Range, Stopping power, or Ammo count?
What do you consider first and foremost when choosing calibers? Is it the range, how hard it hits, or how many bullets you can cram into the magazine?
I know some folks, for example, say they prefer the .45 ACP over 9mm because it has more stopping power. Some folks say they prefer a rifle over a shotgun because of greater range. And some folks say that they prefer semiautos over revolvers because they get more bullets.
I know most folks, like me, will likely say they prefer to shoot what they can control because accuracy matters over everything else, but in the absence of that, which factor is paramount to you?
I know some folks, for example, say they prefer the .45 ACP over 9mm because it has more stopping power. Some folks say they prefer a rifle over a shotgun because of greater range. And some folks say that they prefer semiautos over revolvers because they get more bullets.
I know most folks, like me, will likely say they prefer to shoot what they can control because accuracy matters over everything else, but in the absence of that, which factor is paramount to you?
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Is the gun purty? 0 -
Too many variables. 0 -
You are mixing apples, oranges, and grapefruit there.
Different weapons..different missions0 -
Depends on the purpose
My daily carry will be (waiting for my damn state residency to go through) a snubby .38......certainly not a heralded "man-stopper" on these boards.
Rampaging zombies? I'll take my AR-15
Chinese invasion? I'd pick a nice scoped .308 bolt-action0 -
quote:Originally posted by Highball
You are mixing apples, oranges, and grapefruit there.
Different weapons..different missions
different missions..Different weapons0 -
Drjew;
Better said...yep.0 -
What ever you can afford and hit and control, Germans taught us it didn't take a expensive gun to kill you. I don't care how big and bad your gun is if you can't control or hit with it get something else. The Mob uses the little 22lr and it get's the job done from all reports. 0 -
Well you know thats kind of a trick question because it depends on your situation.
So i am going to pretend that you are talking deer hunting and that it is in my neck of the woods.
Now i am defenitly going to take a rifle because were i hunt it is almost a must that you are able to take shots at 300 to 400 yards.
As far as caliber goes, i try to pick something that hits plenty hard enough for my target, but still has good down range performance.
I usualy settle for a 243 or a 25-06.
And well, how many bullits my rifle can hold realy doesn't matter to me because i am a big believer in making the first shot count instead of spraying bullits and hoping something drops.
But, if we change the curcumstances to me at the range with multiple bad guys setup at ranges from 100-300 yards. Well, then i am completly different( Ar-15, Ak47, Mak90, just to name a few[;)])0 -
To all: the reason why I asked this is because it seems to me that large organizations like the military and various police forces seem to concentrate on one aspect of the gun at a time.
"We switched from revolvers to semiautos to give our officers a faster-loading weapon."
"We switched from .308 to 5.56 because that way our soldiers can carry more ammo."
Stuff like that. No organization ever seems to think about the big picture and I wondered if maybe some of that didn't rub off on some folks here.[;)]0 -
Well, you are talking about two different organizations, the leos are ninety percent short range situations, and have a spray and pray attitude, so high capacity is important but range isn't. The military has to take into account long range also, but still has the attitude, and so you get the m-16 which has good range and good capacity. Just no knockdown power.
But to answer your original question, it depends on what I'm doing. I carry a G23, good capacity and knockdown but no range, but when hunting I have an 30-06.0 -
Knock down power? Is that when a bullet hits and brakes a bone? Hip, leg, knee, etc. .223rem is small and is known to rip the innards in a man and exit ripping not one but many organs. I'd take my chances against a .30cal AK round than an .223rem AR. Lots of L.E.O.s are issued a .40cal pistol vs a 9mm, not too sure what you mean by spray and pray. 0 -
By no knockdown power I mean just that. One round to center mass does not mean a down and dead bad guy. That is currently the most common complaint about the .223. As to spray and pray that was a joking referance to the police shootings where there are 60,70+ rounds fired, and 4 or 5 hits on the suspect. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Highball
You are mixing apples, oranges, and grapefruit there.
Different weapons..different missions
different missions..Different weapons
Agreed.
Jon0 -
I can remeber a Playboy magazine artical several years back about motorcycle gang wars where a new rider wanted to excel in rank and killed a rival ranking rider who owned a shop and was shot multiple times unloading his entire gun (.45cal) into this shop keeper and jumped over the counter and beat him so hard with the pistol's handle so many times the grip broke off . This attacker ran to the back door to escape finding it locked he ran back and had to finish the shop owner off with a screw driver cuz he wouldn't die. To get his rank he had to kill this guy. Sound familiar to any bikers out there? I don't know how many times this shop owner got knocked down by the .45 but it didn't even kill him the screw driver did. Point being I really don't buy into that knock down power theory. Many L.E.O.s that deal with drugs suspects/perps have known it takes more than caliber to knock down someone high on pcp. People fall down most likely cuz their hurt or it's what they think that's what they're supposed to do when shot. Animals tend to run when shot and you have to go get them when they eventually drop. I suppose if you hit them with a cannon ball you'll knock them down but who hunts with a cannon? 0 -
i have to say that price of ammo is a big consideration for me. i shoot my .22 the most often because i cant afford to shoot my .357 on a regular basis. 0 -
Range.
