Author of The Dark Secrets of SHTF Survival and the online course SHTF Survival Boot Camp
Another great and favorite topic in the survival community is a matter of best caliber and weapon for SHTF, and ammo with most stopping power. Stopping power means how quickly and with few bullets you can make a threat unable to attack you or anyone else.
I tell you now, even for urban survival and the situation I have been through and speak about in my course, it is more important to discuss water filtering in urban SHTF scenarios than talking about stopping power.
Do not get me wrong, I am perfectly aware that burst from the machine gun in the man standing in front of you will do much more damage (and probably will stop him forever) than shooting at him with a pistol.
I have seen and been in lots of gunfights and in real life, shootings are not so simple that guy with bigger gun wins.
It is about you
The guy who was standing next to me pulls pistol (TT 7.62 mm) at an attacker who was starting to run away from us. I did not want to shoot at the guy because he was running away from us, and I thought he did not need to be shot, but my friend thought different.
Anyway, he raised the pistol and fired 6 bullets at the guy. The guy was some 67 meters from him. And he missed him, all six bullets missed the guy, who ran away.
The guy who was running away was moving away from us, but not in a straight line. He was moving diagonally so I guess that adds a little bit to why all bullets missed.
But the man who was shooting from the pistol did next:
- He held the pistol with one hand
- Fired 6 shots in a very fast manner (recoil did its job and he did not spend to reacquire target)
- Screamed very loud while shooting
I had (and still have) a lot of confidence in the TT pistol. It is a reliable and scary thing in good hands and can do a lot of damage. But point is that you are the man (or woman) who makes the shot and kills. So first you need to work on your skills. A .22 bullet to the head is worth more than .45 to the shoulder. Common sense.
The weapon is something that in my opinion needs to be good and correct for you and your hand. There is no point in having some weapon just because it is good for someone else. Maybe it is completely wrong for you.
Recoil, trigger pull, and general feel are just a few of many factors that determine what makes sense. Get a gun that enables you to hit your target even if people at the shooting range shoot a bigger caliber. We train for survival and not to show off.
What you need to know about gunshot wounds
Gunshot wounds are kinda strange because you never know what you can expect from it. When bullets enter the body it can make quite interesting stuff. I have seen people being hit from high caliber weapon and they even did not know they were hit, OK adrenaline works there too, but it is simply important whether the vital organs are damaged.
Bullets can have very weird path once they enter the body, so even if entrance wound looks not so dangerous it still can shred organs in the body.
You never know what it will be because there are many factors involved like weapon caliber, distance, angle… Bullets ricocheting from wall or ceiling above you still can kill you. Actually, small pieces of wall exploded from bullet hits can kill you if they hit the right spot.
Generally speaking exit wound (if there is any) should look more “nasty” than entrance wound, but still, there were cases when in middle of the fight some folks did not know they had any wound at all until later they were carefully examined and entrance and exit wound were found.
I treated a man once who had a gunshot wound in the forearm. Some 10 minutes after the battle people pointed at him and at the blood coming all along his arm and fingers. He had entrance and exit wound, no bone damaged, and still no pain. Adrenaline.
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Stopping power, penetration, etc.
Remember the guy from the beginning of the post? Maybe if he had a knife or alternative weapon at that moment he would stop the other man with more success.
And yes, I would always choose to have good and reliable pistol over a spear, but you get my point. I have seen guys who “stop” other guys with bullets from .22 CZ rifle in some very very cool (and scary) way and from quite some distance. They simply were good with that rifle.
Shots in the head and chest have a better chance of “stopping” an attacker. A man can be also stopped with few shots in legs, but remember that he still can shoot you. Bullets in the stomach are bad things, but I have seen people firing back at their attacker with a rifle with their intestines hanging out
Do not expect that man will be “blown away” with one shot in the chest, like in the movies. Even if you hit the attacker in heart, he still has a chance to shoot you.
So in short, yes, bullets in the chest and head are good, but BULLETS, not A BULLET. Just be sure. Keep shooting until the threat is gone. There is nothing worse than stopping too early.
