Originally Posted by
ammodotcom
Totally agreed it's apples to oranges. Honestly, I don't think nearly as many people would think twice about using the 44 Mag for self-defense if the producers of Dirty Harry didn't want a huge revolver on their movie poster. I believe a man should use whatever tool he needs to get the job done, but I do wish more new shooters would take recoil and over-penetration into account when they pick out a nightstand gun.
You're right about selecting recoil over penetration. However your thread is entitled "when muzzle energy matters", the 45 ACP is weak at best. In the case of a charging bear or hog I would much prefer one shot from a .44 mag. or even a 357 stoutly loaded with a hard cast bullet over the 45 ACP.. In this case recoil doesn't play a role as you're likely to get only one shot (if any) at your target. Against a human that's different. You don't need as much penetration.