These power differences don’t matter much in practice. A .40, 9 mm, .38 special, or smaller can stop and kill a person just fine. The ergonomics of a weapon and especially training are more important.
A person, yes. 9mm is absolutely adequate for defending yourself against people, and even .380 works pretty well. 99% of the time, the correct answer for self-defense is something like a Glock 19, and a lot of time at the range and dry firing.
For hunting mid-sized game (pronghorn through elk) or as a bear defense weapon if you hike in grizzly or kodiak country, bigger is generally better, as long as you can shoot it accurately.
These power differences don’t matter much in practice. A .40, 9 mm, .38 special, or smaller can stop and kill a person just fine. The ergonomics of a weapon and especially training are more important.
A person, yes. 9mm is absolutely adequate for defending yourself against people, and even .380 works pretty well. 99% of the time, the correct answer for self-defense is something like a Glock 19, and a lot of time at the range and dry firing.
For hunting mid-sized game (pronghorn through elk) or as a bear defense weapon if you hike in grizzly or kodiak country, bigger is generally better, as long as you can shoot it accurately.