Your Favorite Semi-Auto Pistol Caliber and Why

[mgresh]

.22 lr - cheap and easy to shoot.

 

[cslinger]

The one with the primer in the middle. Occasionally the one with the primer along the rim.

I like them all. If they go bang when I pull the trigger and safely go in the general direction I send them........I pretty much like them.

 

[Jeb Stuart]

I really enjoy my 9mm. I have been shooting it the most lately.(mainly because the ammo is cheap)

Yep, can't deny that. And reflecting back to how much I have been shooting my Micro9m's, I changed my vote from the 380 which I love to shoot to the 9MM. (Tomorrow I may change back or to the 22.cal.)

 

[Dibbs]

5.7X28MM-when you have a small property, and you're trapping and dealing with pest
management, it's a great round. Less potential for overshooting, lots of MV to get the job
done, in close. The Five seveN is very light, fully loaded, also.
That said, 9mm is a very efficient round.

 

[bannockburn]

Would have to say the 9mm., though the .45 ACP, .38 Super, and even the .22LR all have a favorite spot in my collection. Mainly because I like that the 9mm. is a good "all-rounder" kind of cartridge and that it works so well in so many interesting and well designed pistols. Really love my Browning Hi-Power, CZ P01, Ruger SR9c, Kahr CM9, and SIG P229.

 

[Labguy47]

.22lr will always be what we train with and shoot the most. It’s great at what it does, so is 9mm. But my favorite round of all time is 32 Magnum.

 

[Sebastian]

Good 'ole .22lr makes me smile

 

[jdavis123]

The .22LR fired from a good rifle or handgun is most likely the first shooting experience most of us experienced. The round has stood the test of time for good reason. It is accurate, has low recoil, is perfect for small game, and is pure FUN.

 

[rpenmanparker]

Love that 9mm.

 

[badkarmamib]

I started with 9mm. During the first banic, 9mm was nowhere to be found. .40S&W had a lot to offer, so I switched over (I was already looking for something new, anyways). During the second banic, I would stand patiently in line at Wal-Mart behind 10 guys complaining that they had wasted a trip, and calmly bought the (3-box) limit of everything I needed. Now, I reload, so the price difference between 9mm and .40S&W is negligible to me. But, I still have a soft spot for .45ACP, as well.

 

[TN Outlaw]

36 bore is my favorite caliber.

380acp, 9x19, 38spl, 357mag, 38 Super, 357 Sig, 9x25 Dillon are all favorites of mine. Not so much the 380acp now because 9x19 has pretty well afforded the ability to fit into small guns. Small enough to rival the pocketability of the 380acp.

My favorite cartridge is hard to say, 9x19 and 22LR for cost and availability. 10mm for covering anything I may encounter, 460s&w for pure joy. Big 9x25 Dillon fan as well.

 

[FL-NC]

The 9mm is the most economic round. It has sufficient power for defensive use, and a seemingly endless variety of ammunition is available for it- from cheap surplus or steel case ball for practice, up to infinite options in HP self defense ammo.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

I have always loved shooting 22 lr and always will, but 9mm is rally starting to grow on me. But who's kidding who? I really love the 45 Auto. Aint nothing more fun then putting big holes in things.

 

[Madcap_Magician]

Honestly probably .22 Long Rifle. It's really hard to beat a Ruger or Browning .22 pistol and a brick of ammo on a farm on a nice day.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

In the last two years, I have developed a serious love of 10mm. This has largely been due to me diving into reloading head first. I only started late December of last year and I now load 4 cartridges and will likely add at least two more this year.

The bullet weights available along with the large variety of velocities that can be loaded to with 10mm make it a very versatile cartridge. Self defense, large animal protection, and even small game hunting with a good shot are possible with 10mm, though "large" animal defense has its limits.

As far as I'm concerned it can do anything 9mm, 40 S&W, 45 acp, and 357 magnum or 357 sig can do. The only advantage that any of theses common cartridges has is some can be crammed in a smaller gun, which I don't care about, and more 9mm will fit in the same size gun.

I've debated ditching my 45s and 9mms and just shooting 10mm of different loadings. However, I like variety, and want to pick up a 10mm with adjustable sights before doing this so I can influence POA/POI.

If I didn't load my own, 10mm wouldn't be a thing for me. Too expensive.

