greatest handgun cartridge ever?

Answer 1

Most powerful (commercial): .500 S&W Magnum
Most popular (historically): .45ACP

Answer 2

My two favorite pistol cartridges are the .44 Smith & Wesson Special, and the .357 Magnum.

Neither are world champions in the power department, and they are not the world's biggest. But I consider them to be best in their separate classes.

The .357 Magnum is the best high-pressure medium bore cartridge around. According to statistics, the .357 Magnum has the best one-shot stop probability of any cartridge. And .357 Magnum handguns are the most versatile around. They can handle anything from 148 gr. Target Wadcutter .38 S&W SPL loads for paper-punching one up 180 grain Moose Stomper loads from Cor-Bon. Only the Single-Action Army revolver is more packable than a 4" K-frame or L-frame S&W revolver. And the .357 Magnum is the most that can be comfortably handled in small five-shot pocket pistols.
In addition to the great handguns chambered in .357 Magnum, it is a great cartridge for handy lever-action carbines. My Rossi M-92 SRC is my social rifle these days. In a rifle, the .357 Magnum cartridge can be handloaded to surpass the power of the .30-30 WCF. Check out Paco Kelly's articles on the .357 Magnum in rifles at www.leverguns.com.

I'd not want to be without a .357 Magnum in the house.

I also dearly love the .44 S&W SPL. I consider it to be the best of the large bore medium pressure cartridges.

Unlike the late great Elmer Keith, I don't feel the need to handload the .44 SPL to Magnum levels. Truly, more modern loads are needed for the old .44. Current standard ballistics are unchanged from the days of the .44 S&W American cartridge in the late 1860's. Ammo makers are still loading a 246 grain bullet at 750-800 fps. The only difference is that the case has been lengthened by 1/10" two different times, and modern ammo uses inside lubed bullets. I believe the time has long ago arrived that some ammo maker should introduce a .44 S&W SPL +P load. I believe that a 240-250 gr. SWC or SWC-HP loaded to the 900-1,000 fps level would greatly revitalize interest in this grand old cartridge.

Doc Hudson, NRA Life Member, and life-long gun crank

Answer 3

It depends on who you ask & what is is to be used for. Alot of people like the 45acp, which is a very good choice. It can be used for self defense or small game. Some would say the 22lr, which is also a good choice. It is accurate, cheap, fun to shoot. It can take small game. Low recoil. Just about anyone can shoot well with it. My personal favorite is the 357 magnum. It is powerful, accurate & is one of the best for self defense. It can also be downloaded or you can use 38slp for reduced power & recoil. I have all the above plus several 9mm, 380 & 40S&W. I carried a 357 for years as a police officer & would do so again. I also carried a 9mm.

Answer 4

Well your forgetting about the .41mag, it's in between the .357mag and the .41mag. Just think if both are good for bear hunting than which would you rather have a 6 shot .357mag or a 10mm with twice as many rounds and an extra clip or two. You have a nice little debate, however the only reason why I can see why people say the 10mm is the capacity.

Answer 5

Well the 500 is getting some support, so I have to throw in my 2 cents....

460 XVR.... Hands down the fastest cartridge with the longest usable range.

And it doesn't hurt as much as the 500!!(Bullets are cheaper too)

Answer 6

Well that kinda depends on how you are asking this question. The greastest has a few categories that you might consider. The greatest as in the most powerful, would be a toss between the .500S&W(also made in .500S&Wmagnum) and the .50AE(Action Express). Both cartridges are overwhelmingly powerful, literal hand-cannons rather than handguns. I would side with the .500S&W. It is a cartridge ment for a revolver and is significantly longer than the .50AE. The .50AE is primarily used in semiautomatic pistols, most famously the Desert Eagle. Also Both cartridges are the most expensive to purchase.

The greatest cartridge to be able to control, is the .22short and/or the more common .22LR. It's just a basic round that is excellent for beginner shooters and still delights the hearts of pro shooters that just want to do a little plinking.

The greatest cartridge to hunt with is also a tossup. There is the popular .44Magnum which manufactured to chamber and shoot in both revolvers and semi auto pistols. The other cartridge, not as popular or as common to find but still worth every cent, is the .45LC(long colt). Both are good for beat through the bush rather than going around it. Both rounds have great hitting power. I shoot both and cant really tell the difference. I own a .44Magnum Desert Eagle pistol and dad has a .45LC Ruger BlackHawk revolver.

The greatest cartridge for all around is debated between .45ACP(automatic colt pistol) and the 9mm. .45ACP has been around since before the dawn of WWI, 9mm I'm not sure. Both are good rounds. The US military went to the 9mm from the .45ACP for a few reasons. 1. It's cheaper. 2.higher capacity. 3.Military says it's easier for women to control. 4. It is an international round.

I would choose the .45ACP because, 1.It has more stopping power. 2.It is more accurate than the 9mm(at least for me). 3. .45ACP is made just as much as 9mm and is more common where I live than the 9mm. 4. There is more demand for .45ACP.

I'm not completely positive of this, but I think there is a larger variety of handguns in .45ACP, rather than 9mm. A few other rounds, don't know much on them, are the .40USP, .38special, and the .357Magnum.

Alot of this is also based on personal preference. Go out and find what you believe to be the best. Just like my Complete Preference would be a 12Guage shotgun, .30-06 rifle, my .44Mag Desert Eagle with my .45ACP as a backup. I like pump shotguns over semi autos, I perfer bolt action rifles over semi auto rifles, I perfer pistols over revolvers. I also like full sized/large frame pistols with no taste for small/compacts pistols. I have other options in my gun safes but this is my preference list.

Answer 7

Hmmm...22LR, 9mm Parabellum, 357 magnum, 44/40, 44 Special, 44 magnum, 45 Colt, 45 ACP? Despite my firm belief in "forty-somethings" I'd vote for the history of the 38 Special.

Answer 8

Anything in .45

From the peacemaker colt .45s to the immortal M1911 to todays plethora of handguns chambered for this round, this has been the gold standard to judge a round against. Other rounds may pack more of a punch, but this is the godfather of powerful pistol rounds.

Although, unless something has changed recently, Smith & Wesson's .500 is the most powerful factory chambered round. They designed it and the 5 round revolver to take back the claim of most powerful handgun in the world to an American company. Before that I believe it was commonly thought to be Taurus' Raging bull, which was a .454 round I believe. If I remember correctly from the article in American Rifleman when they talked about the S&W round, I think they said the Raging Bull wasn't the most powerful. On a related note, from that same article, I think they also said that at the time of Dirty Harry, his .44 mag wasn't the most powerful handgun in the world at that time, oddly enough.

Answer 9

Id say from what ive fired either a .45 ACP, a .38 Special, or a .22 LR (its just so cheap to shoot). However ive never fired a .50 , a .44 mag, or a .357 mag before because there so expensive to shoot, but if I needed to shoot someone I would use a .45.

Answer 10

I agree on the 45 ACP. It is old since its introduction in 1911. Used in pistols, sub machine guns and carbine rifles in many countries. And still alive and kicking.

Answer 11

if youre talking about the amount of power i would definitely say the .500 s&w its huge and can cleanly take just about every if not all big game in the world