Your Favorite SD Cartridges

Howdy folks. For those of you who carry a 9mm, what type of cartridges (I don't reload so that's out) do you think would be the best for self defense in the home? What about outside of the home?

Now: Same question but what about with .357 magnum?

I fall into the camp of any quality defensive hollowpoint will get the job done if you can hit what you are aiming at.

I prefer 124 grain 9x19mm ammo and anything from 125 grain to 158 grain in .357.

As a rule of thumb I tend to load my HD .357s with 125-135 .38+P due to the reduced muzzle flip and noise factor. As for brands I like Gold Dots, Hornady TAP, Federal Premium, Remington Golden Sabres and strangly enough some of those cheap bulk packs of HP ammo really are not half bad.

All that being said, I am no high speed low drag operator who kills folks in Reno to watch them die. I am just a normal schmuck who shoots a bit and relies more on solid hits then what I am hitting them with.

As an aside do realize what kind of stopping power a good iron skillet has swung with some force behind it. We are talking FOOT POUNDS :neener:

When I carry a 9MM, I stoke my CZ75B or Browning HP with Winchester Ranger SXT 127gr +P+

+1 on Rangers all around. Their SXT's expand and penetrate (not to mention the talon thingys) and the bonded versions expand a bit less (but still good) and really penetrate. Speer's Gold Dots are a close second.

In .357, I like the Rangers as well, but nobody loads that round better overall across all purposes as Buffalo Bore.

99% of the time I have the Ranger RA9T. If I happen to have a lot of the Federal Tactical or other Ranger loads in stock I use them also.

My home defense pistol(Glock 17) in loaded with 124gr Golden Saber +P with a spare mag of 147 gr Golden Saber in case I need more penetration for some reason. I also trust Hornady TAP and Federal Tactical. I am about to try out some of Double-Tap's loads, as their numbers seem to be very good. I tend to try to stick with mid-range bullet wieghts(124gr) for the most part.

I also say that any quality JHP 9m/m will do the job, provided that you
can [and will] do your part~! :uhoh: :)

With that said, I carry those infamous Winchester "Black Talons" in my West
German SIG-SAUER P228; and my Kahr CW-9~! ;) :D

The ones I have with me.

124 gr +p Golden Sabre in my M&P9 and USPc9
124 gr Gold Dot in my PM9

My better half has Gold Dot Short Barrel +p 38 in her 442

As an aside do realize what kind of stopping power a good iron skillet has swung with some force behind it. We are talking FOOT POUNDS

10-1/4" Seasoned Skillet swung at a good clip (35mph) can deliver over 300 Ft Lbs! 30% better than her +P 38 special!

9mm......124gr +p golden sabers.

357......135gr 38+p gold dots.


iprefer 38+p over magnums cause i can get quicker follow up shots with them and i dont ruin (as much) my night vision with the +p's.

shot placement is the key to SD.

Corbon DPX for both calibers. The Barnes XPB they use is an absolute monster.

For 9mm I prefer a 124 grain +p HP, either Hornady XTP or Golden Saber, every bullet even the premium ones are different and perform differently and are not necessarily interchangeable. Some brands of hollow point expand faster and don't penetrate as deeply, handgun bullets stop by penetration so over expansion can be a problem.

When I carry a 9MM, I stoke my CZ75B or Browning HP with Winchester Ranger SXT 127gr +P+

That is a great round. I have personally chrono'd it at 1250-1275 fps out of a Glock 19... that is getting dangerously close to 357 magnum performance out of a short barreled revolver.

In the nightstand: Remington 124gr Golden Sabers
On the hip: Hornady 124gr TAP FPD

Neither are +P.

Corbon DPX in every weapon I own...'cept the M1 Garand and my 590 Shot Gun. Hmmm, wonder why Corbon does not make Shotty shells?

Don't own any 9mm so I can't help there.

For .357 Magnum my absolute favorite is a variation on the 110gr "treasury" loads. The Winchester white box version is okay but Georgia Arms carries a 110gr round that I absolutely LOVE! It's a hot round with a lot of punch but decent on the recoil and blast out of a 4" revolver. One of absolute best SD rounds I know of is the 125gr Federal JHP (I believe Federal still lists this as C357B) but it's noisy and has some kick though so if you aren't a "magnum man" it can take some getting used to. I've also heard that Remington makes a jacketed HP in 125gr that is supposed to be nearly equal to the Federal round (catalog is R357M1).

