Handgun effective range for self defense/combat?

[Nachoman]

I have no idea why you're bringing up the 100 yard argument when all I'm saying is that a threat can be 25 yards and beyond...

Because that was the premise of my original and second post, both of which you responded to?

[mixicus]

OP,

In reference to a match like GSSF just look up some results and compare the 'subcompact' to 'civilian' or 'guardian' divisions at http://www.gssfonline.com.

At the 2011 Norco match the top 5 subcompact shooters would have been the top 5 in 'civilian'. The top 3 subcompact shooters would have been the top 3 in 'guardian'. The top 4 subcompact shooters would have been in the top 10 of 'competition'.

You can see it's the singer not the song that matters.

[dwightlooi]

Handguns, by definition, do not have a lot of stopping power. At least not compared to a most rifles firing a full power cartridge. But whatever stopping power they do have is not likely to diminish significantly over the distances most shooters can place a shot into the vitals of a human sized target. You are not going to get a useful amount of hydrostatic shock effect upon impact. Shot placement is everything.

To effectively take down an assailant you'll want to put a round or a few rounds into either the triangle formed between the cheek bones and the forehead, or a postcard sized rectangle in the middle of the chest. If you can do that, it really doesnt matter very much whether the round is a 380ACP or a 50 AE. Even a very good pistol shot will have trouble punching holes into targets that size at over 20~25 yards. Most casual shooters can't do it well at over 7~10 yards. And that is with stationary targets. Over that distance the velocity drop is negligible.

The effective range of a handgun of any practical center fire caliber from .32 ACP through .50AE is the range you can reliably and quickly put 2~3 rounds into a 5 x 7 inch rectangle.

[dwightlooi]

Handguns, by definition, do not have a lot of stopping power. At least not compared to a most rifles firing a full power cartridge. But whatever stopping power they do have is not likely to diminish significantly over the distances most shooters can place a shot into the vitals of a human sized target. You are not going to get a useful amount of hydrostatic shock effect upon impact. Shot placement is everything.

To effectively take down an assailant you'll want to put a round or a few rounds into either the triangle formed between the cheek bones and the forehead, or a postcard sized rectangle in the middle of the chest. If you can do that, it really doesnt matter very much whether the round is a 380ACP or a 50 AE. Even a very good pistol shot will have trouble punching holes into targets that size at over 20~25 yards. Most casual shooters can't do it well at over 7~10 yards. And that is with stationary targets. Over that distance the velocity drop is negligible.

The effective range of a handgun of any practical center fire caliber from .32 ACP through .50AE is the range you can reliably and quickly put 2~3 rounds into a 5 x 7 inch rectangle.