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Home defense caliber?

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  • thehemi

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    What do some of you prefer for a home defense caliber and why?
    I understand opinions may vary, but I'm curious as to your ideas?
    CHL requirements (minimum caliber size?) would be good to keep
    in mind, too, in order to keep that possibility available. Having an
    available supply of reasonably priced ammo would be nice, too.
    Target Sports
     

    claymore504

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    I believe minumum caliber for CHl is 25 auto or 380....someone help me out here. I prefer the 40 S&W and the 45 ACP. I just have never really liked 9mm and I have not tried many of the revolver rounds. it is all on what you feal comfortable shooting!
     

    thehemi

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    Any calibers better than others at stopping an intruder?
    Or is that argument just splitting hairs? I've heard some
    suggest that holding more rounds is of higher importance
    than the actual caliber being used.
     

    40Arpent

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    Any calibers better than others at stopping an intruder?
    Or is that argument just splitting hairs? I've heard some
    suggest that holding more rounds is of higher importance
    than the actual caliber being used.

    Consider the can of worms now open...

    ;)
     

    kingofwylietx

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    You're just splitting hairs when discussing calibers. About the only thing 95% will agree with is that it should be more powerful than a .380.

    Actually, for cheap shooting and an effective weapon....it's hard to beat a shotgun. However, I've seen a very compelling argument that rifles are the best home defense weapon.
     

    claymore504

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    Any calibers better than others at stopping an intruder?
    Or is that argument just splitting hairs? I've heard some
    suggest that holding more rounds is of higher importance
    than the actual caliber being used.

    I believe shot placement is the key. I also believe that the amount of rounds is imprtant. That is why I like the 40cal. I think of it as a median between the 9mm and 45acp. I am also a firm believer in the 5.56 service rifles over a 7.62 SERVICE RIFLE. So, it is all on what you are comfortable with. Now I have not even touched on the revolver loads!

    Thanks for the correction TXSUT!! I could not remember.
     

    claymore504

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    You're just splitting hairs when discussing calibers. About the only thing 95% will agree with is that it should be more powerful than a .380.

    Actually, for cheap shooting and an effective weapon....it's hard to beat a shotgun. However, I've seen a very compelling argument that rifles are the best home defense weapon.[/quote]


    I can agree with that. I feel much more comfortable with my M4 than a pistol!!!!
     

    navyguy

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    Everyone's got an opinion, so since you asked here's mine. Anything 9mm or heavier is good for hand gun. 12 ga 00 buck and or slug is also good. I wouldn't suggest .380, .32. .25 or .22 for home defense, as there's no reason for that except if it's your only gun. For carry, a lessor that 9mm might be okay if you need a very small size (like a Beretta Tom Cat or some such) to conceal it. Something is better than nothing, but you would need bear in mind that if you shoot someone with a .32, you better be ready to run your ass off, because the likelihood of that load making a one or two hit stop is very unlikely.

    If you have multiple guns, then for HD it comes down to what you shoot and handle the best. Although I've got .40's and .45, I've chosen a Glock G19 as my HD gun. I have a TRL-1 light mounted on it, and of the guns I have with light rails, the G19 ergonomics allow me to manipulate the light better than others. Just the way my left thumb rides perfectly on the light lever on that gun. So I give up a little ballistics for capacity and handling with a light.
     

    TxEMTP69

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    The best advice I was given was: The largest caliber you can shoot with comfort and control. It doesn't matter how big or how many rounds you fire if you can't hit squat.
     

    wayneside

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    Not sure if you were referencing to only handguns but for the home...I prefer a 12gauge shotgun. For handgun...I'm totally comfortable with my G19 as like navyguy...I have a light on the rail and I'm totally comfortable with that gun.
     

    juwaba98

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    I'm with Navyguy and wayneside. I have a 12ga shotgun for my primary HD weapon and it is backed up with a Sig P229 9mm with an Insight M6 laser/light on it. I would use a P220 .45 but it is my current truck gun since I don't have a long gun in the pickup I opted for the larger .45 cal there. My wife prefers her XD9 for her HD gun after the shotty. The relatively short shooting distances in a home dictate a shotgun vs. a rifle IMO. I also feel 9mm is sufficient for defense but just barely. I personally like .45acp but have no qualms trusting anything 9mm or larger. As far as longuns go even a 20ga is better than a rifle in close quarters shooting again IMO.

    Those are my thoughts and rest assured they are worth every bit of the price you are paying for them.
     

    robocop10mm

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    The best advice I was given was: The largest caliber you can shoot with comfort and control. It doesn't matter how big or how many rounds you fire if you can't hit squat.

    My theory is similar, get the biggest caliber you can shoot WELL. Hits count. Misses are a liability. Well centered hits count for more than periferal hits. If you can consistantly shoot a 9mm very well but are a bit erratic with a .40 or .45, get the 9 and sleep well with the decision.
     

    40Arpent

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    My theory is similar, get the biggest caliber you can shoot WELL. Hits count. Misses are a liability. Well centered hits count for more than periferal hits. If you can consistantly shoot a 9mm very well but are a bit erratic with a .40 or .45, get the 9 and sleep well with the decision.

    +1
     

    Big country

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    i've got to say the 12ga with a short barrel and BIRD shot would be best cause the bird shot will FUBAR any intruder and is less likely to go threw sheet rock walls. before I say this last part I will say this I DO NOT LIKE THE 9MM. but it is a light kicking round, and with modern hollow points are just fine. I say that because if you should happen to get hit or not be home etc.. you would want your wife to be able to handle the weapon. I'M NOT SAYING weman can't shoot big callibers i'm just speaking generaly
     

    awmp

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    The best advice I was given was: The largest caliber you can shoot with comfort and control. It doesn't matter how big or how many rounds you fire if you can't hit squat.

