Home defense load for 9mm

RA9B is a good load. RA9T is also a good load. I would consider it perfectly good ammo for self defense.

I've heard great things about the Ranger BHPs. IIRC, Wyo highway patrol issues those to the troopers. From what I understand, they're very similar to other popular bonded hollowpoints like Speer Gold Dots. I think the Ranger BHPs would be a fine choice for HD.

I don't know much about Bersa. Hope this doesn't come across as condescending, but make sure its a reliable firearm.

Law Enforcement overruns supposedly

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Well, one would think if it was good enough for real cops, who get in real life or death shootings way more often then you do?

Then it would be good enough to keep in a bedside gun that will probably never be fired in anger the rest of your life.

Now, I'll let you in on a little known secret I have learned over the last 50+ years.
Truth be known, and a little known secret?
There are no 'Magic Bullets'!

Only good gun handling skills, and front sight focus.

If you can handle the gun and hit what you shoot at inside 10 feet?
Any gun or load will do about as well as the next one inside your bedroom, if you can stand and deliver.

rc

I would use it and not worry. Unless you want to upgrade to an AR and use something like Hornady TAP, you would have to do a LOT of testing between a lot of loads to see a significant difference between 9mm rounds for overpenetration at all.

Another load that's as good or better than the ones already mentioned is Federal HST 147gr. HP.

I want to know I'm not going to be shooting through the perp and endangering her.

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Well then, I would not use heavy for caliber 147 grain bullets then.

A lighter faster 115 grain load is more likely to open up and put on the drag brakes, whether you hit or miss the perp.

A 9mm 147 is about as heavy and long as you can shoot in a 9mm pistol.
It will plough through things a lighter faster JHP bullet will probably stop in.

rc

A shotgun with some birdshot will not go through the wall and will be better for hitting a moving target while your half asleep. My suggestion run the scenario through in your head before it happens. Another thought even if you can hit with the 9 at 3 am can your wife or girlfriend. ( you never know these days)

A shotgun with some birdshot will not go through the wall

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Of course it will, unless it's a brick wall.

A normal sheetrock wall will not stop a load of birdshot inside a normal size bedroom.

rc

rcmodel is, as usual, correct.

I think that many of the posters, including the OP, need to get themselves over to www.theboxotruth.com and read up on various loads and drywall/barrier penetration.
Follow up with brassfetcher for performance in gelatin (which makes a pretty good meat analog)

These questions have been answered, with actual ammo, realistic fake walls, simulated (sometimes real) meat, and pictures.

Anything capable of causing real immediate damage to an adult human will sail through drywall as if it weren't there for many layers. There is no magic bullet, not heavy loads, not light loads, not birdshot, not flaregun flares, not frangible rounds, not FMJ, not JHP, not BHP, not squishy-ball HP, not rimfire, not centerfire, not pinfire, not blackpowder, not fixed metallic cartridges ... ... etc

I went to the box of truth and there conclusion on birdshot was it will not pass through the wall with enough force to strike the vital organs. While a 9 mm would. A refresher course never hurt anyone.

rcmodel said:

...Truth be known, and a little known secret?
There are no 'Magic Bullets'!...

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Quoted for truth.

Yes but some work alot better than others.

PGT said:

I've got a bunch of Winchester Ranger 147 grain Bonded Hollow Points (Law Enforcement overruns supposedly) as well as Speer Lawman and Blazer Brass to practice with. Is the Winchester stuff more than sufficient for HD use or should I try and pick up a couple boxes of more specialized stuff?

I don't mind paying a premium for stuff as I'll only be shooting enough of it to ensure it works properly in the gun I decide to keep in our bedroom (probably the Bersa). Thoughts?

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Ranger ammo is pretty good stuff in most of it's forms.
I have a whole lot of Ranger-T ammo myself and trust it completely to function just as well as any other decent modern brand.

The only things you really need to worry about is:
a) Does it function reliably in "your" gun?
b) Is it accurate out of "your" gun?
c) Have you practiced enough shooting it out of "your' gun to be competent with it?

Other than that, pretty much "all" 9mm ammo will punch right through sheetrock like already mentioned. That is one of those hazards that's almost unavoidable.

Water-Man said:

Yes but some work alot better than others.

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True.

Right. I'm concerned the kindergartner in her bedroom across the hallway, i.e., I want to know I'm not going to be shooting through the perp and endangering her. [...]

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As soon as i read this, many options flew out the window. Over penetration is a serious issue. The OP mentioned over penetration through an intruder, but you must also consider over penetration of rounds that miss their target. Many rounds fired in defense miss their target. Even police have something like a 30% hit rate.

Many particular loads that have been mentioned on this thread will DEFINITELY over penetrate in the OPs hypothetical use for this ammunition.

This is my recommendation:

Guard Dog by Federal
http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/handgun.aspx?id=936
PD9GRD - 105g 9mm EFMJ

Review by TNOUTDOORS (has an awesome channel and i trust his reviews)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA7f69skz9g

Clearly an under-penetrating round. Depends on if you are willing to trade minimized performance for an also minimized risk of over penetration and endangering a loved on.


Your call.

After learning that your daughter might be in the line of fire behind an attacker, that all of a sudden made the 147 gr rounds a bad choice. In all honesty, it would make me ditch the pistol completely for that purpose and use my AR. However, seeing as you and I are not in the same boat, I would recommend as light of a round as you can get that is a HP and not +P.

Sent from my HTC One X

Rarely can you have your 'cake and eat it too' and that especially applies to ammo.

The most important part in home defense SHOULD BE to stop the threat. If you don't do that the safety of yourself and your family is gone.

If your ammo doesn't penetrate the BG deep enough, chances are he/she will NOT be stopped.

So all this discussion about using something that will not go through a wall etc. should not be THE priority and the OP should concentrate on using a defense load that has the best chance of stopping the perp.

There are people and children everywhere. Do what professionals do and use a Judge loaded with #9 shot. that was a joke

Overpenetration

If you are comcerned about overpenetration,think shotgun.I would think that a "Judge" or a "Govenor" would be the ideal night stand weapon.

Does it shoot well

PGT,

I use a 9m.m. for my home gun and it depends on which gun I am using. In my large 9m.m. pistols like the BERETTA 92, SIG 226 or WALTHER P-99, I use FEDERAL +P+ HYDRO SHOK 124 grain ammo.
In my smaller 9m.m. pistols, like the SIG 225 and SPRINGFIELD ARMORY XD9 Sub Compact, I use either standard velocity HYDRO SHOK 124 grain ammo or FEDERAL 115 grain jhp.
They are all proven loads on the street with long records in police shootings and are 100% reliable in my guns.

The +P+ HYDRO SHOK was my issue load when I carried a 9m.m. for the I&NS.

I have found all these loads shoot well in my guns and just use the standard FEDERAL ball ammo for practice. It has also proven accurate in my guns and none of these loads has a known overpenetration issue.

The really important thing in my mind is to practice on a regular basis and use realistic scenarios when doing so.

I think you will find that your ammo selection is less important the getting the practice using it.

Jim