Quote:
Originally Posted by dosei
Most handgun calibers cannot create more BPW than a body can handle...most bottle-neck rifle calibers create a lot more BPW than a body can handle. This is why BPW is considered irrelevant when discussing handgun caliber, because the BPW they are able to create is within the levels that a body can reasonably absorb and is thus irrelevant. And most people will not say that slower is better, but rather that slower is acceptable in exchange for bigger/heavier. Larger bullets make larger holes. The larger & longer a hollow point bullet is, the larger a size it can expand to. The heavier a bullet is, the more inertia it has and thus will typically penetrate deeper. It takes all three...size, weight, and velocity...there is no "one" that trumps all. Since handguns typically do not have the velocity to deliver damaging BPW, one is left with the initial bullet size, it's maximum expanded size, and it's penetration capacity for creating adequate damage. Most of the 45 crowd are not advocates of "big and slow"...most 45acp defencive ammo is loaded hot (+P). I think the 45 crowd is really more of a "biggest, heaviest, fastest" crowd...use the biggest, heaviest bullet and push it as fast as possible.
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High school dropout does not understand what BPW means. What I do understand is that if I have to shoot someone it will be at a close range and I don't want the bullet to exit the body and hit someone else. I shoot a .45ACP (a lot) and I don't want the recoil of a +P spoiling my chance for a followup shot so I am not in your "biggest, heaviest, fastest" crowd. My .45 carry ammo is a 165gr HP Winchester Silvertip which is not +P or in 9mm it is a 115gr HP Hornady Critical Defense. The perfect self defense or military ammo would be one that penetrated about 6" with a permanent 6" wound channel.