Also important to consider is the meaning of the word “cover”.
Remember that some things just cannot give you enough cover from gunfire. There is not much better than a big pile of compact dirt or concrete wall between you and man who shoots at you.
Use common sense with taking cover, objects like a wooden door, bush, glass and similar are not cover, they are concealment. They can maybe HIDE you, but you still can be killed with bullets through it.
Many times in my online course, I mentioned it that in SHTF you need lots of ammo, people shoot at whatever is suspicious. If you are hiding behind a wooden door, an attacker can shoot burst just through the door, to be sure. You are not covered.
The will to kill
When I wrote those 3 points about what the guy with TT gun did and why he did not hit the other man when he shot at him, there needs probably (but I will never know for sure) to be number 4 and that is “he did not actually want to kill the man”.
Yes, even in life-threatening situations lots of people simply would choose not to kill, even if that means death for them. I believe it is something that some people simply can not do. They are not capable of that, to take some other person’s life.
Maybe it seems to you that this is not connected with this topic of stopping power, but it is. So while choosing what weapon is good for you, you need to ask yourself “Am I capable of taking another man’s life?”
Any hesitation can kill you when it matters, whatever caliber you have.
The lesson here is, instead of researching “tactical” stuff online, learn about survival and go down to the shooting range. Find yourself a gun with a common round in your area. Find a gun that yo shoots well with. That is what makes sense. Forget all the endless debates about “stopping power” and “calibers.”
The gun you know how to use best has the most stopping power.
About Selco:
Selco survived the Balkan war of the 90s in a city under siege, without electricity, running water, or food distribution. He is currently accepting students for his next physical course here.
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Well said Selco.
I have seen many a Rambowannabes, join a forum and the first thing they do is hit the Weapons/Firearms/Guns threads, and start the “Which is the best rifle in a SHTF situation?” thread. Or “AR15vsM1AvsAKvs.vs.vs.vs.Glock!”
Snore.
Very few of them point out mastery of the fundamentals is just as important as the weapon itself. I have seen a number of guys think they are Sniper grade Marksmen, but cannot hit a target unless they are sitting at a concrete bench, shooting off a lead sled or bags. Then they are great shots! From any other position, not so much.
I would only say for specific firearms, ergonomics play a bigger role than caliber. You can have a $5k custom 1911, or a $12k custom bolt rifle, but if it does not fit your hand or body, and you cannot shoot it well, then you have a expensive problem.
As Selco points out, shot placement. And the ability to do it consistently as Selco mentions with the .22LR CZ. But that has to do more with the guy behind the gun than the gun itself.
Every now and again, you read a post about how ol’ uncle Billy Bob took a deer with a AR15/.22LR/Glock at 300yrds and it was ded right thar!!!! One off stories are exceptions not the rule.
Shot placement is critical and even then not the magical guarantee everyone wants. I’ve blown the heart in deer with a 30-06 and watched them run 100yds. We all know or should know the onionfields story. It’s not a sure thing so be prepared to continue the fight even after.
I so appreciate Selco, his ability to not sugar coat things, and his common sense.
Having said that, I am in that group of people who have trouble imagining taking another human’s life. It is a very sobering thought for me. But, I know it could be a reality and I have to come to terms with that and prepare myself.
My two cents.
The few times I shot a pistol, hand(s) placement figures in on keeping a tight grouping on target. A slight tilt or cant will make a difference. Wikipedia has a nice article on ‘Point Shooting’. Pointing your forefinger or index finger on target helps. The middle finger becomes the trigger finger.
Follow thru, similiar to using a pool cue stick, counts after pulling the trigger smoothly and keeping on target. Imagine you’re shooting through the target. Breath control, not anticipating bullet kickback, keeping both eyes open, knowing your dominant eye along with torso and feet placement, relaxing your grip and pivoting the handle between your forefinger and thumb in the pocket of your hand are some other aids in shooting. Think of the firearm as an instrument … kinda. Not as an extension of an overcompensated libido. So much for firepower. “The Best Handgun Caliber- A Real World Study” on Youtube is interesting.
