Do You Carry Different Loads In your CCW?

I carry Speer 135 Gold Dot Short Barrel in my .38’s and 124 Grain Gold Dots in my 9mm’s. Occasionally I do have to switch ammo traveling through or conducting business in New Jersey as Hollow points are verboten. Slowly as my carry ammo gets rotated out I will go to all Hornady Critical Defense as the plug makes them good to go. It will be a little bit before that happens with all my carry guns, only .44 Special and .380 have gone that route so far.

I can walk down the street to the beach, two legged threats unless a bear shows up at Publix, HST in either 9mm or 40.
OP mentioned "caliber war" - there is no "caliber war" for me, I'll carry 9mm or 40 - but not smaller (380/32/25).

If I’m gonna pack it,
It’s full metal jacket.

Jimster said:

If I’m gonna pack it,
It’s full metal jacket.

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I gave that a like even though it is opposite my practice, I liked the rhyme.

I want to try.

Those bullets in my Glock, what could they be
Whether 9 or 40 they are HST
I loaded them into the magazine carefully by hand
Cause whether 9 or 40 they penetrate at least 12'' and expand

I used to use critical defense
But with my tests I lost confidence

I switched to HST or Hydra-Shock
After the election they were out of stock

I only used practice ammo at the range
But now its always FMJ, isn't that strange?

Mostly I just shoot the lead that I cast
And those high ammo prices can kiss my ...

Heavy for caliber Federal 147 gr. 9mm HST Tactical +P. Biggest critter around here is black bear. Should be good to go if I do my part.

WisBorn said:

How do your Hellcat and Ruger 9mm like the cast bullets?
Do you coat them?

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Truthfully, i just got my 9mm mold this summer, and haven't used them yet.
All my .45colt, acp, and 357 are tumble lube Lee Alox

I carry Federal Hydra Shok in my full size sa’s primarily because I have the most practice with it and have plenty on hand.



I have recently been testing the faster, lighter, non expanding rounds and Sig’s “optimized” ccw rounds for use with my P365 which has been my primary carry in warm weather. Further testing is needed but the 365 seems to like the lighter loads vs the 124g that I shoot well in full size guns

All the serious defensive guns are 9s.

All get 124gr GDSP. One that is secondary has some 147s because I bought them by accident. They'll get shot sometime here for fun, replaced.

My carry ammo is based off what I can find. Right before the pandemic started, I bought a case of Golden Saber 124gr +p. That is what I am still carrying in my large 9mm. Pocket 9mm is 147gr HST. Whenever I change ammo, I make sure I know where it hits with different holds at different (reasonable) ranges.

In 9mm, 124 grain +P Federal HST or Speer Cold Dot JHPs.

In .45 ACP, generally 230 grain Remington Golden Saber (mostly because I've got cases of this stuff).

In .38 SPL, 125 grain +P JHPs, .357 Magnum 158 grain JHPs, differing brands of the premium offerings.

I carry the same gun... or family of guns... and they all take the same ammos: the Kahr CW9 or CM9. It used to be Hornady 135's, now I think I have 124grn GoldDots in it... given the ammo market shortages, I have to settle for what I can get... although I only buy one sort of Hornady or Speer ammos. I'm familiar with them, their performance, and their feed characteristics in my pistols. I don't believe in swapping pistols around to suit my mood or whatever. If I expect I will need a .41MAG, then I'm prolly not going to go there. I train with my Kahr 9mms, so that's what I carry. Period.

The caveat to that would be if I'm carrying something I'm going to shoot... a .41 revolver or .45 auto if I'm at the range and shooting them.

99% of the time if I'm carrying it is a M&P 2.0 Compact loaded with 165 grain Golden Sabers.

If I need to be more discreet it is a Kahr CM9 loaded with Federal HST Micro 150 grain JHP. I prefer heavy for caliber bullets in short barreled 9mm's. They seem to do a better job of expanding. Lucky Gunner has some interesting test results if anyone cares to go there & view them.

It has been a while since I hunted but depending on where I was I carried either my usual .40 or a 4" barreled .357 in the woods.

fmj ball ammo for training and carry. i played rugby in college. the weekdays’ practice kit and ball were the same on weekend game days.

earlier my dear uncle sam started giving me all the fmj ball ammo i wanted in exchange for just my signature. uncle sam had used it for a long time to do god’s work, so who was i to raise a question.