    Agree, just make sure of one thing, practice practice practice.
     

    Jeff-Tex

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    The best round is minimum .380/9mm to reach the vitals. Number of rounds needed depends on where they land. Shotguns are choice for home defense. Much easier to operate at 2 am than a handgun and one shot of 00 buck or slug is very devastating.
     

    SIG_Fiend

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    Shotguns = 12 gauge, why? because it's common and more than powerful enough for typical home defense ranges

    Pistols = 9mm or larger (.357sig, .40sw, 45acp, 10mm, etc etc)
    Revolvers = .38 special or larger
    Rifles = .223 would work well, plus it's another good excuse to buy an AR!

    Honestly, there are a million opinions when it comes to this subject. Technically speaking, bigger is always better, with good shot placement that is. With good shot placement, bigger affords you the better possibility of more quickly stopping an attacker. In my opinion, I feel it is best to find what you can use comfortably, and what you are able to use most effectively. I mean that in several different ways, and it depends on the type of gun too.

    Like pistols for example. As far as pistols go, it is my personal opinion that for home defense it's a good idea to go with something that you can shoot very fast follow up shots with ACCURATELY. Some people just can't deal with fast follow up shots in a handgun that recoils more (like in 45acp, 10mm, etc). In general, I have found that in most moderate to full-sized handguns, 9mm is a great compromise caliber for this reason. In most moderately-sized or full-sized handguns, 9mm has very little felt recoil and usually not much muzzle flip, allowing someone to control it that much easier, get it back on target that much quicker, and fire follow up shots that much quicker. I mean compared to 45acp, usually 9mm is significantly easier to control. Honestly, after spending countless hours reading every ballistics test I could find, including tests from the FBI and other reputable sources, I've come to the conclusion that the ballistics of pretty much any "regular" pistol cartridge are anemic at best. They can work just fine in some cases but, I think they are anemic from the point of view that the percentage difference in ballistic capability between various pistol calibers with modern self defense ammo is a relatively small percentage difference when compared to even a lower end rifle cartridge. Anyways, my whole point in saying that is, it really is a waste of time getting caught up and loosing sleep over the whole 9mm vs .357Sig vs 40sw vs 45acp vs 10mm debate with semi auto pistols. Get something you can control easily and make fast follow up shots with and that will work as well as a pistol can be expected to.

    Personally, I have my P220 45acp for home defense at the moment, but I've learned to control the recoil fairly well and can make decently fast follow up shots with it (3-4 shots per second @ 7yds ~.25-.35 splits, that's more than good enough). I plan to also have a 12 gauge for home defense as well just as soon as I can figure out which one to buy. ;)

    One thing I think I should note is, when choosing a handgun caliber for self defense, I think there are some other aspects that are commonly overlooked, but are definitely worth considering. For home defense purposes and defense purposes in general, that handgun may end up getting used in less than ideal conditions. I think this is worth considering when you consider what caliber you want to go with. For example, since home defense ranges are typically very close (usually ~0-7yds, sometimes out to 10yds but, usually not more), there is always the possibility your attacker could get the drop on you and injure one of your arms or hands. If this happens, you may have to fire one-handed, and worse yet you may have to fire one handed with your support hand. If you choose a caliber that you are at your physical limits in controlling under ideal square range conditions, in these less than ideal conditions you might see a severe decrease in your ability to get shots off quickly and accurately. When it comes to a close range self defense encounter, honestly if you can't physically get 2-4 accurate shots per second with the gun due to recoil control problems, then I would consider the gun not well suited for you (speaking to everyone generally) for that purpose. I'm sure most here know about the "21 foot rule". If you don't, I'd advise reading this article as it has some pretty serious effects when it comes to self defense:

    The Police Policy Studies Council

    Basically, the jist is that the average adult male can traverse a 21 foot distance within 1-2 seconds on average. Most average people cannot draw from concealment or react to someone charging at them and get plenty of shots off within that time period. Basically the point I'm getting at is that, as the self defense distance gets closer, the speed of accurate fire should increase substantially as the speed of the situation rises dramatically in most cases. It is for this reason, I would advise many people using handguns for home defense to consider shooting one handed, alternating between both hands, and try making quick follow up shots one handed as well. If you can't make quick follow up shots with that 45acp or 10mm or what have you, you may want to consider stepping down the caliber a bit so you can, or at least practice and get more training until you can control the gun better. I shoot my P220 a LOT and have learned to control it pretty well. That being said, I've decided I'm still going to end up getting a hicap 9mm that I will use as my primary home defense handgun as I can control the recoil in 9mm in my sleep whereas my 45 takes a little bit of effort. Under duress, there is something to be said for ease of use. I like 45acp as I just think those big bullets are cool. ;) That being said, I hear a lot of fans of bigger calibers rag on 9mm, and I still don't see too many people (outside of competitions that is) that are able to make quick (as in 3-4+ shots per second) ACCURATE follow up shots with the bigger caliber stuff.

    If you have a choice, it's not a bad idea to have multiple guns for self defense. Personally, I'm going to end up with a 12 gauge for most purposes for home defense use, but I'll always have a handgun for a backup, maybe 2. I do have and will have rifle(s) for defense use as well, but for most cases I can't see using one as I just don't live in an area that's likely to see multiple attackers and/or armored attackers. Keep your options open though, IMO, as it's better to have and not need if you catch my drift.

    I'm not going to delve into revolvers as I have far too little experience with them.
     
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