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About 10 or so years ago the FBI did a survey of the stopping power of various cartridges for police use.

They recommended .40 or .45 weapons.

They also said that:

• A hit in the thorax from a .40 high-speed round was 100% certain to incapacitate a perp instantly.

• A hit from a .40 or .45 sub-sonic round was 90% effective.

• A thorax hit from a 9mm was at most 80% effective.

I can tell you from first hand experience the following. I shot a guy in VN at about 75 yards with three rounds of 5.56 FMJ. He kept coming, F'er was going to get him a gringo that day, M16 empty I drew my 1911 with some "special" (very hot) ammo my Uncle had hand loaded for me. Hit him once in the upper chest and dropped him like he had been hit with a club. When the smoke cleared we checked the body; 5.56mm clean through and through the belly area. 45 completely blew up a lung and destroyed the shoulder. That shot was at about 60 feet.

Many years later I shot a perp in a store hold up with a 44 mag. That was not very pretty either but it stopped him. He had killed the clerk, a friend of mine for $25 and an arm load of smokes.

Now all that said I am a firm believer in shot placement with any shot. Of course you don't always get that option.