Best self defense 45 ammo ?

[laktrash]

This my first post on this forum and probably not the best. I know there is thread already going on about self defense 45 ammo, but I'm looking for opinions on most reliable self defense ammo. I know this is opening a can of worms. I carry a S&W 640 with kramer pocket holster in summer. Plan on switching to my CS45 with IWB kramer for winter. I lean toward the old school 230 hardball reliabilty. There are so many different self defense rounds out there that testing for reliability would get expensive. I have several compact 45's which adds to reliabilty issue, altough mine all function fine ( sig P245 a couple of CS45's, detonics combatmaster and a bersa uc 45) and a S&W 325PD looking to add H&K compact 45 maybe in future " 1st plastic gun . Thanks for imput and hope I can contribute to forum in future

 

[rondog]

Winchester RA45T Ranger SXT's are my favorite, but finding them is the hard part. Speer Gold Dots are second. Both 230 gr. JHP's.

 

[Brian Williams]

I like 230gr LRN, but most will tel you to look at Gold dots. Nix the FMJs.

 

[wuluf]

I'm a fan of the Hornady 200gn TAP, but only because my Kimber likes them best.

 

[cyclopsshooter]

Gold dot 230

 

[ElToro]

i run ranger ra45t becuase i cant find sufficient case quantity of golden saber bonded or HST to test for reliability. i go standard velocity becuase its alreday running about ~900 fps and the +P has is too snappy for my taste YMMV

if you can get ranger, HST, or golden saber bonded, or hornady tap, or corbon dpx you should be fine.

 

[modifiedbrowning]

I like Remington Golden Saber 230 grain.

 

[C-grunt]

Pretty much any of the new hollowpoints from the major manufacturers will be a good choice. Which ever one runs failure free in the gun. If you cant find that, Id use FMJ. After all shot placement counts more than the type of ammunition used.

 

[preachnhunt]

Welcome to the High Road!

 

[Deanimator]

I'm a fan of the Hornady 200gn TAP, but only because my Kimber likes them best.

I like them too, but when I needed some in Jan-Feb, they were IMPOSSIBLE to find. I gave up and bought 230gr. Gold Dots, which I didn't want, but I had to have SOMETHING.

 

[David E]

I like 230gr LRN, but most will tel you to look at Gold dots. Nix the FMJs.

Why Lead round nose, but not FMJ ?

If the RNL is soft enough to expand, then it'd be too soft to survive the trip up the feed ramp.

If you're counting on infection to stop the guy, better pack a lunch !

To answer the OP's question, it depends on the gun and shooter. I tried +P Gold Dots in my aluminum framed compact, but I found the kick to be a bit harsh in that short-gripped, lightweight platform. I switched to standard pressure Golden Sabre 230 grain JHP's.

Nearly any quality JHP that works in your gun that you can control is a decent choice.

 

[mesinge2]

This is now a triplicate of one of my eariler posts, sorry to those that have already read it but it keeps comming up:

I always carried JHP in my 9mm autos, but my first 1911 .45 had trouble feeding JHP so I carried FMJ's. Then I tried Pow'r Ball ammo and it feeds perfectly.

http://www.dakotaammo.net/products/glaser/powrball.htm

The image (This is a 3.8" Barrel) and quote below are from: http://brassfetcher.com/.45ACP 165gr +P Cor-Bon Pow'r Ball.html


View attachment 103341


Many thanks to Cor-Bon for providing the ammunition used in this test.

Cor-Bon .45ACP 165 grain +P Pow'R Ball

Firearm was semi-automatic action with 3.8" barrel length

Block calibrated at 9.3cm penetration and an assumed impact velocity of 600 ft/sec. (chronograph malfunctioned due to rain at the test site).

Shot 1 - Penetrated to 10.9". Average recovered diameter 0.659".

Shot 2 - Penetrated to 12.6". Average recovered diameter 0.687".

Shot 3 - Penetrated to 11.8". Average recovered diameter 0.698".

Shot 4 - Penetrated to 12.2". Average recovered diameter 0.668".

Shot 5 - Penetrated to 11.4". Average recovered diameter 0.684".

Average diameter = 0.679". Average penetration depth = 11.8"

P.S. I love this site for making comparisons of expansion and penetration.

 

[84B20]

There is a show on one of the cable/satellite stations called Handguns and they featured Winchester PDX1. The demo was quite impressive. They indicated that it is standard issue with the FBI.

Here is more info that I copied from a website.

Winchester Introduces Supreme Elite Bonded PDX1 Ammunition

East Alton, IL - (ShootingWire.com)- The new Winchester® Supreme Elite Bonded PDX1™ is engineered to maximize terminal ballistics, as defined by the demanding FBI test protocol, which simulates real-world threats. The bullet technology which was chosen by the FBI as their primary service round in 40 S&W is now available in a full line of popular handgun calibers. The Bonded PDX1 is engineered to maximize terminal ballistics, as defined by the demanding FBI test protocol, which simulates real-world threats. The new Winchester Bonded PDX1 is offered in 9mm, 40 Smith & Wesson, 45 automatic and .38 special.

Winchester Bonded PDX1 technology is superior to competitive personal protection loads with features that include:

· Proprietary bonding process-Welds lead and jacket together to work as a unit controlling expansion and providing superior retained weight.

· Hollow point-Works with the bonding process for outstanding performance through tough barriers and impact velocities/ranges.

· Jacket notching-Six segments help promote positive, consistent and programmed expansion at a variety of impact velocities.

· Copper alloy jacket-Contoured for maximum upset over a wide range of velocities/ranges.