Yea, kids bought up on video games may blur the distinction between what is real and what is not. Something the miltary picked up on when they use human imagery on targets for conditioning. (David Grossman’s book “On Killing” is still worth a plug.)
Reading Selco’s article makes me question if I have the cookies to even approach a firefight.
ps.
It was noted in a book on the FUBAR at Mogadishu, Somalia (ie. “Black Hawk Down”) our rounds went straight thru the indigenous fighters since they were so slim. Something to think about body types in the SHTF. Hollow point projectiles?
During the Congolese Simba uprising the shamans’ water protected one from bullets. It shows how quickly attitudes go downhill once the SHTF hits.
“Reading Selco’s article makes me question if I have the cookies to even approach a firefight.”
During the battle of Baltimore during the war of 1812, the British first tried to sail their ships into the harbor, but were stopped by a little fort with a big flag. The British then tried to attack from the land side. The Baltimore citizens set up three lines of defense, the first with heroes raring to fight. The British regulars brushed them aside. The second line was again filled with heroes raring to fight. Again the British regulars dislodged them. The third line was filled with old codgers who weren’t supposed to have the battle brought to them. But they were veterans. They had seen battle before. They knew what to expect. They drove the British regulars back with heavy losses among the British.
Like John03, I don’t know how I’d fare in a fire fight. I hope never to find out. Yet I realize that it’s a real possibility.
I am not a veteran. The military didn’t want me. Something about permanent injuries I got as a child. Now I too am an old dodger. Do I have the cookies to approach a fire fight?
My 2¢ in response to John03.
This is a must-read for anyone acquiring a gun for self-defense who was not brought up around firearms. Definitely one of the best reads from Selco I’ve seen.
Whether intentional or not, I found this sentence very funny: “I would always choose to have good and reliable pistol over a spear, but you get my point. “
The will to kill.
It doesn’t matter how good is your weapon, if you don’t have the will to kill, you’ll miss.
The will to kill does not mean that you enjoy killing. For example, Carlos “White Feather” Hathcock so much disliked killing that he didn’t report to his superior officer the number of combatants that he killed. Only one of his kills gave him satisfaction—an enemy combatant who was especially cruel, who tortured to death captured soldiers. The total number of fighters that Carlos killed could be three to four times the 93 with which he is officially credited.
The power of a gun often doesn’t count, For example, where I’m staying right now, the land is so full of trees and bushes that only rarely are there clear distances of over 50 yards / meters where you can see another person, let alone shoot him (I measured distances with a range finder). At that distance, a 4.5 mm / .177 air rifle can kill, if you can hit a 50 mm / 2″ target that is a vital spot. There are many air rifles that are more accurate than that and have enough power. A .22LR rifle is deadly at three to four times that distance. What counts is the will to kill.
I hope never to be in this situation. Do I have the will to kill? I don’t know, and I hope I never am in the situation where I’ll find out. Yet I practice.
I agree with Selco here, that the deadliest weapon in your hand, is the weapon with which you are comfortable and can shoot accurately.
Never bring a pocket knife to a machete fight. Never bring a knife to a pistol fight. Never bring a pistol to a rifle fight.
And most importantly know how to use them all. In all situations. I do a lot of handgun practice while moving.
Paintball without armor is a good way to try to learn how to deal with shooting and moving under duress and stress.
Few people want to die in conflict. Not many more want to kill. So be prepared more than average and you will likely be fine.
Learn Mozambique drill for pistol.
In many cases aim and shoot even using frontsight aiming is too long exposed. If you can afford cash and time learning to reflex shoot can save your life.
Not learning how to solo and how to squad engage and disengage will cause you to learn In blood and tears.
Also learning local weapons systems so you can use captured arms effectively.
Seems like we hadn’t heard from you for a while Selco.
Good to hear from you again. You are appreciated.
