It really comes down to what you, or your friends can shoot well. As Mackay stated they are not hard to kill, or at least make them go away. A good hit with a 22LR is better than a miss with a 44 Mag. Bigger pistols are heavier, and for the most part in a magnum harder to master. A 38 special is what I have found to be a good starter pistol to learn the basics and still have enough oohmph to get the job done. Practice, practice, practice. That is the key. A 357 will also handle the 38 special. 44 Mag can use the 44 special. A shotgun gives one quite a bit of latitude to make a "hit". A pistol is not very forgiving.