The M-16 doesn't have range.
Doug0 -
For a defensive gun I really don't look at any of those, I'm only looking at wether I can place my hit's on the target.
Range: There is no range to a defensive situation, it's usually under 5 yards and usually less than 5 feet.
Stopping Power: 10 hits to the face from a .22lr is going to do more damage than 6 misses with a 44 mag. Hitting the target is more important than what the bullet can do IF it hits the target.
Ammo Count: If I can't do the job in 5 rounds I am in a world of hurt, it doesn't matter if I have 5 or 50.
Now if you want all three all you have to do is to get a Mk 19 40MM belt fed automatic granade launcher, it may not fit down your pants, but it does have range, stopping power and ammo count[:p]0 -
quote:Different weapons..different missions
Lets assume the mission is to survive the zombie apocalypse.
When dealing with zombies, is it range, stopping power, or ammo capacity?0 -
CA sucks,
What type of zombies?
George A. Romero slow-as-molasses types: ammo capacity. They're slow enough to allow you time to take aim.
Dawn of the Dead remake faster-than-a-racehorse zombie: Stopping power. If you don't hit them in the head, you at least want to slow them down.
28 Days Later types: I'll have to think about that one - probably stopping power.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Doug Wilson
Range.
The M-16 doesn't have range.
Doug
I guess if you mean over 550 meters, yeah, the M-16 doesn't have range.
Are you just chucking a softball out there for us Marines?0 -
any zombie situation where your on the ground and there on the ground calls for capacity, if your perched on a building with supplies, high power rifle will suit you just fine. 0 -
For handgun, a 45.
So that I can see the hole easier.
Then I'll know if I have to make up that shot. [:D]0 -
g17, great accuracy, lots of shots, quick recovery,decent velocity for low drop long shots, cheapest centerfire to shoot.
Second choise Fn 5.70 -
quote:Originally posted by ElMuertoMonkey
which factor is paramount to you?
My two options in no particular order-
#1 "Reach out and touch someone"
#2 "Spray and pray"
[:)]
edit for spelling police-0 -
Totally depends on what I want to do with the gun. I'm not bird hunting with a psitol or rifle, I don't deer hunt with anything other than a rifle, I don't use one caliber for all hunting, and when I carry a handgun, I want a good combination of stopping power verses gun weight and size (the .500 MAG. is too big to carry). 0 -
Big wicked city resident and CCW permit holder here.
Carried purdy Seecamp LWS .32 ACP x 5 years, 24/7. Recently switched for S&W 340 Scandium AirLite in .357 Mag loaded in .38 Spl +P+.
I believe in carrying the biggest/baddest caliber you can comfortably handle.
[:0][:0][:0]
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I think thats a hard question.
It really depends on what you intentions are.
Given a situation you take in diffrent firearms.
are you hunting game? what game?
Is it for defence, what defence? in you home? in your car? on your person? are you in a urban or rural situation?
Does noise matter?
IS it offence, close quarters, long range, low visability, hi visability??
Is it a going to be needed as quick responce or a thought out situation?
I know thats vague, but I think what you use depends on what you want to accomplish, I think many things can work in many situations, but what is best in any given situation is a bit more complicated that just what round and what capacity.
You need to present a situation first, then ask what would you use.
thats my thought
dive0 -
I suppose if you hit them with a cannon ball you'll knock them down but who hunts with a cannon?
ME. .54 cal BP Hawkin.[:)]
Jeff0 -
semi auto, double barrel (one rifle, one shotgun) with 100 round drums 0 -
quote:Originally posted by ElMuertoMonkey
What do you consider first and foremost when choosing calibers? Is it the range, how hard it hits, or how many bullets you can cram into the magazine?
I know some folks, for example, say they prefer the .45 ACP over 9mm because it has more stopping power. Some folks say they prefer a rifle over a shotgun because of greater range. And some folks say that they prefer semiautos over revolvers because they get more bullets.
I know most folks, like me, will likely say they prefer to shoot what they can control because accuracy matters over everything else, but in the absence of that, which factor is paramount to you?
What are we hunting for?0
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