The magic ---> I remember back in the day that several came up with the #1 man stopper load of all time. Hatcher and several others concluded that the .357Mag shooting a 125gr @ 1450 was .....uhhh...."the best". There was tons of info(right or wrong)floating around to "prove" this chambering(not caliber)or that chambering was the Holy Grail of the SD loads.
Me....I carried a 45ACP at the time and didn't give it a second thought. To me it was all in the training. Jeff Cooper spoke of the "spray and pray" mentality. To a degree I believe that he was correct. A well aimed shot is far better than simply aiming in the direction and letting loose a volley. Take a look at the shootings that involve LEO's in recent years. Three LEO's fire a total of 22 shots and the perp is hit once in the leg. Look at the vids on the internet. LEO's shooting at a perp or perps at a distance of <20feet and they fail to put a single shot on target. This,after slinging 10-20 shots at the BG.
IMO part of the problem also is trainability. Good example is the FBI not going with the 10mm and the invent of the 40S&W(Short and Weak). There are several different chamberings that are above and beyond the 9mm. BUT......if you put two quick hits COM in a perp with a 9mm and one with a 45ACP,which will end the fight faster and possibly save your life ?? Same with my choice of a carry chambering,the 357Sig.
We all have our preferences. We all train to a different level. Some of us know how we would react during a shooting,some do not(no matter the training). Hopefully we all make the right decisions to save our lives and the life of our families.
"Let's all stay safe out there". --- pruhdlr