What to carry with stopping power

[Wabbit]

I recently purchased a Taurus Judge 3" (with 3" chamber).
Although I'm not really having any problems concealing it, it is, however, awkward to draw.
After trying a number of types of holsters, I have yet to find a comfortable and quick draw. So .... I'm going to make it my new sleeping partner instead,:yes4: and look into getting another firearm for CCW.
I definitely want one with stopping power, and I'm no "girly girl" when it comes to things such as this, so I prefer not to carry a little pop-gun. I'm considering purchasing a Ruger KLCR .357/.38.

Any thoughts on it, or personal pro's and con's I might want to know about?

 

[moonpie1016]

Well, since you want some stopping power, you might think about a .40 cal....personally i am partial to Glock, have had two and i totally love them, they fit my hands just right, but you are best to go to a range and try out some different ones so you can get a feel for just what is best in your hands....then you might see if they also have adjustable backstraps, my Glock does and it allows for zero, 2 and 4mm adjustments which makes a big difference....as for a holster, i use a blackhawk which allows for a perfect finger placement when you release it plus it is hard for someone to just YANK it out.....if you think glock .40 the model 22 or 23 is good unless you want really compact.....a bit longer barrel makes for more accuracy so i would recommend the 23 myself

 

[cougar98332]

Moonpie, why would you recommend an inferior gun/caliber combo. I say get a 357 mag, either an s&w or a ruger, 5 or 6 shot, 3" barrel (or whatever length youre able to control and conceal) and all steel.

 

[IDPAShooter]

Cougar, two things I'd like to know...what do you carry and what do you consider inferior? Personally, I have Glocks, Taurus, Ruger and Smith & Wesson and I carry each one at different times. I carry 9mm, 38/357, 380, 40 & 45. I'm just curious what your "Opinion" is and why someone else's is "Inferior"?

 

[sig_man]

I usually carry a syb-compact 9mm as a backup, and a full or compact 45 acp as my primary carry for maximum stopping power, each loaded with Hornady critical defense.

 

[RJ_Whitlock]

I carry a fullsize Smith & Wesson M&P in 9mm loaded with Hornady Critical Defense. It doesn't really matter what you carry for caliber, shot placement is very critical. If you miss with a 45, your stopping theory goes right out the window.

 

[longslide10]

Some well placed shots from a .22 has stopping power. If you are dead set on a 357 I would find something with a little more weight like Ruger's SP101 or S&W 686. Those sub 16oz snubbies with magnum loads are a handful especially to keep on target in rapid fire. Ever look into the 357SIG in a compact platform such as the S&W M&P liine, Sig Sauer, Glock etc. That cartridge outperforms the 9mm, 40 S&W and 45 at distance.

 

[Firefighterchen]

Some well placed shots from a .22 has stopping power. If you are dead set on a 357 I would find something with a little more weight like Ruger's SP101 or S&W 686. Those sub 16oz snubbies with magnum loads are a handful especially to keep on target in rapid fire. Ever look into the 357SIG in a compact platform such as the S&W M&P liine, Sig Sauer, Glock etc. That cartridge outperforms the 9mm, 40 S&W and 45 at distance.

agree with longslide, stopping power has to do with placement not size. When you speak of stopping power, that will be specific to you. How well can you place any size bullet where it needs to go to stop the threat? Stopping power like fire power involves multiple parts. Fire power: caliber + capacity + reloading. Stopping power (shot placement): grip size , grip angle, recoil, etc.

 

[SGB]

"Stopping Power" as it relates to handgun cartridges is a MYTH. With modern JHP handgun ammunition that passes the FBI protocol all calibers are relatively equal.

 

[Bikenut]

"Stopping Power" as it relates to handgun cartridges is a MYTH. With modern JHP handgun ammunition that passes the FBI protocol all calibers are relatively equal.

Quoted for the simple fact that this is, in the real world arena, the truth.

