How do you catch a cloud and pin it down? Back in the day, I might have selected the venerable .45, and indeed, such a choice would not be a bad idea. I know that Col. Cooper would have agreed with me on that point. The 230 grain pills have a way of solving problems, not to mention sufficiently handling things that go bump in night.
Recently saw an article that spoke of the Navy Seals ditching their Sig Sauer products in favor of the Glock 19. The little 9mm has quite a solid following these days, and for good reason. Recoil is minimal for most of us, ammo is fairly inexpensive, and you get +P loadings if you just have to have them! Price and availabilty are favorable.
So, of course it follows that we are going to enjoy many varied answers here due to the fact that there really isn't any exact answer. If I were going to live in a remote area, I might select the good old .357 magnum. This workhorse can accomplish most tasks that any of us would ask of it.
Grab your popcorn and enjoy the reading. All opinions welcome...btw...why do people never say "it's only a game" when they are ahead in points?