Shots to the Central Nervous System (CNS) at the level of the cervical spine (neck) or above, are the only means to reliably cause immediate incapacitation. In this case, any of the calibers commonly used in law enforcement, regardless of expansion, would suffice for obvious reasons. Other than shots to the CNS, the most reliable means for affecting rapid incapacitation is by placing shots to large vital organs thus causing rapid blood loss. Simply stated, shot placement is the most critical component to achieving either method of incapacitation.

Cartridge and caliber discussions are even more annoying and useless than tactical pontifications. For both tactical and hunting environments, most claims of firearm/cartridge ineffectiveness is usually the operator’s fault. Lousy marksmen on the range experiencing their first stressful shooting experience at an enemy or at big game shoot even worse in the field and then place blame for their failure on perfectly…