.45 acp hollow points opening?

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Rustyb1

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Hey everyone, I apologize ahead of time if this is the wrong section to post this, this is my first post.. What are the best hollow point ammo for the .45 acp? I overheard someone talking saying that the average .45 hollow point will not expand due to lack of speed.. Is this true? If so, are there any certain types of ammo that outperform the rest? I would prefer to have the best possible ammo for protecting my family and I, so thanks ahead of time for any input.
 
You will get a difference answer from everyone.. Its al lpersonal prefernce and what works betst and is most accurate in your gun. Id suggest getting a few different types and try them out and see which one performs best.

My favorite...Winchester Ranger
 
My personal opinion is to always fire FMJ through your guns.

Yea, yea, yea. I know everything you're going to say.

I prefer to maximize the reliability of my fine handguns, so I always shoot FMJ. FMJs also have the benefit of being much cheaper, too!

The .45 acp is plenty big enough. You don't need hollowpoints.
 
I carry several different types, right now its Remingtons Bonded Golden Sabers 230 gr, Speer Gold Dots 230 gr, Winchester Ranger T-Series 230 gr +P and Federal HST 230 gr when i can get them. Usually i have either the Sabers or Rangers in there. I always keep a back up mag with FMJ's in it. I am one of those that also believe that the FMJ's have plenty of power to stop a threat, they have proven that in several wars. Any .45 ACP round should serve you well as long as your shot placement is good.
 
Go to your local gun store, buy a box of each of the major brands they offer. Shoot them all through your .45 and choose the one that feeds reliably and you're most accurate with.

There is no one JHP to rule them all, and all the major brands seem to reliably expand.
 
Thanks everyone for all the input. I will buy a few boxes and see what works best.
 
Premium seld defence HP's....Shoot em!! they will perform as HP's.. If by chance they don't then they will act like a FMJ.. As somepne had said try afew choose the one that cycles best through your pistol..
 
It is ignorant to use FMJ's in any high caliber handgun. Typically the main backstop in a shooting is the back of the "bad guy". FMJ's will go through that person and risk hitting another inocent person. And worse is if you miss the bullet will go through the walls and possibly into anotet home. You should ALWAYS use hollow points in an urban situation. Like some of the others have said, speer gold dots, ranger t's, federal hst's are just of a few premium cartriges that perform great in any situation. I carry 230 grain in my 45, if you prefer higher velocity, get a lighter bullet. Just my 2 cents smitty704
 
Manufacturers today are well aware of the .45acp's velocity and manufacture JHPs accordingly (for the most part). Most of the premium JHPs on the market today have a good chance of expansion under most realistic situations.

I used to do my own informal testing using Play-Doh covered by varying amounts of denim for fun. I found 230gr Winchester Rangers (RA45T) expanded quite reliably after 4 layers of denim and it's what I've chosen to use. Federal HSTs should also be a great contender for reliable expansion (though I haven't tested them personally).

Even the older Hydra-Shoks expanded after 2 layers of denim and only began to plug after 4 layers.
 
smitty704 said:
It is ignorant to use FMJ's in any high caliber handgun. Typically the main backstop in a shooting is the back of the "bad guy". FMJ's will go through that person and risk hitting another inocent person. And worse is if you miss the bullet will go through the walls and possibly into anotet home. You should ALWAYS use hollow points in an urban situation. Like some of the others have said, speer gold dots, ranger t's, federal hst's are just of a few premium cartriges that perform great in any situation. I carry 230 grain in my 45, if you prefer higher velocity, get a lighter bullet. Just my 2 cents smitty704
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I prefer reliability and penetration.

We'll have to differ, I guess.
 
What kind of gun are you using that no JHPs will function reliably in it? If hollow points were a serious reliability concern in quality handguns, I doubt police would be using them. To my knowledge, all police agencies use JHPs.
 
If you intend to test the ammo you buy, a simple "Fackler Box" is ideal. You make a U-shaped trough of scrap wood, about 8-10" wide and deep and about 6 to 8 feet long. Fill it with gallon zip lock bags filled with water. If you like, drape cloth (denim is usual) over the end so the bullet has to penetrate the denim first.

That will show you if the bullet expands reliably. To test for penetration, measure to the middle of the last bag penetrated and divide the results by 1.8. That will give you the penetration to expect in Ordnance Gelatin.

I test my SD ammo that way, and usually it works out right on the button for expansion and penetration.
 
