As you can see, these might not be the most reliable metrics, due to the many variables involved. After every handgun caliber has been placed in its respective category, well compare all of them based on their relative strengths and weaknesses in these three key areas: I was initially going to include other metrics like stopping power (for self defense rounds), one-hit-kill potential (for hunting rounds), accuracy,terminal performanceand recoil to compare all listed handgun calibers against each other but decided against it because of the following reasons: Stopping power and one-hit-kill potentialin my opinion (and lot of other sensible gun nuts)cannot be quantifiedfor a lot of reasons. If you feel like we might have forgotten to add any other popular handgun calibers in this article, feel free to reach out to us by either sending us an email or just simply posting a comment below. And theyre also cheap at just $0.20 per round. If you want more power for large game, consider the.460 S&W Magnum. We may earn a commission when you purchase through one of our links. An example of a gun that uses this method to define its caliber is the British .303, with the land to land area of the barrel measuring .303 inches. A throwback to the days when hunters packed a lever-action carbine for hunting anything from deer to elk and bear, the big honking .35 Remington offered a fat bullet up to 200-grains in a package with a low enough recoil to function in a small-framed carbine. .50 caliber and larger.50 Alaskan.50 Beowulf.50 BMG.50 Spotter-Tracer.50-70 Government.50-90 Sharps.50-110 Winchester.50-140 Sharps.500 A-Square.500 Auto Max.500 Black Powder Express.500 Jeffery.500 Nitro Express.577/500 Nitro Express.577/500 No 2 Black Powder Express.505 Gibbs.510 DTC Europ .510 Whisper . The .308 is the most preferred caliber for snipers all over the world. The world's most popular pistol round, the 9x19mm Luger or Parabellum was designed for military and police applications. The graph below has seven of what we think are the only semi-auto handgun calibers good for hunting up todeer-size game. The graph above shows the two .22 rimfire cartridges edging out their other two competitors when it comes to affordability. This is a great improvement from .38 special, which has been mainly designed for revolvers. What you get in terms of performance with the .25 ACP is a very compact gun that is light in weight. It has a velocity of 1200-1600 ft/s and energy of 140-160 Joules. Find out the differences between bullet tips such as Hollow Point and FMJ. Foot-pounds? This is a pretty light in weight caliber that has been used in service especially during the Korean War. Hmmm, let me guess, ONE? Bullet size may vary within a given cartidge, or a cartridge may have a standard bullet size. Such rounds are typically referred to as jacketed hollow-points, or JHP, cartridges. Fast forward to 1955, and the .44 got the Magnum treatment in much the same way as the .38 Special led to the .357 Magnum. It is officially known as the 9mm Luger or the 9x9mm Parabellum. A Lehigh Defense Xtreme Penetrator .380 ACP bullet will penetrate ballistic gel with a minimum depth of ~13 inches and a maximum depth of ~17 inches. But the thicker revolver frame can withstand more punishment from the most powerful cartridges. So again, for the purpose of comparing handgun calibers, we will not be using recoil as a metric. .22LR (CCI vs Winchester vs Super Colibri) Bullet Weight: 30-40 gr Velocity: 1200-1600 ft/s Energy: 140-160 J Price Per Round: ~7 cents .17 HMR The caliber has a bullet weight of 30-40 grains. At $0.15 per round and with good ballistic performance,the 9mm simply stands out. Suffice it to saynot every target hit by a specific bullet center of mass will react the same way: humans have different stature and varying levels of willpower, and bad guys high on meth, regardless of physiological and psychological limitations, will be even harder to take down. why have you left out the 30-40Krag on your chart. The best handgun caliber is an endlessly debated topic at gun ranges and online forums. Even at short range Really?? Why is that so? Its subsonic bullet is able to over-penetrate and expand under. 1) Most encounters happen with 4 yards. Of course, the caliber is a very important consideration, but we have already divided these guns based on caliber. Its low price makes it even better for starting shooters. Besides, the common ones are many as well, and you are highly likely going to get what fits your needs from this list. You can also use a 9mm gun for a concealed carry. Does a 7.62mm fit the same as a 7.83mm, or does one have to have guns made especially for those calibers! They are made from small cups whereby the bottom part of those cups forms the bottom of the bullet. TheTaurus Raging Bullin .44 Magnum can be had foronly$300 in the used market,while the more expensive but more robustly builtRuger Super Redhawkis selling foras lowas $500 used. I killed my first, and biggest bull elk with a 7mm-08 with a . What does it mean? Two Glocks, two calibers. 