.223 and 9mm will perform
the .223 or 5.56 round will perform to 400 meters with excellent one shot, one kill results, Past that I prefer a .30cal round. As far as handguns go I would rather put a 15 round 9mm in my wifes hand that she can comfortably draw from concealment and get off two in to the kill zone in under 2.5 seconds than a .45 cal pistol that is too heavy and large for her hand to comfortably shoot. I dont have any problem with people who prefer the .45; I personally think the .40S&W is a great round and have a Glock in that caliber in every size. But dont claim a round will not stop a human target when well shot. It has been proven to perform well. The problem enters when stress takes over the shooters mindset and they dont remember concentrate on the front sight and get a good trigger pull. Dry practice is you best friend and imparts the muscle memory that allows you to shoot without thinking of it and hit what your aiming at.