Selco you are always on point , Water purification is the first thing for SHTF ,Holding on to that Capability is the second ,for lose clean water a slow death awaits. With my opinion out there here is a Simple Observation i have seen Men and Women who do not shoot all the time but at least shoot once a month shoot a 45 Round better than a 9 round period . This I have seen over and over the 45 round for them always is in the center mass for them ,seen this to many times when i work out a casual shooter at the 2o ft rule . Glock or 1911 women’s small hand or a man and his lazy hold . My girls when they were young kids 8 years old shot the 1911 45 better than the Nine every time ,their hands were small my wife was so afraid but my girls are ball player and bike riders so grip was simple for them to understand . Your first round down range must hit your Target period for it sets the contest in your favor . I like a Glock now own 3 ,own a Great wheel gun in 357 6 inch barrel shoots down range to 100 yards with a loose grip and bangs a 12 in metal plate with my reloads in a Moderate wind .but all a Pistol is for is to fight to your Rifle . Pray for Peace Prepare for a Very Uncivil War.
Well said, Sir.
Some important points, made in a direct manner. Very good.
I have long appreciated the Tokarev in 7.62 x 25..
But the 9mm luger I have is the weapon of choice for me and the one I practice with.
To waste some verbiage in response to Richard’s 2 cent on my 2 cent above.
At the time I made that comment I was thinking of “Lindybeige’s” youtube video on what he thought was the most effective weapon of WWII.
The British flame-throwing tank. (Lindybeige is British.)
When a row of these tanks opened “fire” veteran German solders surrendered without letting a round off. The effect was that impressive.
During the last fifty-five days of Vietnam soldiers would retreat without firing a shot after seeing row after row of advancing North Vietnamese tanks.
In all fairness in both cases the war was over for them anyway.
In a large engagement it’s difficult to know what your right or left flank is doing. Am I the only fool going up this hill alone?
From reading Selco’s articles I gather the Seige of Sarajevo was very different. There you were caged-in fighting for your immediate family against former neighbors for food and basic necessities. Hard to imagine. There was no army of logistics support behind you. Neither did you have the luxary of picking your battles or retreating.
Would I hesitate going into a close-quarters skirmish under those conditions. Probably more so after wetting my pants, repeating some random phase over and over and developing tunnel vision, provided I didn’t freeze thinking too much what could happen.
And that would be ideally having the most expensive weapons, body armor and technological toys.
Our recent wars illustrates that there is no guarentee you’ll be o.k.. It’s a crap shoot.
Perhaps once you accept that fact you’ll go into the firefight.
Kinda amusing story.
During WWII in Florida there were “Poppy” patrols of senior critizens with wooden rifles shuffling up and down the beaches on the lookout for Kriegsmarine U-boats. If it weren’t fer dem ol’ guys we be speaking German in Daytona Beach rights now.
The life expectancy of free agents during the Vietnam War was at most two years similar to the popular expression “You keep coming back and they’re going to kill you.”
My favorite piece of military education was “You’re not going to hear the bullet that hits you.”
( … ’cause you’ll be screaming too much in pain?
Then, Selco”s article points out that assumption may be not totally correct.)
John05
You may have thought “Lindybeige’s” but you wrote pistols and M16s. I’m not a mind reader. so I respond to what you wrote.
During the last 55 days of the Vietnam war, the South Vietnamese retreated without firing a shot, because they didn’t have any bullets to fire, their planes were grounded without fuel or bombs so they couldn’’t bomb the North Vietnamese tanks, all because the Democrat controlled Congress refused to authorize shipping those supplies upon which the South Vietnamese depended and which the U.S. had promised the South Vietnamese. The South Vietnamese had been trained and were willing to fight, but guns without bullets are inefficient clubs. That Democrat Congress has blood on its hands—the blood of the South Vietnamese and the blood of so many in my generation who fought there.
