Reader question, asked March 2025
Short answer: 9mm. Cheap to shoot, easy to control, more rounds per magazine, and modern hollow points perform well.
The details
- Today’s 9mm defensive loads perform close to bigger calibers in standard gel testing.
- Practice ammo is usually the cheapest centerfire pistol ammo you can buy, so you’ll shoot more and get better.
- Honorable mentions: .45 ACP in a 1911 just for fun, and .22 LR because it’s the best training round there is.
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