[rickr96]

Great discussion on this thread and great points made all around.

I made my caliber choice during a similar exercise as described above. Shooting at steel targets I noticed shots from the 9's had to be nearly perfect shots for the steel to fall. The .40's knocked them down every time, and the .45 knocked them down hard.

I originally picked the .40 because I could better control the round, which allowed me to knock down targets faster. I controlled the recoil better, could get back on target quicker and knock down three steel targets in the same time it took me to punch down 2 with the .45.

I picked the biggest caliber I could effectively control in quick or rapid-fire practice. For me, that's the .40.

That being said, I am practicing more with the .45, and I’ve noticed my speed picking up... So, either I'm getting better/faster, or, the Kimber is making me a better shooter... Prolly a little of both.

My thinking is this: Pick the biggest caliber you can handle in multiple shot defensive situations and stick with it...