I've come to the conclusion, when shooting reactive targets, even .45 ball, is better than any 9mm hollow point for placing mass on target.
Keep in mind, I'm not talking about lethality, I'm talking about mass. We've gotten away from that discussion over the years, relying on data that may or may not reflect reality, based on a diverse set of scenarios and parameters.
What do you mean by "reactive targets", Dan? Bullet mass and momentum can make a difference when you're shooting heavy plates or bowling pins, but I would strongly disagree that they make a difference when shooting lighter reactive targets like plate racks or poppers.
As for "lethality", let's be clear: human beings are NOT "reactive targets". They are living, moving, fighting beings whose physiological and psychological and spiritual makeup combines to make something much more complex than the most complex mechanical or reactive range target system.
I take your "diverse set of scenarios and parameters" statement to mean that you think that the variables in street shootings are so many and so uncontrollable that it is impossible to draw any valid predictions from any sort of study. This is nonsense. The quantity of research on handgun ammunition performance done since the 1986 Miami FBI gunfight is staggering in its volume and scope, and it has resulted in phenomenal performance improvements in not just service caliber ammunition, but all ammunition.
The street shootings data accumulated over the past 25+ years by LE agencies and consortiums in America is pretty clear: there is no appreciable performance difference between 9mm and 45 ACP when using modern JHP ammunition that meets the FBI criteria established in 1987.
