45 colt defense ammo

[dsffsll]

Hello,

I am trying to figure out which of these would be best for my .45 colt for apartment defense.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=571013
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=691001
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=783826

I have purchased all of those and shot each one they all shoot great and I can shoot them all just about as good as one another.

The silvertips did seem to have a lot of muzzle flash over the other two.

I appreciate any recommendations or experiences with these loads.

Thanks

 

[calaverasslim]

Do not have experience with the Cor-Bon but the other two I do.

I am a firm believer of the Speer Gold Dot hollow point. I load them in 44's and 45's, shot them at the range and even shot several hogs with one in 44 special. 1 shot stops. I have retrieved many of the bullets at the range and after one hog. That convinced me that these were all that Speer said they would be.

Another aspect of these is the aluminum hulls. No question they are factory loads when the LEO's arrive, rather than hand loads.

My carry gun is a 44 special and I always have the GDHP by Speer in the chambers.

All this is JMHO, and you may like one of the others.

 

[Stainz]

Of course, the Speer #4484 250gr Gold Dot JHP loaded by Speer is in a Ni-plated brass case that has Speer on it. You could reload it with that same bullet, but it is ~$.50 plus for the bullet alone. I practice with other loads, like a 255gr LSWC, and keep the expensive Speer rounds for my carry ammo in my 625MG. Some folks have reported great results with that bullet - opening reliably at 800+ fps in wet newsprint and gelatin to .73+" OD and penetrating 16+". I feel protected should a bunch of soggy Sunday papers or a huge bowl-o-thick-gelatin attack. The Silvertips are also well respected.

BTW, the old 200gr Speer Gold Dot, designed for higher speeds with it's thicker and less stressed walls, is still available in their CCI Blazer Al-cased rounds, as well as loaded by Georgia Arms in new Starline brass. I've chrono-ed the latter at 1123 +/-8 fps from my 4" 625MG.

Stainz

 

[wnycollector]

I think the big brother to the .38 FBI load might do the trick...255gr LSWCHP from federal http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=344606

 

[MMCSRET]

I have a cousin who is a deputy sheriff in Idaho. He carries a Smith 625 as a duty gun(doesn't like small caliber semi-autos:9/40) His service branch provides Winchester 225 gr. Silvertips. The county allows senior officers to carry what they want. His off duty gun is a 4" 629.

 

[20nickels]

I doubt your attacker would notice the difference between the Barnes or the Gold Dot, but I favor the Dot. The Cor-Bon is will probably be a too hot and flashy for apartment use, but that wouldn't stop me from using it. Nickels.

 

[only1asterisk]

wnycollector has another good choice in the Federal load, but my favorite is the Speer Gold Dot.

David

 

[kludge]

I've shot the Federal 225gr LSWCHP in my 4" Redhawk; it gave good accuracy and higher than advertised velocity

 

[cookekdjr]

Like Stainz, I like this load:
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=188752

I shot the near-identical .44 special version in my Ruger Redhawk. As soft shooting as a 22lr in that gun, but with near-perfect ballistics for a home defense round. It has doubled in price in the last two years, though.
-David

 

[kludge]

Is that a Gold Dot?

 

[Jim March]

They're all good rounds. The Speer 250 would be my top pick, followed closely by the Cor-Bon 225 DPX. The Silvertip in 45LC ain't a slouch but the other two are something special, esp. that 250. It's just the 135gr 38+P "supersized".

The 200gr Gold Dot works too, but a lot of ammo houses load it past the speed of sound...and that's just ridiculous in the 45LC. You don't need the downsides (loud!) in that caliber like you do in, say, 357 or 9mm or to a lesser degree 40S&W.

 

[mavracer]

gold dot

 

[FullEffect1911]

If i had to design the perfect (imo) self defense load, it would be that 250 grain Speer loading exactly.

 

[Stainz]

I saw some great test results on a site I have lost touch with concerning the Speer #4484 250gr .45 Colt Gold Dot. I have bought that round - and loaded it over 6.1gr Titegroup (6.2 is Hodgdon's max for 250gr LRNFP) to get 814 +/-11 fps from my 4" 625MG. Their wide opening, thin wall, pre-stressed sides makes for an energetic opener at lower speed, while their mass keeps the penetration high. The penetration was lessened, as expected, significantly after passing through heavy cloth. It is my choice for the ultimate in self defense, with 255gr LSWCs at a bit more velocity for 4-legged game.

The 200gr Gold Dots, whether loaded by GA Arms, Speer, or, a choice I won't use again, Blazer Al-cased, is thicker walled - definitely a higher speed design. I got 1123 fps from my 4" 625MG to 1424 fps from my 24" SS Puma M1892 - that's a decent deer round (I believe the heavier walls would permit plenty of penetration in lighter-skinned animals - someone else try it for me!).

I shot >1,100 of the .44 Special 200gr GD Blazers through my 296 before switching to the now cheaper GA Arms similar load (Same Speer #4429 bullet - but in new Starline brass.). Actually, after thousands of Blazers in other calibers, when one of the .44 Specials burst it's case in my 696, which was no problem, I nixxed their future use in the 296. Besides... I reload!

Stainz

 

[Lashlarue]

For apartment , or any place where you have neighbors nearby, I highly recommend Glaser Safety slugs.No reason to kill your neighbors by accident.

 

[20nickels]

Stainz,
Did you try those Gold dots in one of your 45 ACP guns? If so what velocities felt comfortable?

 

[Jim March]

If i had to design the perfect (imo) self defense load, it would be that 250 grain Speer loading exactly.

I don't disagree with this, although the DPX 225 isn't THAT far behind.

Jim