Benefit of being poor is the one and only EDC leaves me without having to make decisions like that.
Ahh, the simple life

The only difference in loads was purely for an economic reason. I couldn't afford a second Rohrbaugh R9, but the 380 version of the gun made by Remington only cost me $99.99 The RM9 is carried in a back pocket as a backup.

I carry 147gr Winchester Ranger "T" series - RA9T in all my other handguns - car gun, nightstand gun etc... but I carry 90gr XTP loaded by Precision One in my Remington RM9

Depends on the firearm carried for me. Each one I have has a "favorite" ammo that performs best for me.
And, that can be reflected in the "how" of carry, too.

This is a complicated question.

If one that, I think, is less subtle than suburb versus downtown, which may tread too closely on the "good neighborhood" notion.

I have largely reverted to .38 and .357 revolvers, SP101 on the small side, to GP100 on the large side, with .38 K-Frames in the middle. I will up-gun to the GP100,with real Magnums, if going where feral hogs, and packs of large feral dogs, are likely threats. People have been killed by both, in this general area, in recent years and months. The lighter .357 revolvers are loaded with milder Magnums, or .38 Specials.

I will opt for my .38 K-Frame snub-guns, when I feel like carrying speed loaders, and/or when I want to use one particular holster, which is suited to specific clothing combinations, or, another specific holster, for similar reason, with other clothing, or, when I simply feel like it. (An SP101 does not have much “work space” available, for speed loader reloading.)

Then, sometimes, there is a special niche, for something like .32 ACP, in a Seecamp LWS-32.

If I anticipate my weapon being at risk of being dunked in water, well, 9mm Glock. Another reason for a 9mm Glock might be when I have to go to a place where “social trouble” is likely, especially at night, when a Surefire X300 might be a desirable accessory. It is not always practical to wait for the cavalry; one might have to be one’s own cavalry,

My first handgun love, from the early Eighties, was the 1911. Now and then, I carry a 1911, loaded with .45 ACP, usually as a second gun, because I just want to do so. (The “first” handgun would usually be one of the above-mentioned revolvers.)

I am old enough to realize that that life is too short to be taken so seriously, all the time. When I feel like it, I will carry a single-action revolver, loaded with .45 Colt, because it is fun. Life should be fun, sometimes.

I have no disagreement with folks who wish to emphasize carrying one gun, all the time, because that is the best way to perform optimally. Well, my right hand does not necessarily fit the same as my left, on some handguns. My “reload” may well be a second gun, positioned for lefty access. My right hand has multiple things wrong with it, as I age, which limits what handguns I can still grip firmly, in my right hand. Then, there is how much recoil my right thumb, hand, and wrist can tolerate. Unless/Until I switch to lefty primary carry, I will not have one best primary gun, or one best load, for all occasions, every day.

I rotate between 3 guns all 9mm all loaded with 124 grain +P Federal HST.

Around the house plus short trips to town - Ruger LC9S Pro - Pocket Carry + a spare mag.
Off roading in my Jeep or trips to the big city of Springfield, MO - Glock 43X - OWB + a spare mag.
If I know I will be in the woods at night camping or bonfire - Glock 19 with Surefire WML + a spare mag. AR15 with a WML + 3 to 6 spare mags.

Flying out of state - Ruger LC9S Pro - Pocket Carry + 2 spare mags & ammo.
Driving out of state - Ruger LC9S, Glock 43X, AR15 & / or a Savage 308 Bolt Action Rifle. Plus spare mags & ammo for all.

Target Sports had 50rd boxes of Federal HST on sale 4 or 5 years ago. I stocked up.

Task specific and changes based on location & time of year .

I like 230 grain gold dots for my g30, I like Underwood xtreme penetrator for my g42, I like 165 grain gold dots for my g20 or xtreme penetrator if I'll be out in the woods, I like 360 grain wfn over a full charge of h110 for my super redhawk if I'm in the woods and have no rifle. Those are what work for me in any situation I've found myself in.

WisBorn said:

I wonder if the area of the country or type of area (urban or rural) would make a difference how people answered. Just a thought...

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I would guess yes. When I lived in the Chicago area protection from wildlife was never a consideration and I always carried hollow point ammo. With the vacations we go on where we're usually hiking somewhere wildlife is a consideration and I change to hardcast ammo. I now live in SE Wisconsin and don't know that there's wildlife to be concerned about, but I'll often carry a 9mm with Underwood or Buffalo Bore 147 grain hardcast ammo when hiking here just in case.