Why do people pick specific calibers?

[SPDguns]

.357 SIG. 1300 f.p.s. of high capacity hotness! Zero holdover at 100 yards.

 

[p238shooter]

Hype, peer pressure, too much expert advice by someone else, BS, and too much over analyzing. Basic starting point, stand here and let me put this .22 hort up your nose, and then give me an opinion of minimal cal acceptable, now move back 5 ft and lets try again.

I started my pistol shooting with a Colt 1911 .45 many yrs ago, but was on and off with a Lama 45, SW 38 Snub, 22 Rugar target, 44 revolver, and some others, really did not matter too much, just having fun shooting, Take your time, safety up, down, sideways, figure it out at the time, really did not matter.

One day it occured to me I might need to think about a self defence firearm, (got older and realized I was no longer invencible.) Decided to get serious and pulled out my 1911 and found it's configuration still worked with me. Tried the others, but found I was more proficent with the 1911. Decided to apply for CC. At that time I thought a 1911 would not fit in my lifestyle for CC without printing, so started looking around and found the new Sig P238 .380 (9mm Short} which is a baby Colt in function, safety direction, mag release, but most importantly grip angle to my 1911 and all the other stuff that would be a no-brainer for me to carry. Pull either one of them out of a holster, do the same things, go bang, new mag, keep going bang,bang. WoW, jus the same.

Yes, I practice with others. Walther P22. Yes safety is reversed, Extar 5.56 pistol works well, just be sure you have hearing protection, loud dude, a one handed .223 pistol is fun.

Wake me up in the middle of the night laying on my side, and expect me to take a straight shot down the hall, drop a mag from the Browining design and keep on firing, 1911 .45 fits me, sig P238 .380 fits me. Any of you tried that even just with a laser and snap caps? 1911, Sig P238, or 870 lying sideways was hard for me at first. Nice practice, reminds me of the movies when they hold their gun sideways and shoot all the bad guys, right?

Got a little off her, but right on. .45 because it fits, Sig P238 .380 because it fits the same is my reason. Others for various kinds of practice like when .22 was cheap.

As I see it, it is a little like manufactures that offer 37 different colors. Where you bang is the factor that matters.

If it fits, use it, as I understand, more civilians have been killedby .22's than any other round. I am not good enough to deliver a $5 round any better than a $.35 round.

 

[henschman]

Looking at some of the stats from gunfights and researching terminal performance, I decided 9mm was my minimum acceptable chambering for self defense. As others have said, with good +P defensive loads, you get real similar performance to the calibers that start with 4. When you go on down to .380 and less, you see a major drop in performance, and may not achieve adequate penetration and/or expansion. So I got rid of my .380 pocket gun and replaced it with a 9mm (Kahr CM9). My full size is a M&P .40, which I have put a 9mm barrel on. I prefer it in 9mm, because I can get more hits in a given amount of time due to the lower recoil. But it is nice to be able to swap back to .40 with the change of a barrel, because I remember that in the ammo shortages, .40 was a lot easier to find. And if things get real bad and I can't find that either, I suppose I can always buy a .357 SIG barrel!

When it comes to rifle, I like cartridges that I can buy in bulk and for cheap... i.e. military chamberings. For me that means I mostly shoot 5.56 and 7.62x51. I suppose I own more firearms in .22 LR than any other caliber though... mostly for Appleseed use as Liberty Training Rifles.

 

[AllOut]

All my pistols are 9mm, just love the round.
Higher capacity, cheap, quicker follow up shots, etc.
I hate .40 S&W, never a fan of the round. I'm a small frail and weak guy so my wussy hands can't handle the snappy recoil. It scares me!
.45 to big, I'm easily intimidated. Plus it's heavy, like I said I'm small and frail so carrying one would probably cause me to have back issues.
Another reason I'm consolidated to 9mm is I can leave my progressive setup for one caliber at all times.

 

[TedKennedy]

I'm a small frail and weak guy so my wussy hands can't handle the snappy recoil. It scares me!
.45 to big, I'm easily intimidated. Plus it's heavy, like I said I'm small and frail so carrying one would probably cause me to have back issues.

You're a sensitive guy, too, that's what I like about you.

I like .40 for my carry pistol. Rifles I have a wide variety of calibers - mostly surplus stuff.
When I need to "get it done" I use .308 or my bolt rifle - 7x57. (7x57 being caliber of choice back in "the day")
Many of my rifles are 8x57s, favored for ballistics and historical context.

