Any discussion of "best" pistol must start with the first priority of winning a firefight.
Hunting, plinking, "survival", fun, etc., are all valid needs / wants ...
after you satisfy priority #1.
What is best for hunting, or plinking, or "survival", or fun, etc., are all going to be different.
No one pistol is best for all of those.
Accordingly, I will address the topic of "best" pistol with the first priority of winning a firefight.
I have owned just about every toy out there, including a G20 and a Delta Elite.
I liked the G20 and I loved the Delta Elite.
With the increased violence, lethality, and intensity of the current typical threat;
and the great modern pistols available today;
the higher capacity, lighter weight, smaller size, and state of the art [engineering, technology, and design] make the 357SIG pistols my first choice.
Frankly, there are a lot of really great pistols available today, and the modern ammo is light years ahead of what we had when I was a young pistolero.
I would not dismiss good modern pistols in 9mm, 40cal, or even 45acp.
The most important thing is to thoroughly understand the design pros and cons of the SAOs, DA assisted SAOs [strikers], DA/SAs, and DAOs.
Settle on the platform you have the most faith in and then practice and train constantly and continuously.
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^ Semper Preparatus:
^ Training + Practice =======>>> Safety ... for all.
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