More important than type and caliber is your
ability to handle the selected firearm.
A number of years ago at a gun range I
routinely assisted hunters sighting in their rifles prior to hunting
season. It was very common for a hunters with the biggest rifles to have a
horrible time getting them sighted in. It was hard to get them to
understand that they were flinching at the recoil of the 7mm Rem. Magnum and
they would do better with a "wimpy" .308.
The same goes for pistols. A hit with a .22
beats a miss with a .44 magnum.
My advice is to go to a gun range, and shoot
rented or borrowed firearms until proficient. Then purchase the largest
caliber that you can comfortably shoot and hit the target consistently.
With a bit of practice almost all people can easily handle a 9 mm. pistol or a
.38 special revolver. After a few years of practice, they then find that
they can move up to a heavier recoiling pistol or revolver.
The next big decision is a revolver or semi
automatic pistol. There is no one size fits all answer either for this
question.
Revolvers are more reliable if
neglected.
Pistols hold more shots, and are much quicker to
reload.
Revolvers can fire a more effective
round.
Pistols are flatter and easier to
conceal.
Some people like the romance of the "wild west"
and choose a revolver for that reason.
Some people find a pistol to be more manageable as
the movement of the slide spreads the recoil over a longer time
period.
Above all, these considerations is the requirement
for practice. If you purchase a pistol you like, in a caliber you can
handle, and go to the range and practice. If you need it, it will then
serve you well. Don't practice and it would be equivalent to attempting a
100 mile endurance ride after training on the Walmart
pony.
Ed
Ed & Wendy Hauser 2994 Mittower
Road Victor, MT 59875