 

[OKCShooter]

WRT handgun calibers, this discussion may be merely preferential as the terminal ballistics of the 3 most common us handgun calibers (9,40,45) have become increasingly similar over the last 20+ years. After studying the effect on tissue in deceased people, with modern high quality hollow points, and modern manufacturing practices the ballistics are a wash. With fmj, there is a slight difference favoring .45.

That said, if I am planning to defend (loading my carry pistols) I will load HPs. So, 9mm might win out based on capacity and price alone.

There is some research that depending on what a bad guy is wearing, HPs may function as FMJ, as they fail to open. More of a factor stateside than in sandbox, which leans back to .45 stateside.

If overseas and prohibited from carrying HPs for humanitarian reasons (Geneva) and given a choice, I'd pick .45 in FMJ.

The other question is one of ORM. How likely am I to get into an engagement in which 3 mags of ammo will not stop the threat? Is the US, pretty slim for most people. So it's then a matter of gun frame preference. Size, weight, fit, function and available holsters and acessories.

I've never had a revolver jam on me, but I suck at reloading one onset pressure, so I admit and accept my weakness there and shy away from those calibers.

If you are not that great of a shot and choose the 9mm for extra capacity, I would argue that is a grossly irresponsible attitude. Ever heard of round accountability?? Know your target, your capabilities, what's behind and in front of your target and what can get in the way. Get to the range, and become familiar with your gun, and you capabilities. If you have never made a 25yrd hostage shot on paper in grossly adverse and distracting conditions, then don't think you'll come close with a real world scenario. Go train.

So for me, as an edc caliber stateside 9 or .40 interchangeably. Sandbox or high country... .45 please.

Please do not carry a .22lr pistol, I have seen lg dudes (naturally padded) have these rounds literally bounce off their gut and been found in their clothes in the ER. Should you ever be unfortunate enough to have to use your handgun in defense of your life or that of others, please be responsible enough to choose a caliber that will end the threat, and not turn a bad situation to worse.


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I am amazed that you have seen multiple Men (Large Dudes) that have had .22lr literally BOUNCE of their guts!

This statement really needs to go viral so that people realize how useless .22lr is...

 

[Cedar Creek]

My only semi-auto pistol is a .38 Super - if it was good enough for Dillinger...

I have accumulated a bunch over the years and always liked something different than the run of the mill stuff for some reason. I'm about to outgrow that after falling in love with an early flatbolt Ruger 77 in .308.

I shoot & reload the following rifle calibers:

.22 Hornet (sold this rifle, still have the dies I think)
.223
.22-250
.243
.243 WSSM
6MM Rem
.25-20
6.5 Rem Mag
.270
.280
.30-06
.30-30
.32-20
.35 Remington
.44 Mag

I like wheelguns and load three varieties of .32 + .38/.357 & .44 mag/.44 Special

My main open country deer rifle used to be my old Ruger 77 flatbolt 6.5 RemMag, but I think the .308 is just easier to feed and maybe a little more versatile. Gotta take a .30-30 to deer camp for hunting in the thickets and the .22-250 is kind of like my security blanket because it is easy to please on ammo and I've used it for a lot of things.

In accumulating rifles I think my choices were more often made on the rifle and the caliber was secondary.

Cedar Creek

 

[WTJ]

The weapon was chambered for the caliber?

 

[rhodesbe]

I am amazed that you have seen multiple Men (Large Dudes) that have had .22lr literally BOUNCE of their guts!

This statement really needs to go viral so that people realize how useless .22lr is...

idiots claim such things

 

[OKCShooter]

The Big Five Handgun Caliber Choice Factors:
1. Capacity - extra rounds on board is a good thing 9mm Wins
2. Cost9mm Wins
3. Effectiveness - "stopping power".45
4. Availability - easy to find any of them stocked everywhere
5. Comfort - recoil at a tolerable level9mm

Obviously there are tradeoffs here. You can't find the best in all five factors in one caliber.

Looks like 9mm wins 3/5 and ties 1 and the one it "loses" is marginal since bullet design has closed the gap.

A couple other things that matter to me as well are:

Smaller package - 9mm wins
Quietest suppressed - 9mm (147+ subsonic)
Works in other platforms - 9mm gives: AR with 9mm upper, UZI, MP5