And yet, the competitive shooting sports still don’t get it
Since they ding you for using 9mm. Caleb touches on something I’ve mentioned before, the argument over the stopping power of whatever popular pistol caliber is largely academic. Any more, I’ve been buying 9mm handguns because they’re more fun to shoot. And I say that as someone who mostly carries a 45acp.
October 11th, 2011 at 9:31 am
I found that annoying about NRA Bullseye shooting. I liked the idea of shooting an M9 as my service gun, but I’d have to buy a 45 anyway. I think it turns out that getting an m9 ready for bullseye is not any cheaper than the 1911 though, so its probably moot. Still it’d be nice to have the option.
October 11th, 2011 at 10:28 am
It all comes back to the origins of the Competitive Shoot Sports in the ’70s. Since most of the “Gun Games” were born in America, and the 1911 was the semi-auto most often used in the States, the .45ACP was given more “weight” over Shot Placement. But most weapons were using FMJ Ball, also.
But in the 21st. Century, with our Technological Upgrades regarding Ammo and Guns, this “Major vs. Minor” stuff needs to go away.
But then some Smart Ass would show up with his Ruger .22LR and do Head Shots and win a match or two.
All you Youngin’s just be glad you now have the choice of carrying more Ammo in a smaller package for the street than we Old Farts had in our day. The Goblins “Pack Size” seems to be growing out there…..
October 11th, 2011 at 10:37 am
Had a veteran cop tell me he’s seen people shot with many different calibers and he could never tell the difference between 9mm, .40 and .45 cal holes. They all looked bad. Thankfully, most of the 3-Gun matches I shoot are “two hits to neutralize” so 9mm makes sense.
October 11th, 2011 at 11:11 am
They only ding you in Limited/Open. In Production, the most popular division by far, shooting anything other than a 9mm puts you at a disadvantage.
October 11th, 2011 at 11:21 am
So to sum up: actual stopping power in real world, life and death gunfights is “academic”, but the rules of specific classes of specific shooting sports isn’t. I can’t roll my eyes that far without injuring myself.
Thank goodness for Evan Marshall.
October 11th, 2011 at 1:22 pm
David Spauling has a good article on stopping power. He as viewed many a surveillance video and he says there defiantly is a difference in reaction between being shot with a 9mm and a .45.
But the difference is not great.
Pick what you want and SHOOT STRAIT. That is the best way to get ‘stopping power’.
October 11th, 2011 at 4:59 pm
I’ve often found that stopping power is directly related at your ability to point your weapon at someone. You point, they usually stop.