Stopping Power

[FatsMcKay]

Interesting article

An Alternate Look at Handgun Stopping Power

 

[chezuki]

Interesting article

An Alternate Look at Handgun Stopping Power

Dupe.

An Alternate Look at Handgun Stopping Power

 

[Bennettjh]

Very good article. Makes you wonder for sure...

 

[chezuki]

Very good article. Makes you wonder for sure...

... And what does it make you wonder about?

 

[Bennettjh]

... And what does it make you wonder about?

...what caliber to carry, like the author says. Figure out which caliber is best for an individuals needs/preferences.

 

[dsom2006]

My take if you hit someone with a 22 long rifle or a .45 ACP or a shot gun center mass or in the head your stopping power increases signifigantly as opposed to hitting them in the calf or bicep. Shoot the ammo that you shoot the best.

 

[wolfts01]

It's nice to see a purely statistical analysis of the stopping power from a different perspective than 9mm vs .45. I agree that there is no basis for arguing for one over another when all is said and done. Even the math backs that one up.

I highly suspect the .25, .32, and .380 numbers (as did the author) on the basis of statistical significance. I believe you need more than 30 or so samples in a general case, but with so many confounding variables at work I wouldn't know how many is good. The worst example is the 9mm data including military engagements with FMJ ammo, but I suspect every one of these calibers is used in slightly different situations from one another.

Until we invent soulless not-human-but-very-human-like clones and test each caliber under controlled conditions we will never have data that is more than just correlations.

 

[worddoer]

My caliber decision was not based on stopping power, but logistics.

1. 9mm pistols tend to hold more rounds in their magazine than a .40 or .45...this means more shots are available before a reload is needed. More shots is always a better thing.

2. 9mm practice ammo tends to be one of the cheapest centerfire handgun cartridges available. More ammo with same $$$ means more practice.

3. Almost every company on earth who produces handguns has a 9mm variant.

4. 9mm ammunition is more available than other calibers, and can be obtained more easily during times of distress or danger...SHTF or similar times.

5. A "Mozambique Tap" is equally effective with all 3 calibers listed.

Although stopping power can be measured in a lab, it often is not near as important as shot placement. You can shoot someone with a .50bmg in the big toe, but the .22lr shot in the eye will still win. I use that extreme illustration to drive home the point that controlled shots on target are far more important than caliber. Whatever you have...shoot it...and shoot it well.

 

[cosermann]

Here's the meat of it from the "study" itself:

"The lower caliber rounds (.22, .25, .32) had a failure rate that was roughly double that of the higher caliber rounds."

"What I believe that my numbers show is that in the majority of shootings, the person shot merely gives up without being truly incapacitated by the bullet."

See some previous discussion here:

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...ussion/215784-stopping_power.html#post2949719

and here:

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/210547-22_vs_45_argument_video.html

 

[in625shooter]

While we all have a good idea on what the calibers effeciveness is due to how many Stats, or case studies there are. None of us can anticipate Mr Murphy's next move!

 

[9mmfan]

You want to talk about stopping power, talk about a 30'06.