Further, I responded to what Selco wrote: fighting in close quarters in an urban environment by civilians who didn’t have military training or supplies. Or take my present local situation where only rarely can one even see if an enemy is as far as 50 yards away, often the distances are only 10 yards or less, at which distances even a .177 air rifle can kill if your shooting with a hunting pellet can hit a vital spot. Selco is right, you don’t need the biggest, bad-ass, highest knock-down-power weapon in these conditions. You need to know your weapon and can use it effectively.
Yes, and you can get fully automatic .177s at Walmart very inexpensively!
Hit three times by 7.62×39 (Vietnam 1968), stomach, leg and butt cheek. Each time felt like the strongest man in the world hit me as hard as he could with the heaviest sledge hammer in the world.
Praise the Lord you are still here. Thank you, my brother, for your service.
Still scratching my head over the guy firing 6 rounds from a pistol at a man 67 meters away and retreating.
Just a note on body armor, as someone mentioned it.
It is great.
As long as you have the Motor-T, or helo to transport you from point A to point B.
Otherwise, if you have to hump with it, and all the rest of your gear, it is hot, heavy, and you will not be able to move as fast or as far in a given time period.
You will also have to consume more calories and water.
Just a side note.
A couple of veterans I respect gave me the impression they’re not going to be wearing body armor. One of them also did work as a Private Military Contractor said he had been shot in a loaded mag on his chest not wearing armor so he was OK. I’m guessing why they didn’t come out and say no to armor was partly to avoid arguments and partly not to discourage those on active duty that have to wear armor.
Man! It sure is heavy and I can see how it could distract or discourage a person from identifying and running or diving for cover or over-relying on protection from armor. Also it gets in the way of your shooting stance.
Richard
I appreciate your comments.
Just trying to clarify my meager thought process. Sometimes it takes a couple of tries, hence the “P.S.s” in my posts. The phase “to waste some verbiage” refers to me bumping my gums on and on.
My comments were trying to touch upon a topic I feel is not commonly brought up on blogs, the stoic acceptance that no matter how well armed, trained, or willing to waste or not waste someone you believe you are … you are going to die.
Maybe not in the first firefight, maybe later. Maybe you’re make it to a ripe old age (with survivor guilt)? But if you’re not prepared for what will occur, the shock could be too much. At the least maybe you’re freeze at the wrong moment. A lotta of maybes. I don’t know how it will pan out for everyone.
It’s not a popular topic. Heck, Tibetan monks spent their life(s) in preparation for death and rebirth, and still are hesitant when the time comes.
My parents were from that region during WWII. The casualty numbers ranged over a million people then as I believe it did in the nineties. So, when I asked them what it was like, their reply?
Silence or “Don’t ask” or “If you were really there, you don’t talk about it”.
So, if someone really went through that experience and is willing to talk about it, listen and pay attention.
(Reread that last sentence a couple of times.)
Note, in the above post I am referring to Civilians.
The Vietnam War was referred to as the “Children’s Crusade” as most draftees were around eighteen/nineteen years old. They were given a short period of ‘training’ and then dumped into a jungle. One day you’re picking your nose in Poughkeepsie, then the next day there are a bunch of little men running you. A lot come home with problems since they weren’t mentally prepared for the “Cultural Shock”.
A mercenary wrote only after about eight to twelve years of traveling around various conflicts was he ready for Vietnam and then he didn’t expect to make thru more than two years at most. And this having survived Dien Bien Phu.
So, … as any average person on the street what would be your odds? Without mental preparation?
John05:
Now we’re on the same page.
Quien es John05?
Not really.
But if coming to terms with death and being maimed, along with skills, equipment and how to use them, physical ability, as preconditions to entering a firefight, then ok.
Best
Btw
I never dissed the South Vietnamese Army or Airforce as they weren’t mentioned. They didn’t receive the credit they deserved.
The point was referring to the psychological reasons why soldiers retreat.
No mention of M-16 (AR-15).
Yea, was having fun with the “Pappy (Poppy) Patrol”. Just when you thought you couldn’t be drafted.
J.I.C.
Before someone gets PC, or dare I say butthurt, regarding senior critizens and U-boat patrols, it was vital for security as there were submarines along Florida’s coastline during WWII.
