@H2O MAN,
My lever gun is a .308 Winchester Savage 99.
I have mulitiple revolvers.
My choice for personal defense is a .44 special stainless steel mirror
Taurus Model 445, loaded with hollowpointed slugs,
to put the brakes on within the target, for a full energy dump.
History has shown that the added bulk of a
.44
or .45 pays off in
stopping power, and that 's what its all about.