· Nickel plated shellcase-Helps ensure positive gun function through smooth chambering and shellcase ejection.

And no, I am not affiliated with Winchester or anyone else but I do have several boxes for my own weapons.

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

185gr Rem GS +P.

 

[PAPACHUCK]

Anything that is .45 cal and 230gr and has a hole in the front of it!

 

[laktrash]

Am I wrong in thinking 230 fmj will do the job and the most dependable especially in the compact 45's

 

[DeepSouth]

I like Remington Golden Saber 230 grain.

Me to. The ones I have dug out of all sorts of things have expanded very consistently. BUT the main reason I like them is because they shoot the tightest group in my gun, making for better shot placement. (which is of course the most important issue)

 

[Deanimator]

Am I wrong in thinking 230 fmj will do the job and the most dependable especially in the compact 45's

I'm not worried about telling any jury why I shot the guy who put me in immediate, reasonable fear of life and limb. There's NOTHING I can say to justify killing somebody's kid if I get a through and through on that same guy.

 

[rondog]

Am I wrong in thinking 230 fmj will do the job and the most dependable especially in the compact 45's

The 230 FMJ will certainly do the job, but the danger of one passing through the Bad Guy and hitting an innocent person is very real. It's more advisable to use aggressive self-defense hollowpoints that are designed to transfer more energy to the target and quicker. The JHP's expand quickly and stop quickly, equating to more "punch" to the BG, and safer for what/who-ever is behind him.

 

[inSight-NEO]

For my guns with barrels of 4" or less, I prefer Federal 185gr. JHP Hi Shok or Speer LE Gold Dot 185gr.; for those with longer barrels, the Federal 230gr. Hydra Shok (JHP) or Federal HST seem to do well.

On occasion, I will use Speer LE Gold Dot 200 +P (mainly for 4" barrels or less) with steel or polymer framed weapons.

Am I wrong in thinking 230 fmj will do the job and the most dependable especially in the compact 45's

When speaking of, say, the .45 ACP, FMJ ammo will certainly do some damage, but it seems more penetrative in nature vs. the JHPs. Hence, the wound channel will not be as devastating when entering the body vs. the JHP, which expands. In other words, less stopping power. After all, when it comes to HD, stopping an attacker is of paramount importance....killing him/her/they is not the primary objective.

In terms of compact weapons, its my belief that "lighter" bullets are somewhat better (example, using 185gr. vs. 230gr.) as the lighter bullets do not require as much barrel length in order to achieve maximum velocity/expansion, to put it rather crudely. Regarding your reliability question, I cant say. Though, I have heard that some older .45s preferred ball ammo (FMJ) to JHP, due to feeding inconsistencies...regardless of barrel length. These days, although some weapons certainly "prefer" various brands vs. others, the FMJ vs. JHP issue does not seem to be nearly as much of an issue as it once was.

 

[Dr_2_B]

Pretty much any of the new hollowpoints from the major manufacturers will be a good choice

I concur. In my opinion, the 45s are less dependent on the optimum bullet design than some other calibers. 9mm's for example can be excellent with the right ammo, but can be pretty poor with the wrong ammo. Most of the better 45 ammo will get the job done.

Again, IMHO.

 

[Ken Rainey]

Laktrash...Welcome.

I've got a 3 inch Kimber shortstroker that I run 230 FMJ in. I tried 230 Rangers - too much kick, 185 GoldDots - too much blast, and 185 SilverTips - a nice, easy to shoot load but I eventually decided to go with 230 FMJ due to the facts that I practiced with them, they're coming out of a two inch shorter barrel and are therefore running slower which will equate to less penetration which means less chance of overpenetration (which rarely happens even with a five inch barrel on solid shots anyway), and they're a lot easier to find at affordable prices. I think that all .45 auto pistols are designed to function with this cartridge, even tho some may still need tweaking to be 100% with them or any other cartridge...nonetheless, a standard pressure 230 grain FMJ is the ammunition which they are designed to function with.

I want the weight of the 230 FMJ to hopefully provide enough momentum to penetrate enough to hit something vital since it is traveling slower out of my Kimber's short barrel...this is why I switched off the SilverTips.

I like Brian Williams idea of the 230 LRN as well ... I use them for practice when I've had time to load and would be confident of their ability as well...the lead bullet might deform upon contact with bone, etc. adding to it's effectiveness...

Those of you concerned with over penetrating shots hitting innocent people should remember one of the rules of shooting is to know your backstop...if you know or believe that innocents are behind your advisary and you have no choice but to shoot, then I'd suggest aiming for the pelvic area or taking a knee and firing at an upward angle toward the chest area ... whichever would apply in the given situation as is possible. Be more concerned with the possibility of missed shots - in all situations.

 

[nathan]

Any 230 gr ammo be it FMJ or HP. If someone gets hit, its dead meat !

 

[Clarence]

I've never felt ill-equipped carrying hardball, but most of the time I carry Hydra Shocks.

 

[MICHAEL T]

Those of you concerned with over penetrating shots hitting innocent people should remember one of the rules of shooting is to know your backstop...if you know or believe that innocents are behind your advisary and you have no choice but to shoot, then I'd suggest aiming for the pelvic area or taking a knee and firing at an upward angle toward the chest area ... whichever would apply in the given situation as is possible. Be more concerned with the possibility of missed shots - in all situations

Also more round miss than hit in many shootings Those are a danger also. But their never talked about

I use Corbon DPX 185 in my Commanders and Compacts My 5" like the 200gr Corbon HP