There has been a lot written over the years regarding
ammunition selection and stopping power. The result is a lot of science fiction about the stopping power of handguns. Over the years, the design of bullets has changed significantly. This single factor has changed what might have been true 50 years ago from being true today. First,
stopping power is not the same as killing power. Any bullet can kill but not all bullets can instantly stop someone. Stopping someone is defined as injuring them enough to where they are incapable of continuing their attack. These wounds may or may not be lethal, it doesn’t matter. Killing power is just that -- the ability of the bullet to kill the target. If it takes 10 minutes for the target to die and they are continuing to shoot at you, then clearly this is not a desirable option. If one shot incapacitates them, they stop shooting at you and live, then you have the optimum result. The first important writings on stopping power were those of General Julian Hatcher in the early 1900’s. His basic findings were that large diameter bullets of blunt design were the best fight stoppers. In an era where the .45 Long Colt (the classic cowboy cartridge) was still very popular and all bullets were of solid construction, this made a lot of sense. Dramatic failures in battle of cartridges in .38 and 9mm calibers using solid, rounded nose bullets further enhanced the “truths” that Hatcher preached. In the 1960’s the first
hollow point bullets started to appear. The object of these bullets is for them to
expand when they strike the body. This expansion would provide a wider wound channel like that of a larger caliber bullet. The pendulum then started to swing in the opposite direction. No longer were large diameter bullets at moderate velocities considered good stoppers. The best stoppers were theorized to be very light bullets of 9mm or .38 caliber at very high velocities. This thinking
spilled over into the rifle world where hunters started using very light bullets at amazing velocities. The result
-- a mass of conflicting data which showed some impressive stops on both people and animals, but also many equally impressive failures. The argument eventually became one of extremes where one school believed the velocity was everything and the other school believed size was the only factor. The classic argument of the time could be summed up as this: is a needle at 10,000 feet per second a better stopper than a bowling ball at 100 feet per second. This example illustrates the silliness of the whole argument. Fortunately, in the 1980’s, several independent researchers began studying the results of actual police shootings and the effectiveness of the ammunition used. These studies have continued to this day and have been updated over the years. They take into account the latest designs in bullet technology. In addition, the FBI did their own study in the early 90’s in
an effort to come up with a replacement for the 9mm they were using at that time. Here are some of the important points discovered in these modern studies:
--A bullet needs to have sufficient velocity to allow for the rapid expansion of the hollow point.
--It also has to have sufficient mass to penetrate deeply into the body and reach vital organs.
While the studies may disagree on certain fine details, the combined lesson learned is that
both velocity and mass play a role in modern terminal ballistics. A light weight bullet at very high velocity has a high probability of over expanding or even breaking apart
-- resulting in little penetration. A heavy bullet at low velocity is likely to not expand well
-- leaving a narrow wound. The light weight bullet will cause very serious and dramatic wounds in its path but may not reach any vital areas which would terminate the fight. The heavy bullet will pass through all the organs in its path but since the diameter of the hole is small, it may not disrupt them enough to cause an immediate shutdown. Therefore, in all cases,
the optimal bullet for a given caliber is not always the lightest or heaviest. Below we give a list of popular calibers used for self defense and the recommended bullet weights. Many ammunition companies today offer several bullet choices even at the same weight. There are standard bullets and newer high performance offerings. The newer bullets typically have some technology incorporated that controls the expansion of the bullet at various velocities and prevents fragmentation and over expansion. We will offer suggestions for cartridges and the most appropriate bullet weight. A super premium bullet in that weight will provide better performance over a wider range. However, standard modern bullets are very good and one should not discount them as a cheaper option that will get the job done. On the right side of the page we provide a list of cartridge manufacturers web sites for reference.
.380 Auto (380 ACP):
For the .380 auto we recommend any of the modern JHP (jacketed hollow point) bullets in the weight range of 90 to 100 grains. While not a caliber that we recommend for self defense in the first place, there are many guns out there being used for this purpose in this caliber.
9mm (9mm Luger or 9mm Parabellum):
For the 9mm the best loadings at standard pressure are the 115 grain JHP bullets. Also offered in 9mm are higher pressure loadings called "+P" loads. These increase velocity and we recommend either the 115 grain or the 124 grain JHP bullets for this type of ammunition.
.38 Special:
Because of the relatively low velocity provided by the .38 special, there has been much argument over what the best load for this caliber is. The best load for the .38 special is to move up to the .357 magnum if your firearm can chamber it. Even the mid powered loadings in .357 magnum are far superior to the best .38 special loads. However if you must use the .38 special we recommend 125-135 grain bullets at +P maximum velocity. One new bullet on the market is the Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel round. It is a 135 grain JHP +P cartridge designed for firing in small guns with short barrels.
.357 Magnum:
Over the years, research of the .357 magnum has proven it to be an impressive fight stopper. The 125 grain JHP bullet from about any manufacturer, at full power, is considered at the top of the list of fight stopping bullets.
.357 SIG:
The only bullet for this cartridge for self defense is the 124 grain JHP types. It comes close to emulating the performance of the .357 magnum in shorter barrels.
.40 S&W:
There are many loadings for the .40 S&W cartridge today. For personal defense we recommend the 155 grain JHP bullets. They have been proven to be quite effective over the last few years.
10mm Auto:
The 10mm auto was adopted by the FBI after their extensive research study on terminal ballistics. It has been superseded by other rounds like the .40 S&W because it requires a large frame pistol and some shooters were mentally incapable of dealing with its recoil in full power loadings. This is similar to many law enforcement personnel in the past not being able to deal with the .357 magnum recoil. This cartridge is to the auto loading pistols what the .357 is to revolvers. Simply the most powerful round suitable for use in a personal defense situation. The full power loadings in the 165-175 JHP range produce more power than the .357 magnum and will equal or exceed its stopping power. In addition, in pistols like the Glock 20 it will provide 16 rounds at your disposal versus 5 or 6 in the common service revolver. Many loadings of the 10mm provided by the major manufacturers are loaded to mid (.40 S&W) levels. Full power loadings are provided by Winchester in their 175 grain Silvertip and by Double Tap and Cor-Bon in all their offerings.
.45 ACP:
This classic round, which is nearly 100 years old, was standardized with the 230 grain solid bullet for many decades. Bullets are available from 185 grains to 230 grains from the various manufacturers. Our recommendation is one of the modern JHP designs in the 230 grain weight. These modern high tech bullets provide greater expansion at the moderate velocities this cartridge produces and the 230 grain bullet penetrates deeply but does not seem to over-penetrate, in most cases. |
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