best caliber for home defense

.50AE. All I gotta get is close. The BOOM alone will cause a heart attack. Originally Posted by gfejunkie

OH! There you are!

Almost as good as a flashlight! Almost.

I have a .357 magnum revolver and a high cap S and W 9mm. For home protection I'll take the old fashioned .357, for conceal and carry, it's the S and W.


The best weapon is something someone is comfortable with and trusts. It's like asking if you want a plum crazy or a torred Hellcat. Others can suggest a color, but at the end of the day, it's the color the owner wants. Same for guns. I also agree about the 10mm not being mentioned.

IMHO.


Also none of that cheap ass Tula ammo for me......I hate that stuff. Brass for me.

I've never lived in a residence that would contain a .357 with street loads.

I've visited in one, but the neighbors were some distance away.

10mm not mentioned, I think its because its a rough equivalent to .40 caliber. its a bit smaller than the .40 tho.

Thread moved.

The "best" caliber is the one that you'll reliably hit the scumbag with. Getting hits with a 22 or 380 is better than missing with a 45 or 357.

The "best" caliber is the one that you'll reliably hit the scumbag with. Getting hits with a 22 or 380 is better than missing with a 45 or 357. Originally Posted by dark3419

Wrong.
I've seen a 22 round on the floor, after it bounced off an almost naked neighbor guy, when his ex gf stalked him to a beach place. Granted it was a medium wight round per LEO (that had a humorous field day interviewing everyone), but still.

Thus, at least a decent 9mm or a heavy load 38.

My first point, why do folks use target ammo?
Lighter loads, cheaper lead, etc, that do cause targeting and other issues. Let alone a recoil difference (much lighter). WTF.
Regardless of weapon, pick the ammo for the correct RW situation, perhaps home defense or CC, and practice with that ammo as well. Who the fxxk cares about a price difference if you actually need to use the tool.

BTW, even though 9mm ammo can carry a higher pressure, it's a shorter cartridge than a 38, thus less gains, even though a bit higher muzzle velocity.

Everything I have, always has the largest grain cartridge.

Here's my second point, the actual bullet. Repeating myself from above, target rounds? Fxxk no.
Thus, "Pick the Tip".
Hollow point, Tipped, Soft, FMJ (diff shapes).
For home defense?
You want to stop the ahole at close range, Hollow point. And, why use soft nose when hollow points are available?
For CC? You'd have a bit more room, so that takes a bit of thought. I have tipped and a large clip (and spare clip).

Last, larger calibers? A critical item here is how often you practice. Rarely? 38,9,40 no larger. If you're at a range at least a few times a year, anything, larger better. Why, if you don't practice you'll not be used to holding the recoil.

Last, even though this thread is about caliber, I simply have to mention that for home defense, or close combat, a short nose weapon. Do I really have to explain why? For CC or open carry, long nose does provide better targeting.

My ex has a matched pair of POS 38 revolvers.
I have a 1911A1 45 and a Glock Model 30 (45)

Any caliber of hollow point. You want to wreck the intruder not your home

There is no single caliber that is the 'best'.

Gain proficiency and become good with what you have.

Most of the time you don't have to fire. So which round is the most intimidating just by sound. 12 gauge pump. Originally Posted by the_real_Barleycorn

The 20 gauge pump with #3 buckshot-20 pellets/shot shell, and a pistol grip handle is the weapon of choice for a light weight woman. I have bought four for the women in my family because they don't have to learn to be great shots - just point and pull the trigger and repair the entire wall afterward. The pump will fire as fast, or almost as fast as an autoloader - and never stick or hangup. The sawed off stock leaving the pistol grip gives her the motion to locate the target from a moment of the hips, and the 20 gage is light weight with nearly the punch as a 12 gauge at close quarters - without the kick.

But a 12 gauge pump is what I use on the little ducks because they won't come close enough if they see you. Quack, Quack Ah Huh

So long as you can hit your target, shoot what you like and what you can handle. However, I'm with the idea of a shotgun (20 gauge) or a low speed round. If you miss, IF, you don't want to be penetrating the walls and hitting someone in the next room.

i find it interesting that when there is an active shooting situation. the level of accuracy goes down.


the video alludes to that people are being trained improperly on situations that will never happen.

In Iraq, the best to clear out a house or small building was a sawed off 12 and a .45 preferably in Pistol grip.

10mm not mentioned, I think its because its a rough equivalent to .40 caliber. its a bit smaller than the .40 tho. Originally Posted by dilbert firestorm

SMH... All of these armchair commandos / ninjas who have never shot at anyone, or better yet, taken incoming and been hit...



Handguns don't stop fights.


High velocity rifle projectiles are better, but even carbines are hard to maneuver in close quarters.


12 gauge 3" chamber shotgun with 000 Buck is good, but fewer than 5% of the population can fire it effectively.


For the average idiot who would rather jerk off to gun porn written by people who have never and never will be in a gunfight, a standard issue military fragmentation grenade or better yet, a Willie Peter (white phosphorus) grenade is best. Eliminates a lot of pesky evidence after you incinerate your house. Make sure to (1) Throw the grenade, not the pin, and (2) Exit as quickly as possible.


Worked well in clearing houses in Fallujah, Ramadi, and Sadr City.


Jerk off to that.

Whatever you get, the best is what you can use properly in a stressful situation.
Therefore whatever you get...
1. don't just load it and put it in a nightstand and think you will instantly be able to take down the bad guys like the the guys in a movie or on tv.
2. whatever you get take it to the range and practice, practice, practice...then practice some more. The more you are comfortable and familiar with that piece the better off you will perform.
3. get some instruction, including maintenance and handling misfires, jams, malfunctions etc.
4. did I say practice? Feed your machine good quality ammo, especially if it is possible you may need to put it to work.
5. Did I say practice? You want to be so familiar with you piece, that handling, loading, reloading etc can be done with out looking at it. (not bragging) For example I can load, unload, reload, disassemble, reassemble my Glock blindfolded.
Ultimately remember this did I say practice? ...You may need this piece to defend your life so the better you can use it the better your chances. I know of so many people that just buy a weapon and put it in a nIghtstand.......THAT IS A MISTAKE
My 2 cents...good luck and enjoy your time at the range.