Sig Sauer (P226 and P250).

My Sig handles JHPs just fine. I prefer to have penetration when it comes to what I am aiming at. If the bad guy is wearing thick clothing, or hiding behind a wall, I want a FMJ that is up to the task. If a bad guy is in my house, and hides behind a wall, then I want a bullet that will find him. I admit that I'm going against the grain here. But, I don't see the point in having a bullet that won't go through a wall.

Everyone seems to want the "safe bullet" that won't go through walls. Everyone seems to think that an encounter with a bad guy will involve a perfect two-handed stance and a clean double-tap in the bad guy's center of mass (just like they do it at the range!). Somehow, I doubt it will work out that way. Rather, I think the bad guy will be elusive and will hide behind a column in the dining room, or the kitchen wall, etc.

The mo' penetration, the mo' better in my book.
 
Federal HST
Federal EFMJ

Federal is my favorite popular ammo. I go straight to Fed FMJ for 1911 troubleshooting.

Corbon Powerball
Winchest Ranger T (aka Vaporware)
Remington Goldensabre (bonded, and only the bonded variety, the new stock piles should be anyways)


As far as 185gn vs. 230gn.....I don't really know, I let someone else chime in on that. Generally I prefere the softer shooting 230gn.
 
WinThePennant said:
My personal opinion is to always fire FMJ through your guns.

Yea, yea, yea. I know everything you're going to say.

I prefer to maximize the reliability of my fine handguns, so I always shoot FMJ. FMJs also have the benefit of being much cheaper, too!

The .45 acp is plenty big enough. You don't need hollowpoints.
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This is bad advice. Anyone who tells you that you should sacrifice an advantage in a gunfight is giving you bad advice. Anyone who keeps and carries a gun that they do not trust to function with modern self defense ammunition is compromising the very reason for carrying a pistol at all. Why not carry a percussion cap pistol? A crossbow?
 
http://ammo.ar15.com/project/Self_Defense_Ammo_FAQ/index.htm

In no order:
Barnes XPB/TAC-XP 185gr HP loaded by:

Cor-Bon (DPX45185)

Taurus (TCB45ACP185HP)

Winchester Ranger-T 230gr JHP (RA45T)

Winchester Ranger-T 230gr JHP +P (RA45TP)

Federal Tactical 230gr JHP (LE45T1)

Federal HST 230gr +P JHP (P45HST1)

Federal HST 230gr JHP (P45HST2)

Speer Gold Dot 230 gr JHP (23966)



my first choice would be 230gr +P HST's
 
The 230 grain Hydrashoks were the standard for a couple decades. Then, suddenly, it didn't expand anymore (apparently in the 4-layer denim tests), and we got HSTs instead.

I'm still using Hydrashoks; as I get around to it, I'll probably change to Corbon DPX (a 185), or (if the reports are impressive by then) to Hornady Critical Defense (185, too). If they run in my gun (which the Hydrashok does).
 
Too_Pure said:
This is bad advice. Anyone who tells you that you should sacrifice an advantage in a gunfight is giving you bad advice. Anyone who keeps and carries a gun that they do not trust to function with modern self defense ammunition is compromising the very reason for carrying a pistol at all. Why not carry a percussion cap pistol? A crossbow?
Click to expand...
In my view, JHPs are overrated. People think they are super bullets that do everything. They will not vaporize your target. They are not 'smart bullets' that hit only the bad guy. All they really do is limit your options, in my opinion.

I want penetration. You never know what the bad guy is wearing. Thick coat. Denim. Hiding behind your kitchen counter. Whatever - Use your imagination. If I'm trading shots with a bad guy in my house, I don't want non-penetrating ammo that requires me to only shoot him when I see him. He ducks behind a kitchen counter, or hides behind a column in the house, I'm drilling him through whatever he's hiding behind.

My Sigs handle hollowpoints just fine. I choose not to use them.
 
Zerodefect said:
Just meant that I can't find Ranger T on the shelfs anywhere.

I had to jump a GA Highway Patrol officer and steal his mags to get my last bunch. (Not like he didn't deserve it anyways)
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I see. I order it from places that conveniently ignore the agreement to restrict sales to LEO. I can't find it local either, but it abounds online. I like SGAmmo, if for no other reason than they are in my home state.

http://www.sgammo.com/category/catalog/pistol-ammunition/45-auto-acp

$32 per 50 :)
 
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