 

[375supermag]

Hi...
My favorite semi auto pistol caliber is the .45ACP.
I carry a full size Springfield Armory 1911 and a Colt Combat Commander in that caliber.
I also own 9mm and .40S&W auto pistols and regularly shoot my son's 10mm pistols.
I have never carried any other semi auto for self defense...my son alternates between .45ACP, 10mm and 9mm depending on his mood but he mostly carries a Ruger 1911 in 10mm.
I probably shoot more .45ACP than the other semi auto calibers combined by at least 4 to one.

 

[SharpDog]

Stopping power is a myth.

There is no statistical evidence that any one of the three main service calibers outperforms the other two, if there was every police department in the world would be carrying it.

My wife can't shoot anything bigger than a 9mm so that's what we carry.

So what caliber handgun would you recommend carrying as a backup when hunting in bear country and why ?

 

[IdaD]

So what caliber handgun would you recommend carrying as a backup when hunting in bear country and why ?

A 357/10mm or black bear country, or a 44 mag or higher for browns. But my primary protection would be the rifle.

As far as the topic at hand, I voted for 9mm. It isn't sexy but it's as effective as any of the main service calibers while also being the cheapest to shoot and generally highest capacity. Cheaper to shoot means more practice which is both important and fun.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

So what caliber handgun would you recommend carrying as a backup when hunting in bear country and why ?

I don't know Bears have been stopped with a 9 mm hard cast. In fact there reports of bears being stopped with .223 in Alaska.

But again to answer what you're trying to get to, stopping power is myth. Handguns in general are suboptimal and underpowered.

If I knew I was in Bear Country I'd probably be carrying a 30/30 and even then I'm not sure I trust it.

Actually let me rephrase that because I am in bear country and I carry a Glock 19

 

[mdauben]

My favorite? The .45ACP!

My most used? The 9mm!

When I'm shooting at the range, I always seem to enjoy shooting .45ACP guns the most. My Glock 21, my Glock 36, my friends Colt 1911 (I need one of those!). It helps that for some reason, I shoot all these guns better than I do other centerfire hand guns.

For carry, though, I think the 9mm strikes the best balance between conceal-ability, capacity and effectiveness. With my Ruger LC9s (pocket), Glock 19 (IWB) and Glock 17 (OWB) I feel I have my carry options covered.

 

[Hasaf]

I have been carrying 380 acp for years. I purchased a 380 Government Model new and carried it for several years.

The cost isn't that much more than 9x19 for range grade FMJ. Good carry ammunition is expensive no matter what calibre. I reload 380; so I can make practice grade stuff pretty cheaply.

 

[Speedo66]

Not surprisingly, 9mm and .22 are near the top of the poll.
9mm is an all around cartridge for target shooting and SD, does well at both, and is probably the least expensive center fire out there.

.22? Do you really have to ask?

 

[Zendude]

I voted 380. I like pistols that weigh around 15 to 20 oz. The 380 feels like a good match for this weight range.

 

[TTv2]

While I have nothing that can shoot it, for me it's 10mm. You can get low end power levels equal to .40 S&W or up to Underwood 10mm, so that's a wide range of options you have and weaker 10mm akin to .40 loads would be great in a subcompact like the Glock 29, the hot stuff for a full size like the Glock 40 MOS. Heck, 10mm can even shoot .40 without having to change any parts.

If loaded with a heavy enough bullet and loaded light, 10mm can be subsonic and effectively suppressed. Put 10mm in a 16" carbine and you've got a semi auto with extremely good power and better range than .45 ACP.

All in all 10mm is a do it all cartridge, it's just been pushed aside because LEO's didn't use it and all the old guys who grew up around the .45 still swear it's better cuz lower pressure, recoil, etc.

 

[bassjam]

I was originally going to vote 9mm because it’s such a practical round. It’s cheap. It has very manageable recoil even in subcompact handguns. It offers the widest selection of handguns made for that round.

But then I started thinking about which handguns I grab most often when I go shooting. Even though I normally grab a 9mm or .38special conceal carry gun to make sure I get some practice time in, I always take a .22 with me. So my vote is .22 and the reasons are: It’s dirt cheap to shoot. Recoil is so low you can focus on your technique much easier. Anything you learn on a .22 can be applied to larger calipers. It’s accurate, and you can buy a target style .22 handgun for much cheaper than a centerfire handgun with similar accuracy.