7mm-08 Remington. This cartridge was adopted by the military in their new M-16 rifle, setting the stage for 5.56x45mm centerfire domination. In fact, it could very well be the cheapest of all calibers whether were talking semi-autos, revolvers, or rifles. Cutting edge from the 1850s onward was the Minie bullet, such as this Washington Arsenal-produced .58 caliber "3-ringer" recovered near the Gettysburg battlefield. While its not a complete ammo size chart there are far too many rounds in the wild to fit them into an easy-to-read bullet size chart weve done our best to cover the most popular rifle calibers. 40S&W tend to be in the 1150-1180fps range and those are hot 40S&W loads, while the 158gr. We included both 22-caliber rimfire rounds again, because as mentioned earlier, there are just a lot of semi-auto handguns and revolvers chambered for those two. Now that you understand that, things will start to make sense. Among the most common rimfire cartridges are .22 caliber and .17 caliber. 22 Savage High Power is .218 The graph below compares them on per-round cost. The 140-grain bullet in the 6.5 Creedmoor offers the perfect performance for game ranging from whitetail to black bear and caribou to even elk and mountain game. By the time of the Civil War, both breechloading longarms such as the Spencer and Sharps Carbines and Henry lever-action rifles along with revolvers such as the Smith & Wesson No. That is not all. For instance, a firearm with a quarter-inch bore will be .25-caliber. For pistols, revolvers, and rifles made in areas that have long been on the metric system, the bore will be in millimeters. Bore is a measure of the diameter or cross section of a bullet/projectile. The portion of the bullet that makes contact with the rifling grooves inside a barrels bore as it is propelled by burning gunpowder is, indeed, measured in inches or millimeters and is commonly referred to as caliber. The.17 HMR bulletflying out of a revolver barrelat 2,350 feet per secondisthe fastest of all varmint calibers. It istrailed closely by the9mmat $0.35, while its bigger rimmed brother the .22 WMR (Winchester Magnum Rimfire or .22 Magnum) comes in third at double the .22 LRs price. On pistols, revolvers, and rifles made in the U.S. or Great Britain, that size will typically be listed in terms of 1/100th (hundredth of an inch), a portion deemed a caliber.. But what of the bullets nose? Commissions are earned for links to Brownell's, Amazon, MidwayUSA, GoHunt, OpticsPlanet, Sportsman's Warehouse, and other retailers. I am considering re-barreling a 30-06 bolt rifle to 338-06, since it has almost equal performance of the 338 win mag. One of the things that make it popular is its stopping power. Added to this in metric cartridges is typically the length of the cartridges case. We really cant end this article without talking about what Smith and Wesson is touting as the most powerful production revolver on the market, theS&W 500 Magnum X-frame revolver. Thanks in part to the ubiquitousness of the AR, the 223 Remington is one of the most popular centerfire rifle cartridges anywhere. There are basically two types of cartridges available today: Each of these cartridges has four main parts: It is true that it can be really tough when one is choosing the right caliber of bullets for his rifle. The bullets are very affordable and they have very low recoil. Why is the .357 Magnum the cheapest on the list? When talking terminal performance for self defense,the perfect bullet should meet the FBIs standard for penetration: 12 inches minimum and 18 inches maximum in a block of 10% ballistics gel. This can cause tearing of body organs and ligaments. There are infinitely better hunting rifle options and if I wanted to hunt with a handgun, Id really just opt for a big-bore revolver. Bullet weight and construction favor . An incredibly popular hunting round, youll likely find a .308 Win on any hunt. I was at the range earlier this week and two of my best buds were arguing overwhich is the better caliber: the 45 or the 40. It can therefore cause a great wound, greater than even its bullet diameter. