New guy here, long time reader first time writer, so to speak. I have a respectful question for Doc, or anyone who else who might know the answer.
I've noticed in some of the threads about recommended service cartridges, that a reason given for the .40 S&W or .45acp is "if you are expecting to face larger animals" or something like that. I live in the Northwest, and one concern I have is being out in the woods and scaring an elk cow. To be clear here, I am NOT talking about hunting. I am talking about taking a walk/hike without a rifle or shotgun (which would be everyone's first choice for this situation, I know), and surprising the animal while carrying a service caliber handgun. For various health reasons that I won't bore anyone with, carrying a large bore revolver while hiking just isn't an option.
Having reviewed as many ballistics gel results as I can find, and reading (what feels like) every thread that's been posted here, on the 2 big AR-related sites, and on lightfighter, I cannot find an instance where either .40 or .45 seem to penetrate better than 9mm, but I see the recommendation that they would be batter against larger animals. I'm left puzzled, and I'm sure I'm just missing something that a more experienced person can tell me, so my question is:
What is it about .40 or .45 that is better against large animals than 9mm or 357Voodoo, and is there one of the standard ballistic tests that reflects this (steel, plywood, etc) so that I can look at it?
Thanks for any and all patience and help!
-Ken in Portland