hungry cats in the 180-260lbs range prowl for food and very brazen fearless wolves in the 160lbs range frequent the area you will be traveling through and you have read of other hunters who were savagely attacked by these predators and some hunters were fatally wounded.
These predators are known to attack quickly and silently often with no prior warning, you may only have the opportunity to fire once or twice, maybe three times if you are really fast before the predator will be upon you.
You will be walking on foot at times on slippery and uneven ground, climbing step rocks, leaning, reaching, and standing in uneven positions.
You will have only your handgun that you will carry under your parka to protect/conceal it from the heavy rains/foul weather.
You also know that visibility will be limited and their may in fact be periods on darkness, so scopes, red dots, laser sights are out.
You will be carrying other gear and may need to fire one handed and you will need to consider where your shots will go as the you will be traveling through several rock canyons and an errant shot could in fact bounce around and hit you or your horse.
Also combine this knowledge with the fact that hikers are known to be in the area so you will need to control you fire and account for each round fired.
Knowing all of this what bullet/caliber/and pistol do you choose?
Now, change from a rural canyon to an urban concrete city, you horse is now a mountain bike, the hunter is now a street cop, the predators are no longer hungry animals they are armed and violent gang members, many of whom have already murdered more people than those cats and wolves, what is your answer?
Change again, suburban neighborhood, your horse has become a stroller with two children in it, the hunter is a woman a mother and she is alone, storm came and everyone cleared out of the playground in the back of the now empty park, the cat is now a very large 300lbs+ man who has just smiled as he reached out and grabbed your wrist as you turned from fixing your daughters rain hat and the wolves are now two other men one is holding what is easily a 12" carving knife, he is telling you that he will bring you babies back in a "little while" and the other man has started to unbutton his pants.
What is your choice-permium bullet,standard bullet, light fast, heavy/deep? expanding, FMJ?
Is your bullet selection now different, should it be, given the size and weight similarities between the predators?
If you say only a fool would use a .115gr x bullet against a 280lb cat would a 300lb man be that different?
Can your wife's Jframe stop a 160lbs wolf, if not how about a 300lb man?
Would you choose a .32, a.380, 9mm, a .40, a 10mm, a .45, .44 as the hunter, as the cop, as the mother?
Will a reduced penetration fragmenting safety load do the job, how about a "mild" personal defense load?
Some of you will realize what I have done here, I have given you a losing scenario, it will take every mental/physical and equipment advantage possible for each person to survive and in each case only a firearm can save the "victim".
These are tough choices and I would submit that if your choices are really that different between a 280lbs predator, a 160lbs predator and a 300lb predator all armed and clearly intent on doing you bodily harm at the minimum that you need to seriously rethink the issue.
Let us look at some real world scenarios.
What I mean is this:
Although their is a very real difference between hunting predators, game animals, and using a defensive arm.
One can estimate their needs from a similar body weight/size equation.
Think in terms of logic, forget the caliber issue/debate and look at bullet weights and hand gun hunting.
You are a hunter and you will be traveling alone in the "country" far from backup and medical assistance you cannot afford to be injured as you may in fact die before assistance can reach you.
You know that large aggressive hungry cats in the 180-260lbs range prowl for food and very brazen fearless wolves in the 160lbs range frequent the area you will be traveling through and you have read of other hunters who were savagely attacked by these predators and some hunters were fatally wounded.
These predators are known to attack quickly and silently often with no prior warning, you may only have the opportunity to fire once or twice, maybe three times if you are really fast before the predator will be upon you.
You will be walking on foot at times on slippery and uneven ground, climbing step rocks, leaning, reaching, and standing in uneven positions.
You will have only your handgun that you will carry under your parka to protect/conceal it from the heavy rains/foul weather.
You also know that visibility will be limited and their may in fact be periods on darkness, so scopes, red dots, laser sights are out.
You will be carrying other gear and may need to fire one handed and you will need to consider where your shots will go as the you will be traveling through several rock canyons and an errant shot could in fact bounce around and hit you or your horse.
Also combine this knowledge with the fact that hikers are known to be in the area so you will need to control you fire and account for each round fired.
Knowing all of this what bullet/caliber/and pistol do you choose?
Now, change from a rural canyon to an urban concrete city, you horse is now a mountain bike, the hunter is now a street cop, the predators are no longer hungry animals they are armed and violent gang members, many of whom have already murdered more people than those cats and wolves, what is your answer?
Change again, suburban neighborhood, your horse has become a stroller with two children in it, the hunter is a woman a mother and she is alone, storm came and everyone cleared out of the playground in the back of the now empty park, the cat is now a very large 300lbs+ man who has just smiled as he reached out and grabbed your wrist as you turned from fixing your daughters rain hat and the wolves are now two other men one is holding what is easily a 12" carving knife, he is telling you that he will bring you babies back in a "little while" and the other man has started to unbutton his pants.
What is your choice-permium bullet,standard bullet, light fast, heavy/deep? expanding, FMJ?
Is your bullet selection now different, should it be, given the size and weight similarities between the predators?
If you say only a fool would use a .115gr x bullet against a 280lb cat would a 300lb man be that different?
Can your wife's Jframe stop a 160lbs wolf, if not how about a 300lb man?
Would you choose a .32, a.380, 9mm, a .40, a 10mm, a .45, .44 as the hunter, as the cop, as the mother?
Will a reduced penetration fragmenting safety load do the job, how about a "mild" personal defense load?
Some of you will realize what I have done here, I have given you a losing scenario, it will take every mental/physical and equipment advantage possible for each person to survive and in each case only a firearm can save the "victim".
These are tough choices and I would submit that if your choices are really that different between a 280lbs predator, a 160lbs predator and a 300lb predator all armed and clearly intent on doing you bodily harm at the minimum that you need to seriously rethink the issue.