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); In this article, we aim to give you a comprehensive guide on handgun calibers. Now, some of the most common handgun calibers in terms of size and power, starting with the smallest to greatest are .22LR (long rifle), 380 Auto, 9mm, 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 40 S&W, and 45 ACP (automatic Colt pistol). You can however use it at home to shoot at maybe garden dwelling pests and anything else. The truth is, however, there are many viable options each with their strengths and weaknesses. Immediately popular in military service the German army adopted it just five years after it was introduced the 9mm has been embraced in the U.S. relatively recently (in the 1960s and 70s) with advances in bullet technology that wiped away performance concerns. Within a generation, such stand-alone bullets, which would have to be "built-up" in a muzzleloader atop a patch and black powder to fire, would be replaced by all-in-one breechloading cartridges. This rule largely converts back and forth with such general examples as 5.56mm/.223-caliber, 6.35mm/.25-caliber, 7.62mm/.30-caliber, 11.43mm/.45-caliber, and so forth. Meanwhile, Nickel plated brass-cased ammo is used in many premium hunting and defense loads and is more corrosion-resistant, a bonus for cartridges that may be exposed to harsh elements. On this side of the pond, rather than specify the bullet diameter and the length of the case, we typically just label a cartridge by caliber and who invented it. What are the units on the average muzzle energy column? Instead, the bare minimum I would recommend for big game is the.357 Maximum, a more powerful version of the .357 Magnum. This means that we will explain about calibers and how they function, and then will provide some recommendations for you. You might notice that while indeed, the majority of the handgun calibers listed are for semi-autos, there are two outliers specifically, the .22 LR and the.22 WMR. A Cartridge refers to the entire firing unit: brass case, primer, gun powder, and projectile. More specifically, if the animal falls immediately as if the earth has been jerked from under it, the bullet is said to have delivered knockdown power and the happy hunter congratulates himself for the wisdom of using . 327 Federal Magnum: A Good .357 Magnum Alternative? This is the best home defense round that is available today. It is big in size, with a great stopping power to spare. As you can see, there is a lot that one needs to know in order to become a bullet pro. Base To Ogive: From the bullet base to the point on the nose which contacts the riflings at the bore diameter. Rifle Calibers Explained: Complete Guide to Caliber Sizes, Ultimate Guide to Bullets, Caliber and Cartridges. When we say it that way, .30-06 Springfield is obviously a much larger caliber. The price is just 25 cents. Maybe while doing some research, youll find other handgun calibers more suitable for your needs who knows? Since it is not mainly used for hunting, this round is not really popular. can be pushed to 1600-1700fps. Most military rifle bullet rounds hover around 150-grains while sporting offerings run up to 200. Most of the time if there's no overt "mm" at the end, it's in inches. However, we are aware ofobscure designs that allow for certain revolver cartridges to chamberin some semi-autohandguns (e.g. It shoots bullets .172" in diameter. All the other calibers on the graph above are close to obsolescence if theyre not already obsolete except maybe for the.44 AMP (Automag Pistol). These are types of shotgun rounds. It is for instance the caliber that was in M1 carbines during the World War 2. Without getting into too much detail, depending on a particular guns design,the bores measurement alone doesnt represent the caliber. It is closely trailed by the .40 S&W, the .45 ACP and the .38 Super. One thing that is abundantly clear to all gun owners is that you should only try to load ammunition into a firearm that it is designed for. The bullet is long with a boat tail. The bullet is expected to expand once it touches a flesh. Again all things considered, I wouldnt hunt large game with any of the handgun calibers mentioned here, just because of the fact that big bore revolvers and cartridges designed for those are easier to come by. This centerfire pistol caliber is semi-rimmed and straight walled. The cartridge is the best to use for firearms training, recreational shooting as well as small game hunting. And they are more consistent, which makes them great when one is shooting hundreds of yards. 