Now for my .357 Magnum levergun I've found I really like American Eagle (Federal) 158gr JSP when I can find it but that's more of a hunting and target round as it would most likely blow completely through your target.

Favorite?:scrutiny: Well, I don't have enough experience in self-defense to say I have a favorite.:uhoh:

However, I do use Black Hills ammo for all my carry pistols.

I use 124gr Speer Gold Dots. They work well on milkjugs, and seem to have a good reputation at stopping bad guys. Good enough for me.

9mm Federal Hydra Shock 124 grain
.357 Federal Hydra Shock 130 grain

I also shoot:
CCI Blazer Brass 9mm 115 grain
CCI Blazer Brass 9mm 124 grain
CCI Blazer .357 Magnum 158 grain
Remington .357 Magnum 125 grain

9mm 124gr +P Golden sabers for carry (if I'm carrying a 9mm).
For home defense I wouldn't use a 9mm unless I couldn't get to another gun in time.
Any major manufacturer HP will work fine. I doubt whether you have a Hydra-Shock or a Gold Dot will make the difference between prevailing and perishing. Just make sure it functions reliably in your gun.
I'd like to carry CorBon DPX due to the tests I've seen but don't have an extra $250 for the 250rd reliability testing.

All rounds given are hollow points

9mm--------->Winchester Rangers 147gr.___RA9T
45 ACP------->Winchester Rangers 230 gr. +P___RA45TP
.357--------->Winchester 180 gr. Partition Gold

As a second choice:
Speer Gold Dots. Heaviest bullet available for the given caliber.

Most of the time, I go w/ Hydra Shoks & for special occassions, I carry Black Talons :D

+1 on hydra-shoks. Tom Clancy said once that hydra-shoks had a hollowpoint so big you could mix a drink in them. (course, he was talking about the .45's) Kinda always stuck with me.

Justin

I'm a big fan of Speer Gold Dot 124 grain +P. I haven't experimented with other defense loads, but they feed/shoot flawlessly for me. Supposedly they were used by NYPD, so they do have a track record. I'm sure there are better rounds, but if it goes bang and expands every time I pull that trigger I'm happy.

I use the Federal 115 grain +P+ HP. Zippy round and I everything I've researched gives it high marks.

Free.

9mm I like 124 gr, last free ones were Federals, time before that Gold Dots, Black Hills before that...
Then again I have no problem with Hardball...

.357: 158 gr LSWC,or LSWC-HP full house, I don't care if it has hole in the end or not.
Using a .38spl "FBI load" is fine too...

My deal is, in a semi, feed , extract, including magazines, then POA/POI
So I shoot 200 or more of various loads, and just pick one from what works.

Revolvers, again feed, extract and most were set up for a certain grain weight, like 158 for .38spl and .357.

I like simple...I ain't got a problem with 158 gr LRN out of a .38spl either...

Shot placement is dependent on feed/extract/POA/POI.
Quick follow up hits are too...

For home defense in those calibers I chose and 'use':
.357 Federal 125 grain JHP
9mm +P+ Federal 115 grain JHP

Both have a good history, and I was able to get a good price on them. In my home defense, overpenetration is a concern.

However, if I'm on the road or hiking/camping I use:
.357 140 grain Barnes XPB
9mm +P 124 grain Gold Dot

These are much better at staying together and penetrating through barriers likely to be faced, such as auto glass. The better penetration and non-fragmentation would also be good if I had to use it on cougar/black bear.

I have the 115gr +P by Black hills that uses
the Gold dot bullet in my 3914 ladysmith.

I carry the Fed 115gr JHP (9BP) in my little
Kel tec P-11,I tried the Black hills but they
were a little too hot for me in the P-11.

My 2 3" 357 mags get the Winchester 145gr
silvertip JHP when i carry one of them.

My home defense pistol is a 3" S&W 10-7
that i have loaded with Federal 158gr LSW-
HP's plus my mossberg 500A with 00 buck.

9mm
gold dot 124 JHP (regular or +P)
Winchester 147 SXT

.357
38 special+p LHP 158 grain
Winchester 180 Partition (esp. in bear country or as a car gun)
Gold dot 170 JSP (hiking in bear country/ deer load)

Federal Hydra Shok 124 grain for my 9MM... Ball ammo in my .380 and .32

Federal HST in the 124gr+P flavor. :)

230gr Ranger-T in my .45, usually the +Ps.

