No, it can not be said for ANYTHING short of maybe an antitank rocket. Charles Beckwith, the first CO of Delta Force took a round from a .51 caliber MG in Viet Nam. That's the Soviet equivelent of the M-2 heavy machine gun, full on 12.7mm, half an inch, over an ounce, and still supersonic, through the torso. Entered low, exited high. He died of a heart attack in the late 90s. It's a matter of WILL that keeps you going, not a matter of how big a hole you are leaking from. Most people have a lack of will, so when they see a hole through them and the red sauce dripping out, and they give up. They feel the pain, they know what it means, they are afraid, and they give up.

It does NOT matter what you are using- someone hit, unless in a location that removes all nervous system control instantly, will keep coming if they have sufficent determination, anger or insanity. A sufficency of will can keep people going long after "everyone knows" they should be dead. There is no magic bullet that instantly turns off an attacker with a torso hit. People have been shot with glasers and still be able to stab thier victems. People have been shot through the HEART and survived to make it to the operating room.

The only way to be sure is a head shot. An yes, there have been people who's skulls stopped a 9mm. There are people who's skulls have stoped .308 at ranges of less than 50m. But, the effects of the kinetic energy bouncing thier brains back and forth inside the skull will shut down a large part of thier nervous system, including the limbs. Might not kill them, but the off switch is thrown. .45 will do that. So will 9mm. So will a .38 snub. A .357 does it very reliably. .32 and .380 will usually do it, to.

Use good bullets, and put them where they need to go. THAT is the only way to overcome a sufficency of will.

As for the necco wafer, hold one over your sinus some time. Think the implications through. Yeah, you're moving more than the necco wafer, but I'm pretty sure the bullet is faster than you. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I might not be able to call the eye anymore, but I have no doubt that I have ability and will to put everything I send down range into the off box.

And if you can do it with a .45. congrats. But when you are talking about serious defensive cartridges, it doesn't really matter, so long as they hit the right spot. I won't tell anyone they shouldn't carry thier rabbits foot, either. Put an entire rabbit on your keychain, I really don't care. :P