Me choosing 9mm is new. Follow up shots are faster and nowadays with all copper rounds there is some punishing self defense ammo that can be had.
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For concealability reasons, 9mm.
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Good for you, I’m a Tarleton grad. That’s where you go if you got accepted to UT but couldn’t get into A&M. 
If my wife had any idea what I’ve invested in reloading gear over the years her eyeballs would probably start spinning like a slot machine.
Instead of going cheap though since everything I’ve done is on a budget I buy one piece of quality equipment at a time.
Right now I have different presses setup for each of my handgun calibers and turret presses set up each for short action, long action/magnum, and another for my big boomers the Rum’s and .375’s.
I haven’t been afraid either to buy quality used reloading gear either.
For high volume loading particularly for pistol and tactical rifle it’s awfully hard to beat the higher end Dillon’s like the 550 and 650. I run two 650’s and two 550’s.
If you get into precision rifle/LR Rifle look at Redding equipment, pay the price and don’t look back.
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9mm. Stopping power at affordable price
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9mm and .45ACP
I carry .45ACP and train with it, but do most of my training on 9mm… because it’s cheaper. I can build skills with the 9mm less expensively and then transfer them to the .45 pretty rapidly. MUCH more efficient and better use of my dollar.
Why carry the .45 and not just the 9mm? bigger holes.
BTW, my hubby has pretty much all the Dillon presses, and when he was competing he was reloading 2500 rounds or more a week, for years. The things are not only excellent, they are durable. They will pay for themselves pretty quickly too.
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They certainly will if you are shooting in high volume. For average shooters it would take a few decades, HA!
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That was an excellent article.
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9mm
It’s what I own.
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9mm, more options for ammo.
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9 or 380 for carry. It’s all about shot placement.
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My favorite, .357 Sig, was not listed, but in all honesty I rarely shoot it due to cost and therefore do not carry it or use as a nightstand gun. I went all in on 9mm about a decade ago.
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What he said. 9 is cheap to shoot so is easy to practice with. I also load 9. I prefer a .45 for HD and that’s what is used there. My favorite handgun and cartridge combo is a 4 5/8” barreled Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 Mag. With mild handloads (hot .44 special equivalent)it is deadly accurate…just a tad heavy and slow for CC.
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Tough one for me because I have a 9mm and a .380.
I used to have a .45 but I traded that in for a 9mm of the same brand. As much as I loved the 45 ACP I traded it in because of the cost but at the same time I do thoroughly enjoy the 9mm
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9mm is certainly about the cheapest of any centerfire to shoot if you don’t roll your own.
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I’ve read a few cases where the psychological effect of the muzzle flash from a larger caliber caused the fight to end. I, on the other hand, usually carry a 9. I’ve shared my theory of “smaller” calibers with “It’s better to shoot a .380 good, than a (insert caliber here) bad.”
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9mm offers higher magazine capacities, less recoil, lower cost ammo to train more often. I am faster in shot strings fired and more accurate when shooting my 9mm.
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When you shoot the Lords caliber, you don’t need 15 rounds. 
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You are so right! 
I also voted for the .38/.357 most because of its versatility. Also I love the wheel guns simplicity… squeeze-bang-squeeze-bang. As for the bad guy there is something to be said for how imposing a wheel gun is (even in 38 stub) over a compact or sub-compact pistol.
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