I cannot choose a 9mm Luger JHP!

[bg226]

For the life of me, I cannot settle down on a 9mm JHP load for a 4" bbl house gun. I keep shifting from one brand to another grain to another with complete indifference.

What is a proven load? No gimmicks, a proven stopper in the 9mm Luger.

 

[MedWheeler]

Define "proven stopper". One-shot stop every time? No such animal in 9x19, or any pistol round, for that matter (though the .45 guys will beg to differ.) Any quality load at or above 100 grains or so that functions reliably in your gun, well-placed within the adversary, should be exactly what you need. Sounds like you've tried many of them. What made you switch, and switch again?
My carry gun is a 9x19, and it is loaded with UMC 115 grain JHP ammo. It is on me at home or not, so it is kind of my house gun, too (except at night when I undress. Then, my bedside wheelgun takes over; it's a 4-inch Magnum loaded with Remington .38 +P SJHP ammo..)

 

[Kingofthehill]

Ive done my own testings and i have come to the conclusion that for myself and my situation, my choice was the Corbon DPX

I tested it on sheet rock, 2x4's, glass, some throw away couches, cheap ikea furniture and drywall. Oh, as well as denim covered water bottles full of wet newspaper to try and simulate a body mass.

I tested Gold Dots (didn't open up even 50% of the time), Remington Golden Saber (Glock 19 didn;t like feeding them but they performed OK), Ranger T-series (kept going and going and going), Glasser slugs (SUCKED... no thanks), winchester white box JHP (the ones at walmart, most did not open up at all and the ones that did were not evenly expanded, Hornady Critical Defense (did alright, it was an overall good performer), Magtech gold (was another pretty good performer)

That is what i have written down on my spread sheet... I tried a few other brands but the best overall and most dependable in feeding, opening, penetration but also not over penetrating (sounds dumb but i could justify the resuts to myself) was the Corbon DPX

 

[pvthouse]

I don't have a 9mm but for my 45 speer gold dot's were the ticket. Amazing expansion with a perfect "daisy" about 85% of the time. The only caliber I have heard of them not working well for is the 40sw simply due to over penetration using 4 sheets of denim and milk jugs full of wet newspaper for media. I think that it was in the neighborhood of 25-28". But like I said I haven't used them in a 9mm so take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Mr. S]

I would consider anything on this list a good starting point.

http://ammo.ar15.com/project/Self_Defense_Ammo_FAQ/index.htm#9mm

 

[Cards81fan]

I use Gold Dots for my .380, 9mm, and .40. Even for my .22, I choose CCI Blazer bulk packs. I have confidence in just about anything with the CCI or Speer name on it.

That said, I'll shoot about anything I can find cheap for practice ammo as I perceive very little difference in the rounds aside from the cleanliness; I like Blazer and Monarch (Prvi Partizan), as they seem slightly cleaner than Winchester White Box and Remington. The only exception is WWB can have harder primers I will have some rounds that fail to ignite.

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

Gold dots for me too. The 115 grain variety.

 

[WC145]

What is a proven load? No gimmicks, a proven stopper in the 9mm Luger.

Federal 9BPLE 115gr JHP +P+, predecessor to the new HST, still being carried by LE (myself included). Pretty hot (I clocked it at 1300+fps from a HK USP) and it has a reputation of being very accurate and reliable function. Also has an excellent track record in actual shootings. It was standard issue for a number of large agencies including the Border Patrol.

Here's a quote from a Massaad Ayoob article-

For many years, the “Illinois State Police load” – a 115-grain standard JHP launched at some 1,300 feet per second (fps) – proved itself to be the most decisive man-stopper available. It still works great. Federal’s version of this load, the 9BPLE, is standard issue for the DeKalb County lawmen, on the tough turf that surrounds and encompasses of Atlanta, Georgia.

These guys get into so many firefights that they’ve drawn political heat for “shooting too many people.” They have proven that when they shoot people with a 115-grain JHP doing 1,300 fps out of their issue Beretta service pistols, the bad guys go down and stop trying to kill them.

 

[ugaarguy]

With ammo availability like it is, whatever you can get that functions reliably in your pistol. Shot placement is going to be far more critical than which particular load you're shooting.

 

[NG VI]

I went with Federal HST, 147+P, 147, and 124+P in that order.

But I'm not really that picky and also like 124+P Gold Dots, any Golden Saber, Ranger-T, I've carried Fiocchi-loaded 115 XTP and Fiocchi 147s, 115 UMC, 147 WWB, basically as long as you pick any JHP that's been designed or is still the current top load for a given company in the last fifteen years you can't go wrong, and even the generic JHPs are usually the previous premium bullet, like the Federal Classic line which is all loaded with Hi-Shoks.

I'd say don't worry about or overthink it.

But personally I feel like I am getting every last bit of mechanical advantage when my 9mms are loaded with 147+P HST.

I also tend towards medium or heavyweight bullets.

 

[BADUNAME37]

I like good quality hollow points, and I also like to punch holes with FMJ's.

A hollow point expanding in the right place will surely inflict damage, in the wrong place, it will merely open up (like hitting heavy clothes).

Sure, a FMJ may punch right through, but then if it hits bone on the way through - not only is the bullet making a hole, but the broken pieces of bone rapidly moving out of the way are causing devastation as well.

