Its not the "be-all" or "end-all". I think you still have to consider ballistics gel data too, etc. But this particular data set gets poo-pooed a lot, yet this perspective shows that it may have more validity than previously thought.I thought the same thing Rummy.
Shot placement beats stopping power. But when you have both
I thought this was an interesting article. I think we can all agree that shot placement is far more critical to stopping an attack than the size of the round.
An Alternate Look at Handgun Stopping Power
Stopping power is just the ability of the round to penetrate, and in doing so just about everything over a .32 ACP has "stopping power" in a handgun round.
The fact that .44 Magnum got beat out by .38 Special as a one shot incapacitation percentage is very telling ... first of all, energy is just energy, and secondly it matters FAR more where you put that energy. You're essentially stabbing someone with bullets when you shoot them ... there's no magic effect with a handgun round when it hits things, it's very uneventful and it just pokes a hole in it. I don't know why people get so caught up in how big of a bullet and how much power they can put behind it ... it doesn't matter and the facts are in the article above, but that won't stop people from sitting around thinking that .45 ACP +P round is going to blow someone in half when they hit them with it, LOL.
I kinda wish it did ... cause then it'd make our lives alot easier!
As you said you are at a root level stabbing someone with a bullet. The bigger the bullet the bigger the stab. You have a higher chance of getting something critical with a bigger bullet.
If caliber doesn't matter then why make bigger bullets? Much like a sports game, people say it's just a game and have fun, if
that's the case why keep score? I would rather carry something decently heavy (9mm and up with the occasional .32) so the energy put into the criminal is enough to make them think twice. Not everyone is 150 pounds 5 foot 9 that commits crimes. If someone 300 pounds decides to hold up a store and your in the middle of it with a .22 then you better be sure your hitting vitals. I would rather rely less on shot placement and more on stopping power personally. I'm a great shot myself but that doesn't mean I'm going to carry a deringer around with me. I personally swap between a 9mm, .40, and a .32 that I have. It all comes down to preference in the end, I don't favor one round over the other...well except the .50 . But seriously who carries a .50 and why? Home defense? I'll just bust out my benelli shotgun. Great article none the less and very informative. His analysis is correct on a scientific point of view but wear what makes you comfortable and only wear what you know you can use and not risk others lives.