 

[Oldgrunt]

Well, since you want some stopping power, you might think about a .40 cal....personally i am partial to Glock, have had two and i totally love them, they fit my hands just right, but you are best to go to a range and try out some different ones so you can get a feel for just what is best in your hands....then you might see if they also have adjustable backstraps, my Glock does and it allows for zero, 2 and 4mm adjustments which makes a big difference....as for a holster, i use a blackhawk which allows for a perfect finger placement when you release it plus it is hard for someone to just YANK it out.....if you think glock .40 the model 22 or 23 is good unless you want really compact.....a bit longer barrel makes for more accuracy so i would recommend the 23 myself

I carry a Glock 23. It may be a little bulky for a woman to carry especially depending on her size. For stopping power, if a .40 caliber hollow point does not stop the BG, I think I would start looking for a way to make a hasty exit.

 

[Bikenut]

Some well placed shots from a .22 has stopping power. If you are dead set on a 357 I would find something with a little more weight like Ruger's SP101 or S&W 686. Those sub 16oz snubbies with magnum loads are a handful especially to keep on target in rapid fire. Ever look into the 357SIG in a compact platform such as the S&W M&P liine, Sig Sauer, Glock etc. That cartridge outperforms the 9mm, 40 S&W and 45 at distance.

Ok... lets have a real look at "stopping power"...

First off I'll mention the obvious... any bullet, no matter how big it is, that misses has absolutely NO physical stopping power. None... nada.. zip. Can we agree on that?

Also... any bullet that misses carries with it the responsibility to be... responsible for where ever it goes. If that means it hits my car... you pay to fix my car. It that means it hits an innocent person a block away... you are in deep crap! Can we agree on that?

So.... in order to even talk about this magical thing called "stopping power" we first have to be talking about bullets that hit the attacker. Can we agree on that too?

Now....

The real world try to save my ass from an attacking criminal situation has absolutely nothing in common with farting around practicing at the range... unless your range allows you to shoot multiple targets while running backwards and sideways.. because in the real world no one stands in a perfect Weaver stance carefully paying attention to sight alignment and trigger control. In the real world people are shooting as fast as they can at a moving bad guy while back pedaling, maybe tripping over a curb and falling on their ass, as they try to get the hell away from the attack. There isn't time to carefully align the sights... there isn't time to worry about any "perfect stance"... hell.. the usual "stance" is ... moving! and might entail firing a shot with both feet off the ground. Anyone who thinks any different not only has NOT experienced a real world attack but hasn't taken the time to think through what an "attack" really is.

So... what caliber has the most "stopping power" in the real world? None of them and all of them. Because....

What it comes down to is very simple... what gun/caliber combination that YOU are able to empty firing rapid fire while moving.... and all the rounds hit center of mass... means each and every one of those bullets that hit had some measure of "stopping power". Only hits have any "stopping power"... misses don't help no matter how big the bullet is. Jeepers.... even a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) that missed didn't "stop" the attacker!

Ok... for me... I can hold all 11 rounds rapid fire (firing as fast as I can pull the trigger while I'm moving backwards on an angle away from the target) with a Glock G26 9mm that is comfortable for me to carry both openly and concealed. But... if I move to a G27 in .40 cal I will miss center of mass with one or two rounds. If I move to a larger gun no matter what caliber it isn't comfortable for me to carry.. so.. the Glock G26 in 9mm IS the best carry choice................. FOR ME!


Clearly.. for me... the 9mm is better than the .40 because I am more accurate with the 9 than with the .40. So... for ME... the 9mm has more "stopping power" than the .40 does. For the simple reason that I can put more 9mm bullets into the attacker than I can if I used a .40.

And so it should be for everyone. Take the time to experiment with different guns in different calibers and find the one YOU are able to keep all your shots in center of mass firing as fast as you can (that is what you will do when someone attacks... you won't just stand there taking carefully aimed shots!) while you are moving.