So, there are various ways of looking at the same bullet.

In the end, it really doesn't matter what you use, as long as your shot placement is good.

A bad guy may take ten shots and still keep coming, or may drop dead after one shot. With a 9mm, I doubt the latter, unless you hit the CNS, or his head.

 

[Nushif]

I agree with the folks who say shot placement is way more important than expansion or somesuch. Every day people are killed quite effectively with a vast plethora of different types, weights, brands and whatever of 9mm bullets.

So these days my only criteria for all my bullets is this: FMJ so they feed well and don't cause excessive leading. Or do you lose sleep over the brandname on your 83 octane gas?

 

[Deanimator]

147gr. Winchester White Box JHPs from Walmart.

Accurate, reliable and they tested well for BOTH expansion and penetration when examined by "Box O' Truth".

 

[CombatArmsUSAF]

Speer Gold Dot 124gr+P for me, haven't found anything like it.

 

[MachIVshooter]

After alot of testing, I settled on the Golden Sabre. I handload mine with 147's, which are available as a factory load, as are 124's in both standard and +P loadings.

Second choice is the 124 or 147 Hornady XTP.

 

[Haifisch]

I like Federal HST 124 gr.+P's or Hornady 124 gr. XTP's

 

[KBintheSLC]

226,

You are thinking about it way too much and likely wasting a lot of energy and cash for nothing. Basically any modern JHP in the range of 115g-147g will work fine if you do your job. I would worry more about hitting your target and less about the minuscule variations in a 25-year-old proven technology. If the cartridge is reliable in your gun, use it.

 

[Steve C]

Use what the police use or the civilian equivalent. There's little to no difference in the effectiveness of any premium self defense loads or police ammo in 9mm so it really doesn't matter much about which brand or bullet weight you pick. For the most part when civilians pick their ammo its feelings and marketing. The advantage of the police ammo is that its been tested in both the lab and the street a lot more documentation than the non police loads.

 

[Kingofthehill]

OH!... i forgot to mention.

1 brand has done very very well in ALL the testing i have done. That is the Winchester PDX-1 has performed shockingly well and it has fed properly in every gun i have ran it through.

 

[Sapper771]

There are plenty of good HP designs to choose from. As far as "proven" goes, the NYPD seemed to like the Gold Dots when they were using Glock 9mm's.
The Border patrol liked the Federal "9BPLE" +P+ load.
Some LE agencies reported excellent results with Winchester Ranger/Talon in 9mm.

Like I said , there are plenty out there. I try to do as much research on hard evidence (i.e. Police shootings, civilian shootings, coroner reports, ME reports, etc.) as I can. There are numerous variables involved when a bullet impacts a live target. I try to see which design, at which velocity, preforms the best. Even that is not a sure thing when it comes to internal ballistics.

I can understand your frustration. I went through several different ones at first. I finally decided that bullet design takes the back seat to bullet placement. So, I just try to find a good bullet design that gets good reviews/results and leave the rest to where I put it.

I would recomend a mid weight 9mm load, maybe in a +P trim. I like the Speer Gold Dot in 124gr +P. I have seen them as cheap are $20 per 20 rounds in area shops, but I am sure they can be found cheaper.

I have read that the 115gr weight bullets are the "best" in the caliber(9mm), and I have also read that the 115gr is "lacking" in penetration/performance. 147gr weights are in the same boat. Some prefer the heavy weight for penetration, some dislike it due to over penetration or lack of expansion.

Its a jungle out there........

 

[W.E.G.]

The heaviest bullet or the lightest bullet is rarely the best choice.

Otherwise, you should choose good-quality ammo that reliably functions in your pistol.

Buy a case of it and be done with this question.
Thereafter be only concerned with your gun-handling skills.

 

[PO2Hammer]

I like a 124 XTP or 124 Gold Dot at +P velocities by any reputable manufacturer, CCI, Hornady, Buff. Bore, Black Hills.....or my own Handloads with a 124 XTP, but I haven't settled on a load yet.

 

[Girodin]

I like 124 grain gold dots. Honestly, you should be fretting over your skills not finding the one true load. There are many serviceable loads just make sure they function in you gun as that is paramount.

 

[duns]

I have a lot of confidence in the Cor Bon 9mm +P 115 gr JHP. It's a powerful round, 465 ft lbf, up there with the premier 45 ACP rounds in terms of energy. When my Beretta 92FS was new and stiff, the Cor Bon had the power to cycle the pistol reliably whereas less powerful rounds didn't. Though since the pistol was broken in, everything has fed flawlessly. The Cor Bon rounds are rather expensive for practice. I'm currently using Speer Law Enforcement Gold Dots, 115 gr. They are considerably less powerful at 374 ft lbf but I picked up a large quantity for a very reasonable price. I like to practice a lot with what I carry so usually I'm carrying the LE Gold Dots. If money were no object, I would use Cor Bon. But these are just my own subjective impressions; I cannot prove to you that one round is better than another.

 

[carbuncle]

I'll second the post above, I've shot a ton of that Cor Bon load through a Beretta 92 FS and an S&W 5906: it's potent and very accurate. I'm using Speer Gold Dots for carry in my 6906: they feed reliably and are as accurate as I am at the range.