Here at Guns and Shooting Online we have favorite handgun cartridges, just like anyone else. Naturally, being exposed to many firearms, we on the Guns and Shooting Online staff personally own quite a number and variety of handguns in a variety of calibers. But listed below are cartridges favored by multiple staff members for specific applications.

• Cartridge for instruction and target shooting: .22 Long Rifle



• Plinking: .22 Long Rifle, 9mm Luger (9x19), .38 Special, .45 Colt



• Small game (CXP1) hunting: .22 Long Rifle



• Varmint and small predator cartridge: .22 WMR



• Big game (CXP2) cartridges: .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum



• Cartridges for protection in the field: .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum



• Cartridge for deep concealment and mini guns: .22 WMR



• Cartridges for concealed carry: 9mm Luger (9x19), .38 Special



• Cartridges for home defense: .38 Special, .357 Magnum

There you have it, the list of Guns and Shooting Online recommended handgun cartridges. .22 LR, 9x19, and .357 Mag./.38 Special guns are owned by practically everyone on our staff. There are lots of other good calibers, of course, and this list would have been a lot longer had we listed all of our individual favorites. But it is interesting that there are no new or exotic cartridges on the list above. It is the tried and true cartridges to which the majority of us turn year after year.