And that gun/caliber combination must come in a size/weight that YOU are comfortable carrying... because... if it isn't comfy to carry you will leave it home.

Oh... and please don't fall for the caliber elitist crap where someone says "x" caliber is best.. because.. the "best" caliber with the most "stopping power" is the one YOU can hit the bad guy with the most often under the worst conditions possible.

Remember... misses, not matter how big the bullet is, have no "stopping power" what so ever!

Edited to add....

My loving wife carries a .22 for self defense. Yeah... the lowly .22. But she can put all 8 rounds into center of mass while running (running!) backwards and off to the side. But... give her any other caliber in any other gun size... and she starts missing because of the recoil. So... because she does NOT miss.... for her... the caliber with the most stopping power is.... a .22.

Feel free to disagree.. that is what forums are for. But please understand... I'm talking about the real world... not blocks of gelatin or elitist caliber BS... the real world where only hits count and misses don't.

 

[cougar98332]

i carry .357 mag, and consider .40 to be inferior stopping power. i have nothing against glocks, they are a decent platform. i also would rather reload an empty revolver then try to reload an empty magazine.

 

[6shootercarry]

A well aimed shot to the ocular cavity is stopping power.. After 2 well placed shots to the thoracic cavity fail.. Sorry folks there is no magic caliber..

 

[fudo]

All probably true, but all other things being equal, I'll pick the bigger hammer.

 

[GLOCK'D-N-LOADED]

Not a fan of snub nose 357s personally i carry a glock 30 sf as my primary everyday carry firearm with federal hydra-shok ammunition but I live in pa some states don't allow hydra-shok ammo period so check local laws before deciding on something like that the judge as a sleeping buddy great call I had the same problem finding a decent holster for my public defender also had an issue with it mis fireing at the range once and never really fully trusted my life to it after that personally I love 45s cus shooting twice is just silly

 

[Shoobee]

I recently purchased a Taurus Judge 3" (with 3" chamber).
Although I'm not really having any problems concealing it, it is, however, awkward to draw.
After trying a number of types of holsters, I have yet to find a comfortable and quick draw. So .... I'm going to make it my new sleeping partner instead,:yes4: and look into getting another firearm for CCW.
I definitely want one with stopping power, and I'm no "girly girl" when it comes to things such as this, so I prefer not to carry a little pop-gun. I'm considering purchasing a Ruger KLCR .357/.38.

Any thoughts on it, or personal pro's and con's I might want to know about?

The 357 is a whole lot of gun to handle for anyone, girl or boy, man or woman.

The other superpower choices are the 10mm and the 45ACP.

Shoot them all, first, somewhere, beg or borrow.

One of them will feel the best for you.

 

[Shoobee]

i carry .357 mag, and consider .40 to be inferior stopping power. i have nothing against glocks, they are a decent platform. i also would rather reload an empty revolver then try to reload an empty magazine.

This is precisely why it is necessary to carry a couple of loaded magazines or speedloaders as well, in your other pocket.

And since a magazine holds 10 whereas a speedloader holds only 6 the proper choice is obvious.

 

[mappow]

Errr, greater diameter round will take out greater amount of flesh/bone/organ meat. I prefer a 1911A1, Springfield .45 cal. Although a bit cumbersome for the small frame individual, it will IMHO take the biggest chunk out of what ever it's traveling through.

I add that it's been around since..................1911 and has been proven on the battle field in multiple wars, police actions and aggressions. IF you can accommodate it's size and (and this is the most important) IF you are accurate and comfortable with this type of weapon then by all means saddle up and give it a try. Otherwise give some of the above suggestions a try.

 

[wolf_fire]

I'd rather not be shot with a: .45, .40, .357, .38 (+P), .38, .380, or .22. They all will hurt and they all will kill.

With that said.... what do you want to carry?

What do you want your carry weapon to feel like since the Taurus was hard to draw?

Find what's comfortable, easy to carry, and easy to draw. That will be your everyday weapon.