Which is more important in ballistics?

[481]

Properly prepared and calibrated ordnance gelatin provides an engineering evaluation tool to test JHP handgun bullet penetration and expansion performance in a realistic soft tissue simulant. In a defensive scenario, all of the VITAL tissues that we're trying to damage are ALL soft tissues. JHP bullets are designed to expand in soft tissues. A modern JHP handgun bullet recovered from a body closely resembles the same bullet that has been tested in ordnance gelatin.

Reliable rapid incapacitation is caused only by what vital structure(s) a JHP handgun bullet comes into direct contact with and how much damage it produces to that structure (wound severity). TYPE of tissue and AMOUNT of damage are what's important.

Well said.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

Hitting the target is by far the most important factor.

After that 38, 357, 44, 45, 40, 9 mm, 10 mm are all fine options.