"Self defense, stopping power, and caliber"

I don't remember mentioning on this BLOG, but I'm a member Of the United States Concealed Carry Association. If you carry or are just considering carrying a concealed weapon then I highly recommend the USCCA.

As a member I get a weekly news e-mail. This week it contained a link to this article on "Self defense, stopping power, and caliber". I wrote something similar back in the beaglexp.com days, though not nearly so well. It's well worth the read, so go forth and be educated.

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Just for the record I load Sierrs 158Gr jacketed hollow cores at 1250F/S in my old 6" Ruger .357 Mag. This is intended for hunting, not self-defense. At 120 yards it cleanly took a white tailed deer broadside. At about 20 yards the bullet penetrated from base of the neck (left side) to just under the skin of the right butt. That's too much penetration at normal self-defense ranges, unless there were 3 bad guys all in a row.

I shoot either 240Gr or 300Gr Hornady XTP hollow points in my .454 Casull at 1800F/S and 1600F/S respectively. Again way too much for a self-defense gun, unless it's a bear, and way too big to carry concealed.

For my carry guns:
45ACP - 185Gr Hornady XTP Hollow Point at 1100F/S (hand loads), thinking about switching to 200 Grains at slightly less velocity.
.380ACP - Winchester white box 95Gr flat point: atlernating with Winchester Ranger 95Gr SXT hollow points.
.32ACP - Federal 65Gr Hydra-Shok hollow point. Probably should alternate like I do the .380.