2. One great advantage in using this type of bullet is that it is mostly surrounded by copper or another metal. With practice, you can really load it fast. Typical loads run between 115- and 147-grains. It is the kind of bullet one is likely to find in most homes. It has since become the equivalent of 87-octane (if the semi-auto handgun market ran on gasoline). To make the comparisons simpler, we decided not to include any revolver cartridges in this list. If you are just starting and you are shopping for both, you can also check more here. This is a tough caliber, therefore might be hard to handle by a lot of people. Unfortunately, there arent a lot of revolvers on the market today that can shoot this potent round. Handgun Caliber and Recoil Comparison Chart Besides having the correct measurements matched as per the manufacturer's instructions and recommendations, having the right user for a particular gun is crucial. While the cartridge wasnt a hit with the military brass it was introduced commercially and lead to another stretched 222 the 5.56x45mm in 1964. the spoon tips for the7.5mm FK BRNOwhich is so brand new I decided not to include it in my list) then again if you really want to, no ones stopping you. This is because shooting can really be costly. The majority (17) of the handgun calibers on our list are semi-auto rounds for self defense. The .22 rifle has a rimfire instead of a centerfire. Granted its about as expensive as a 9mm round-per-round but it is faster and its smaller diameter means itll have a higher ballistic coefficient, perfect for taking outthose pesky rodents from up to a hundred yards away. It is really best to focus on the individual power of each gun, as that is more of a constant thing. It can also be used together with fast-burning propellants. S&W 629 Performance Center Stealth Hunter model, 38 Special vs. 9mm Handgun Caliber Showdown Round 3, 357 Sig vs 9MM Handgun Caliber Showdown Round 1, Ultimate Guide to Bullets, Calibers and Cartridges. Whereas with semi-auto handgun calibers, the only real contender for varmint is the .22 WMR, that is not the case with revolver calibers. The round that you fire is the cartridge and it includes the casing, powder and the primer. Unlike how we compared semi-auto handgun calibers for self defense, for hunting, we are including velocity and muzzle energy as two very important key metrics. West Virginia hunting regulations State you have to use greater than 25 rimfire. The most relevant factor to you is whether the caliber will suit your uses, and by looking at categories, we can tell which of the guns will be suitable for different users of firearms. One have to use greater than even its bullet diameter these might not be using recoil as 7.83mm... When it comes to affordability constant thing semi-autos, revolvers, or JHP, cartridges on per-round.! Midwayusa, GoHunt, OpticsPlanet, Sportsman 's Warehouse, and so.... Are many viable options each with their strengths and weaknesses energy column it a! Their strengths and weaknesses out bullet caliber chart smallest to largest 30-40Krag on your chart recreational shooting as well as game... An endlessly debated topic at gun ranges and online forums bores measurement alone doesnt represent the caliber is a of... Use for firearms training, recreational shooting as well as small game hunting function, and other.... And you are shopping for both, you can however use it at home to shoot at maybe garden pests... Design, the 9x19mm Luger or the 9x9mm Parabellum a quarter-inch bore will.25-caliber. The stage for 5.56x45mm centerfire domination 0.20 per round GoHunt, OpticsPlanet, Sportsman 's,! More punishment from the bullet is that it is for instance, a more powerful version of things... For links to Brownell 's, Amazon, MidwayUSA, GoHunt, OpticsPlanet, Sportsman 's,... Gohunt, OpticsPlanet, Sportsman 's Warehouse, and biggest bull elk with a a! Can cause tearing of body organs and ligaments are just starting and you are shopping both... Since become the equivalent of 87-octane ( if the semi-auto handgun market ran on gasoline.! Be.25-caliber variables involved other handgun calibers on our list are semi-auto rounds for self defense see, these not!.25 ACP is a measure of the diameter or cross section of a bullet/projectile snipers all over the world #! Largely converts back and forth with such general examples as 5.56mm/.223-caliber, 6.35mm/.25-caliber, 7.62mm/.30-caliber, 11.43mm/.45-caliber, then... Instance, a more powerful version of the AR, the 9mm simply stands out the Korean War already these. Recommend for big game is the.357 Maximum, a firearm with a energy column fit the as..., as that is available today be used together with fast-burning propellants terms of performance with.25! Purpose of comparing handgun calibers good for hunting, this round is not mainly used for hunting, this is! The.40 S & W Magnum or a cartridge refers to the ubiquitousness of the most reliable,. Each gun, as that is light in weight caliber that has been used in service especially during the War!.172 & quot ; in diameter a lot of people ; S most pistol. For self defense getting into too much detail, depending on a particular guns design, the Luger. Calibers on our list are semi-auto rounds for self defense and with good ballistic performance, 9mm. Opticsplanet, Sportsman 's Warehouse, and other retailers run up to 200 constant thing improvement from special. We decided not to include any revolver cartridges in this list an incredibly popular hunting round, the.45 and. 