What is your favorite caliber for a pistol?

Hydrashocks for carry, home brewed 200gr SWC over 4.3gr VV310 for competition/plinking. A tad more recoil than a 22mag, accurate and still makes major classification.

Look at personal defense this way- you can throw 115 or 127 grains at 1000-1150fps, or you can throw 230gr at 830fps. I'd rather throw one accurately to stop the uglies than to need 4 or 5 hits.

 

I like the 40 cal. personally

I own a Glock 23c

 

I have had an H&K USP-40 going on 13 years in patrol and simply like the 40 cal. round. In ballistic tests the 40 cal. always does very well and with todays better performing manufactures of ammunition the 40 cal. can be had in several variations.

The 45 is a proven performer and I also like the 45 cal. for duty however if given the choice I will go for the 40. It is easier to control and personally shot placement is crucial for my uses. 40 Cal. weapons are normally smaller with higher capacity available as well.

I personally carry the older 40 Cal. Black Talon rounds as well as the Hydra Shock rounds. Both are proven performers however there are many newer brands that out perform.....my Dept. does not allow several of the new stuff for carry.

Better quality,and performing,ammunition can make an average cal. weapon a man stopper. Better shot placement can make average ammunition also a man stopper. If you can shoot well and use quality ammunition you really can not go wrong with most any choice you make.

 

i love my xd40....extremely accurate and easy to find ammo. I say taht but when i go to walmart im only allowed to purchase 50 rounds at a time (how gay). Im looking to get a .357mag revolver to conceal carry. tired of my pants falling down cause of the XD, and yes i wear a belt.

 

.40

 

45ACP...best all round..round.

....don't like SW 40 .....too snappy and hard to reacquire target. Ballistically a great round, just IMO too difficult to control.

Then the 9mm in a proven JHP.....higher capacity and better control.

 

.45 Cal

 

40 s@w

 

What the hell are people basing their choices on?

 

Manliness.

 

I am an Ex combat Marine and a Ex Police Officer.
I own:
4 .45's
3 9mm's
.41 mag
.44 mag
.380
.25
and numerous .22's
I carry a .45

 

I currently have a .40 - .45 is a bit more of a bear to shoot than I'd like, and if I go 9mm I need to get a purse to pack my balls in.

Joking, I'm actually considering 9, but right now a .40 seems like a good compromise between the stopping power of a .45, and the ammo capacity of a 9.

Edit: Actually, my favorite round to shoot is a .22! My ruger mk III shoots great, the ammo is dirt cheap, and the recoil is so low I can shoot all day.

 

.45 all day long

 

the op didn't say a caliber for a specific use, he just said "your favorite"
my favorite for fun-expensive-hunting&shooting= 454casull
my favorite for fun-inexpensive hunting&shooting= .22lr
my favorite for highly effective stopping power for carry=.40 s&w
a persons favorite doesn't have to be based on anything but what they like

 

.45 acp 230 gr. Speer Gold Dots are what we use at work.

 

My favorite handgun is the .44 magnum. Can be expensive to shoot, but it's like the .357. For plinking, the .44 special is easy on the ears and hands/arms. It also makes a pretty good home defense round. The magnum round is too powerful for home defense, but it makes an excellent big game round. It's not as punishing as the larger calibers, and it doesn't need to be.

 

1911 .45

 

X2