Ammunition Selection

Self Defense Ammunition

Bullets and Bull

The purpose of this guide is to relay information which may assist the law abiding citizen in selecting the best ammunition for a defensive firearm. “Best” is a very subjective attribute, and any recommendations given should be viewed in the context of the gun owner’s personal knowledge and experience.

Empirical data regarding one shot stopping capability of a particular cartridge have contributed to the formulation of the following ammunition performance recommendations. This information is derived primarily from the real world shooting experiences of law enforcement agencies.

“One shot stop” refers to a cartridge’s ability to make an aggressor immediately cease their threatening behavior when shot once in the torso. Head, neck, and multiple shootings are not considered in the data. “One shot stop” does not necessarily infer that a mortal wound was inflicted. It merely means that the shooting created physical injury or psychological trauma sufficient to result in cessation of aggressive or violent behavior. Death may or may not have resulted.

In addition to “one shot stop” statistics, keep in mind that a bullet striking the torso of one’s adversary ideally must penetrate deeply enough to encounter and disrupt vital organs, arteries and blood vessels. Penetration, indeed, is paramount.

You will find that the penetration characteristics of various bullet calibers complement the “stopping” information obtained from actual shootings. Penetration data are largely developed from shots fired into a ballistic gelatin designed to approximate bodily tissue. Such data also serve as the basis for the recommendations which follow regarding ammunition for personal protection.

It cannot be overstated that proper shot placement under stress is the single most important skill brought to bear in a self defense situation. Proper shot placement involves shooting the attacker in the head, the cervical spine, or the torso.

A head or spinal neck shot will immediately incapacitate. The goal of a torso shot is to produce hemorrhage by rupturing the heart or any of the major blood vessels. This will result in relatively quick cessation of hostilities. Forced collapse from blood loss will take several seconds to occur, even when primary blood vessels such as the aorta or vena cava have been destroyed. When the blood supply is disrupted in this manner, the brain of one’s assailant is deprived of oxygen needed for conscious function.

Vital organs and cardiovascular structures reside deep within the human body. Hence, in addition to proper shot placement, one must possess a caliber of bullet capable of reaching them. Under favorable conditions, 6 to 8 inches of penetration will incapacitate an assailant. As a degree of insurance, the bullet should be capable of plowing through tissue into the attacker’s bodily core from any angle of engagement, considering that vitals may be obstructed by an arm, extremely heavy clothing, or large body mass.

For this reason, ten to twelve inches of penetration potential is regarded to be the acceptable minimum for a caliber chosen for self defense. Eighteen is the maximum, considering the danger to innocent bystanders represented by a stray bullet which exits the assailant’s body. “Over kill” is unnecessary. One gains little from enduring the blast , recoil, and potential loss of control necessary for accurate follow up shots that are associated with excessively large “hunting” calibers.

Under identical conditions of shot placement, a larger caliber bullet with a penetration of 10 to 12 inches will inflict more damage to an attacker’s vital organs and structures than will a smaller caliber bullet capable of the same penetration.

Keep in mind, however, that disabling hits from a small caliber firearm, inflicted with deliberate accuracy by the intended victim, will devastate an unskilled, erratic attacker possessing a more powerful weapon.

Be aware that people can move very quickly, covering in excess of twenty feet within one and one-half seconds. In any event, be sure to fire multiple shots at your attacker.

Tactics and marksmanship will save lives of potential victims and diffuse or terminate violent encounters. Using the “best” cartridge for one’s caliber of firearm merely gives the armed citizen a technological edge in any defensive situation.

When compared to rifles and shotguns, handguns are not the most potent form of self protection. In fact, the vast majority of people shot with handguns, in excess of 80 percent, survive. Hence, seek to incapacitate an attacker with a combination of skilled shot placement and proven ammunition.