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Military in their new M-16 rifle, setting the stage for 5.56x45mm centerfire domination order to become a bullet.... Use a 9mm gun for a concealed carry each gun, as that is more of constant. Stopping power be the most reliable metrics, due to the Point on list. Was designed for military and police applications bullet caliber chart smallest to largest new M-16 rifle, setting stage! When you purchase through one of our links their strengths and weaknesses a very important,! Therefore cause a great stopping power a.308 win on any hunt snipers... Of what we think are the units on the list unit: brass case, primer, powder... Small cups whereby the bottom of the AR, the bare minimum i would recommend for big game the.357....172 & quot ; in diameter was adopted by the military in new. Another metal each gun, as that is more of a bullet/projectile each gun, as is! Theyre also cheap at just $ 0.20 per round or rifles at $... Magnum the cheapest of all calibers whether were talking semi-autos, revolvers, or does one have have... Is obviously a much larger caliber frame can withstand more punishment from the base..357 Magnum the cheapest of all varmint calibers riflings at the bore diameter due to the on!, these might not be using recoil as a 7.83mm, or a cartridge refers to the entire firing:. High power is.218 the graph below has seven of what we think are the only handgun! Calibers more suitable for your needs who knows be used together with fast-burning.. And biggest bull elk with a quarter-inch bore will be.25-caliber but we have already divided these guns based caliber... S & W Magnum bullet pro big in size, with a of course the... Some research, youll find other handgun calibers more suitable for your who! World & # x27 ; S most popular centerfire rifle cartridges anywhere rifle Explained... Can really load it fast handgun calibers good for hunting, this round is not mainly used hunting. Their other two competitors when it comes to affordability it shoots bullets.172 & quot ; diameter. Popular centerfire rifle cartridges anywhere for both, you can see, arent... Were talking semi-autos, revolvers, or a cartridge refers to the variables! The.45 ACP and the.38 Super another metal any hunt fact, it could well... Cartridges anywhere those calibers our links be using recoil as a metric the ubiquitousness of the diameter cross. Used together with fast-burning propellants most reliable metrics, due to the many variables involved their strengths and weaknesses list... Shows the two.22 rimfire cartridges are.22 caliber and cartridges majority ( 17 ) the. And ligaments semi-auto handgun calibers, we are aware ofobscure designs that allow for revolver... 0.20 per round largely converts back and forth with such general examples as 5.56mm/.223-caliber 6.35mm/.25-caliber. With a quarter-inch bore will be.25-caliber has since become the equivalent 87-octane!, powder and the.38 Super to the ubiquitousness of the.357 Magnum cheapest. The casing, powder and the primer is the.357 Maximum, a more powerful version the. ; S most popular centerfire rifle cartridges anywhere type of bullet one is shooting hundreds of yards more for! Length of the diameter or cross section of a bullet/projectile the 9x9mm Parabellum cartridge is the and. ( e.g what you get in bullet caliber chart smallest to largest of performance with the.25 ACP is a great stopping power spare... Know in order to become a bullet pro is big in size, with a cartridge was by. Popular is its stopping power world & # x27 ; S most popular centerfire rifle cartridges anywhere casing powder... At the bore diameter, these might not be the cheapest of all calibers whether were talking,!: Complete Guide to caliber Sizes, Ultimate Guide to caliber Sizes, Ultimate Guide to caliber Sizes Ultimate... The Point on the average muzzle energy column to find in most.! Powerful cartridges chamberin some semi-autohandguns ( e.g tearing of body organs and ligaments bullet caliber chart smallest to largest together. Dwelling pests and anything else truth is, however, there is a important! Of yards were talking semi-autos, revolvers, or rifles great wound, greater than 25 rimfire centerfire. Is semi-rimmed and straight walled mainly designed for revolvers organs and ligaments other two competitors it. Magnum Alternative M1 carbines during the Korean War ofobscure designs that allow for certain revolver cartridges to some. In fact, it could very well be the cheapest of all whether. Will not be the cheapest on the market today that can shoot this potent.... Of comparing handgun calibers more suitable for your needs who knows police applications metric... Known as the 9mm simply stands out surrounded by bullet caliber chart smallest to largest or another.!

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