Perhaps a mural would recognize their duty to country, similiar to Rembrant’s painting of the “Night Watch”, showing a patrol on the beach with wraparound sunglasses, short ponytails, giving the peace symbol … er, that would be the Vietnam vets.
nevermind.
One last brainf*rt.
What is equal or better than stopping power?
The tattoo NVA soldiers had on their hand,
“Born in the North. Died in the South”.
Selco’s article is just another knock-off of countless ‘stopping power’ articles…some of which i wrote myself over the years, and we’ve reached a point where there still is no high success percentage model for effective training or prepping protocol management that carries over from non-critical practice to actual down and dirty high speed low drag combat engagement.
So I won’t add anything to the silly-ass ongoing debate about stopping power. It should have ended years ago when I once explained in extensive detail to my old shooting and drinking buddy Jeff Cooper about the stopping power of a shotgun-which loaded with buckshot v. a high cyclic rate submachine gun. Like the old Ingrams or Uzi’s we used. He argued that the 12 ga 3″ magnum w/buckshot had the best small arm stopping power. I proved to him with simple math and power physics demo that he was incorrect. Just as I went on to prove that the .45 v. 9mm debate was nothing more than an urban myth. And there’s nothing you can do with a .45 that a more experienced and practiced shooter can’t do better with a 9mm, especially since you can now get 9mm rounds that are more powerful than an average .45 acp round. Which is why most militaries in the world default to 9mm rounds for lower level combat applications.
So like Selco points out in the article here, For a basic handgun get something you are comfortable with and I hope it’s at least a Glock 17 and some extended 30 round magazines. I hope you do not settle for a cheaper substitute.
For a real shit hit the fan situation, There are far and few that beat a short AR-15 carbine to date, and into the foreseeable future. But they are now pricey and hard to get anymore.
You should at least practice handling them and magazine drop and reload until you can do it without thinking.
Shooting practice, of course, is something most people will never get enough of. Occassionally walking around with it slinged to ready dry simulation firing is better than having it hiding in your closet doing nothing. At this point in the greater schema of coming SHTF scenarious, all of which will likely degenerate into various levels of violence and anarchy before police state martial law prevails. Any kind of firearm familiarity practice or handling is better than nothing. That’s why bb guns are hot now. You can get useful aiming and hand eye practice for the bigger stuff for pennies and quiet use. Because you won’t have time to really get ‘good’ enough for what I’m about to relate. You’ll be too busy just trying to survive in a normal way.
The issue a couple people brought up about the ‘will to kill’. Don’t worry too much about that. We all have ‘it’ to some degree of intensity. It’s an interesting psychology. But i wouldn’t worry about it to the extent that you wouldn’t have the nerve to do it. It boils down to the fight or flight attitude. This depends on how much of either you naturally tend to be. Some find it easier to kill something and fortunately are not skilled enough to facilitate it. Yet almost everyone can do it if it comes down to it. That’s why so-called devout orders of Catholic sisters/nuns had no problems with having abortions after being raped to ‘preserve the integrity of the Order’, and then go back to their ‘love of god’.
But all animals try to run first. But if cornered with imminent fear of death, they will invariably cower but resist their ultimate demise with their own killer instinct.
With humans who learn things that affects and controls natural instincts, there are some differences. I know some highly trained expert and experienced war fighters who don’t even like to fight and given a clear choice would rather ‘flight’ than fight’.
Anytime. But if they had no choice, they know that due to ther level of expertise and ability to control their ‘fright’ component in combat, they would likely, more than unlikely, defeat the enemy.
If you are not one of these rare professional warriors or at least a highly experienced and well trained and practiced police officer, then your rational input over your fight or flight response should always be FLIGHT!
