How far will the .32, .380, and 9mm go after hitting a target?

[okiemom]

I have been thinking about how to protect what's behind a target (aka BG) . In some of the real cases of people needing to shoot w/ different large calibers there were potential for bullets hitting innocent people. How far will each travel after hitting body mass?

I know a lot of people like larger sized bullets for stopping power but, will it travel too far to others? A BG tries to break in but there are houses close by, how so you keep the bullets from hitting someone in the next house? Have to shoot in a parking lot how to keep from shooting other drivers nearby? Is there a bullet that won't go for miles after hitting a BG? :bye: I hope I have asked this correctly. Thanks for ideas.

[J.P.]

It depends on a lot of things...
size,placement,clothing,etc.
Some will pass through and continue,while others will not exit the body but you can't count on either.
The best policy,IMO,is to choose a proven round and learn to make clean hits.

[olyeller]

Okie mom, I think youre jumping ahead a bit;
the real way to prevent unwanted bullets flying is to hit your target; that said, which ever of those projectiles you can shoot the most accurately, is the one of choice. Most bullets, when hitting hard, or semi hard targets will slow down significantly. but if you just shoot any of those calibers you listed, into a crowd, they be deadly. All of them could potentially travel hundreds, if not over a thousand yards in distance.
When you are dealing with home defense and have sleeping family on the other sides of walls, thats when a shotgun with biggish (6shot and bigger)birdshot is a viable option. Its even been shown that an AR15 shooting non-hollowpoint ammunition doesnt go much past one interior wall. That why law enforcement entry teams sometime use AR's.

"The best policy,IMO,is to choose a proven round and learn to make clean hits."

exactly, JP.

the "proven round" of anyone of those three bullet sizes is going to be a big, deep personal defense round from ferderal, or speer, or winchester. Very quick expansion, in a bad guy, or, if you miss, a wall.