FMJs in the .380.

Cor-Bon 9mm 115gr JHP +P.

http://www.commongroundcommonsense.org/forums/uploads/1168567538/gallery_260_23_29637.jpg

+1 on the Corbon DPX 9mm +P, it's my every day carry load. S&W 637 BUG also uses Corbon DPX but in .38spl +P. My HD pistol is full of Hornady TAP in .40S&W - good stuff with low flash.

I'm a 'ho, I buy what's on sale. I've never been in a gunfight. never drawn in anger; in the few fearful situations, it was simply good to have a gun.

That said, for PD in 9mm, I have a bunch of Federal, HS, Gold Dot, SilverTip, Remington GS, in 115, 124, 135, & 147, P & +P. I chose loads for gun & barrel length based on conventional wisdom, but basically, I'm a candy-assed suburbanite in a low threat environment. What ever I carry is sufficcient for the situation in my world. Shoot placement, etc X 3, eh?

I'm a 'ho, I buy what's on sale. I've never been in a gunfight. never drawn in anger; in the few fearful situations, it was simply good to have a gun.

That said, for PD in 9mm, I have a bunch of Federal, HS, Gold Dot, SilverTip, Remington GS, in 115, 124, 135, & 147, P & +P. I chose loads for gun & barrel length based on conventional wisdom, but basically, I'm a candy-assed suburbanite in a low threat environment. What ever I carry is sufficcient for the situation in my world, or soI pray. Shoot placement, etc X 3, eh?

Currently my G17 is loaded with 18rds. of DoubleTap Gold Dot.

There are quite a few excellent loads out there for 9x19mm.Such as Winchester Ranger, Speer Gold Dot, Remington Golden Saber, Federal HST and Federal Tactical, Corbon DPX and their Sierra PowerJacker hollowpoint.

Double TAP Ammo in everything but my RAMI, which dislikes the hotter stuff from any company.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897801/468257.JPG

9mm, 10mm, and .45 ACP! Custom DT stamped nickle plated brass loaded with the proven Speer Gold Dot bullets, mean hi-velocity with superb accuracy and
quality control.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897801/dt147-2.JPG

No wonder it is the favorite among many here and on Glock Talk, especially in 10mm.

Federal HSTs baby!

http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/2623/45hstfa6.th.gif (http://img503.imageshack.us/my.php?image=45hstfa6.gif)


That's GOTTA hurt.

I go along with what "sm" said basically ... most important is to make sure it works in your firearm. In 9mm I prefer 147s if they hit POI/POA, or at least a 124 grain bullet. For a .357 revolver, a 158 in .38 special (+P is better) for inside the house or car or a 158 .357 for outside work. Hollowpoints are optional.

Premium self defense ammo, especially those designed for law enforcement use, usually have better quality control and perks like flash suppressed powder which is always a plus in low light and most have nickeled cases for more positive extraction. Just don't believe all the marketing hype about super expansion...and don't believe that it is necessary in order to be effective....it's accuracy and penetration that get the job done.

I've some to really respect Double Tap ammo's offerings. They use the proven Speer Gold Dot bullet at velocities that Cor-Bon can only dream of, using lower pressure also. Also their prices are more in line with premium quality ammo, rather than the higher cost "specialty" ammo.

They're great all around performers and the 147 grain load expands quite reliably (uncharacteristic for a 147 grainer) and gives good penetration. I've used this load for hunting even. It also performs quite well from shorter barrels. Their 125 grain load is another good performer but will have less penetration.

I've some to really respect Double Tap ammo's offerings. They use the proven Speer Gold Dot bullet at velocities that Cor-Bon can only dream of, using lower pressure also. Also their prices are more in line with premium quality ammo, rather than the higher cost "specialty" ammo.


This are excellent points, Plinker.

After I'm done working through the current ammo stash for my .45, I want to try some of DT's .45 ACP stuff for the reasons you cited. That flat point load looks especially good to me. That's something I've wanted for quite awhile now and I just lately spotted it on DT's site. A .45 ACP round with a decent size meplat that'll feed in my USP. If it feeds in my pistol, I want to stock up on it. :)