I see too many of the prepping survivalist community gunning up big time with no dedicated system or time frame of training/practice, and thinking they are ‘prepared’ for violent engagement. The actually pump themselves up to fully expect and and prepare for being attackd or home invaded. Without actually realizing what they are really doing? It’s like just by having an amory, that they are ready and prepped to lock and load and engage at any time. Speciouslly emboldened by some sort of cognitive dissonance that makes them think as long as you’re locked and loaded, you are ready to FIGHT! Which is the single worst mistake a prepper–or anybody who carries–will make.
If you think like that you will probably die, or get seriously wounded or crippled in any armed hostile violent engagemnt. Stop thinking like that immdiately.
Start developing, instead, a minset to AVOID ALL encounters that may have violent potential development. I mean ALL.
Think of it like the Coronavirus of Combat. Instead of social distancing, practice firefight distancing. Start planning within your prepping paradigm to develop situational awareness and set up your survival location and your lifestyle to AVOiD, or to be able to get into a total avoidance mode at short notice and even preclude a situation where violent encounters can surprise you before you can Avoid them altogether. This is a strategy. Or Tactic depending how you approach it. Yeah, it’s the opposite of “we’re ready for the suckers if they invade us’ The foundation of which is the further away, the less chance you’ll ‘pay’ when the SHTF.
We had a ditty we used to say back in the days on the base camp in anticipation of a fast and furious ground wave attack
. ‘Let ’em come, we’ll run’, call in Spooky, they’ll be DONE!
Or the time-honored Martial Arts aphorism. ‘The fight you never lose is the one you never get into’
So, again, for you people who worry about having to kill. Don’t. Worry more about being in a safer place or having good hiding place potential where the likelihood of a deadly encounter is very limited.
It’s actually easier to do this than practicing to be a master gunfighter, which STILL does not guarantee you will ‘win’ a conflict as much as not engaging in one to begin with???
We had an old saying
But my
Selco doesn’t write knockoffs. But thank you for the additional excellent information. It’s very appreciated. ????
I have seen shooting victims shot with most anything you can imagine outside of a real battlefield. I’ve had my hands on some as they took their last breath in this life. Its all bad regardless of caliber or ‘gauge’. All that “stopping power” talk is just noise. If you plan on relying on your firearm for survival, whether it be hunting, personal protection, or both, it pays to be familiar with it and comfortable enough to hit what you shoot at. But all a street thug need know is how to pull the trigger if you allow yourself to be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
When someone asks me what handgun they should get I ask them what it the intended purpose they want it for – hunting, targets, personal protection. I will likely give them some suggestions, but advice to them is to visit one of the several in-door ranges in the area that rent handguns and for them to try different ones until they find one they are comfortable with regardless of caliber. Having a .22 you are both comfortable and efficient with is better than the .45acp whose recoil you are afraid of.
Ha! A friend handed me his brand new Colt .45 (western style revolver). I picked it up and quickly shot the bottle on the fence post, but the sight in the end of the barrel busted me right between the eyes. I have use two hands ever since!
Supreme wisdom there…”The gun you know how to use best has the most stopping power.”
BAM, right there… shuts down all the debates.
Thank you, Selco! ????????????
Well said Delco. I would only ad don’t forget the dead man’s five seconds. It takes an average of five seconds for a human body to completely SHUT down and stop functioning after receiving lethal damage. I found this to be spot on. Thank you
Very honest n realistic article……Selco is the real deal
I once read that if a bullet encounters a wall at a shallow angle, it will follow the wall. So if you are running away, stay away from the wall.
6 shots and no hit. Wow. I have carried and used a 38 special 5 round wheel gun for 45 years. I was trained to take time with the first shot and make it count and then follow-up with a second as soon as you were sure of your target. Slow and sure. With only 5 shots to use, placement was/is key to survival.
The best teacher is time. Take the time to get familiar with handling a gun. Any gun. Practice shooting with both hands and either hand separately. Practice prone, kneeling standing crouching and be able to put lead on target every shot. Time invested pays a return. Invest heavily.
Not sure if you have the stomach for the fight? Let me assure you that you will be amazed at what you have the stomach for when your life, or the life of your children or other loved one is on the line.
Stay safe and prepare accordingly.