What is the best caliber for self defense?

On May 19, 1953 in the wilderness of Alberta, Canada, a 63 year-old grandmother, in an act of self defense, shot a grizzly bear that was threatening her. This bear was so large it set a world record at the time.

Bella Twin, and her companion were hunting small game. Bella was an experienced hunter and trapper. She wasn’t on a guided hunt with a guide. She was just in the wrong place when the grizzly came along. The pair had no intentions to hunt a bear, much less a trophy grizzly bear.

This is not dramatically (OK, most street thugs won’t eat us) different than when we are out in public and are faced with a street thug intent on robbing us. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time can certainly put us in a situation where our only option is self-defense.

That leads me to probably the most opinionated, passionately argued, aspect of self defense, what caliber is the best to carry. I have heard that some have been told, “if you don’t carry a 9mm or larger don’t come to my class.” My first reaction to that was great I won’t be coming to your class. I carry a .45 so my choice of carry is not what garners that reaction, it’s the rigidity of that instructor’s thinking.

I have my students clear malfunctions to give them the knowledge to deal with malfunctions and ensure they can rack the slide of their selected caliber firearm. Realizing that even in the same caliber some pistols are easier to rack than others, I know it isn’t a perfect exercise. It is better than no exercise at all.

I have them try different calibers until they are comfortably able to do the tap, rack, and roll drill. My goal is for them to know how to clear a malfunction so they can deal with them if they get into a self defense situation and have a malfunction.

I have had students that can’t rack a gun larger than a .22 due to arthritis. Going back to that rigid instructor’s attitude, that student should not be armed.

What about that bear Bella Twin shot? Remember, she was hunting small game. She only had one gun with her. It was a single shot Cooey Ace rifle. That rifle was well used and had black tape holding the barrel to the cracked stock.

As stories and time progresses facts vary based upon the story teller. The rifle was chambered for .22 LR. Since there was no magazine a .22 long, or even a .22 short could be placed in the chamber. It has been reported that Bella had .22 long cartridges in her pocket the day the bear was killed. Some have said an experienced trapper wouldn’t have used the higher velocity rounds since a .22 short could have done the job. I would lend more weight to the rounds she was reported to have had in her pocket.

The big question yet to be answered is how did she kill a grizzly with a .22? She was a very experienced hunter and trapper. She knew the anatomy of game, to include a bear. It only took a single precisely placed shot to the side of the head to drop the bear in one shot. As any big game hunter knows, Bella certainly did, a dropped game animal may not be dead. It could be stunned and jump up at any moment. Bella put several more rounds in its head to make sure it wouldn’t get up.

I think Bella’s story clearly indicates a .22 cartridge is lethal, when the shot is properly placed. I firmly believe shot placement is more critical than caliber, at least in handguns. The need is to stop the attack. Stopping the attack requires, at a minimum, immobilization. When the center of mass shots are accurate the heart and lungs are affected disrupting the ability to get blood and oxygen to the brain. This will stop the ability for the threat to continue the attack, it just may not be as immediate as Bella got with the bear.

How do you choose the cartridge for you? There are several considerations.

You must be able to operate the firearm. I have a Springfield 1911 that I cannot carry. While I have no problem racking the slide or managing the recoil, I cannot eject the magazine without shifting my grip to get my stubby thumb on the release. This takes my firearm out of a firm grip and my eyes off the threat. If I have to do a mag change I have a problem. So I don’t carry that firearm.

The next consideration is managing recoil. If I cannot control the recoil and get back on target quickly, I only have one shot, it had better be a good one. I need to keep on target so I can deliver multiple rounds quickly.

I was at a range in Illinois doing some instruction. As my students were getting ready, we heard what seemed like a cannon go off at the opposite end of the range. I looked down and saw a man with a sizeable handgun (.454 Casull) sitting in a rest. He was massaging his right wrist. He shot several times while we were there. Each time it was boom, put the gun down, massage the wrist. That is not a carry gun, unless the psychological effect negated the need for multiple shots.

Then consider size and concealability. Your carry gun can be any size you choose. If you can conceal a full frame handgun and are comfortable with the weight, then carry it. Some also want only a double-stack magazine. This increases the available number of rounds and also adds weight and grip size. Most people opt for some level of downsizing to a compact or even a pocket pistol. Downsizing affects the barrel length. As the barrel length goes down, so does muzzle velocity.

The answer to what is the perfect concealed carry round can only be answered by you. What is perfect for me may be unacceptable for you. Remember that as the energy delivered drops accuracy becomes more critical. Choose a round and handgun that fits you. If you scoffed at the story of the man shooting a .454 Casull and can not only conceal but also manage the recoil then good for you, carry it. If you can’t rack the slide of a .380 and need to drop down to a .22, then make each shot deadly accurate.