Ammunition for the self-defense firearm

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You may also want to look at BrassFetcher, as well as the site in my .sig. But here's a word of advice: there is no "perfect" ammo choice, but there is an awful lot of opinion.

Jim D.
 
Feel free to look over the years of ballistic work my father and I posted on Steve's pages under terminal ballistics. Kinda been there, done that on carry ammo. Currently i carry Hornady 230gr +P TAC/FPD in my Taurus 45 and Hornady Critical defense 110 gr +P in my Colt Diamondback. It's been personally tested and rated good enough. Depending on what you carry, there are some others that also rate: Good enough. Feel free to email me.
 
Thanks for the tips. Checking out BrassFetcher right now. I don't know anything about guns, I'm more of a computer geek, but the geeks have to defend themselves too!
 
I agree with Ayoob with respect to home defense, the combination of 12Ga. + No. 1 Buck is king (though a 20Ga. + No. 2 Buck is a decent alternative). It limits penetration and affords the "overkill" (there really is no such thing in such instances) required to ensure a job well done. Everything else pales by comparison. It is important to note that you should use what you use best. If you only shoot .22LR well, that is what you should use...a .22LR to the head beats a 12Ga. slug to the wall every time.

:)
 
 
Thanks for the replies. Yes, ultimately (provided the gun isn't a POS), it comes down to the shooter's abilities. Self-defense requires much practice.
 
I'm of the general opinion that just about any of the HP ammo for 38spl and larger are just fine for defensive purposes. Defensive shooting distances are typically across a room kinds of distances max. It is not hard to hit the torso at those kinds of distances if you practice a little. A 12 ga shotgun is always better but can be more difficult to yield inside a home. However, if you hunt small game or birds with a shotgun, you'll probably feel comfortable with the shotgun. Keep in mind that you have to aim a shotgun indoors as the shot spread will not be significant at close range.

I would not recommend a 22 rimfire, but if that is all you have, it is a lot better than nothing. Use good reliable ammo and be prepared to shoot more than a couple times quickly.
 
I've heard the rimfire cartridges are not as reliable as centerfire ones, so that is good to note. The wife wants to try a .22 because the .357 (even with .38s) still makes her uneasy.
 
I would not recommend a 22 rimfire, but if that is all you have, it is a lot better than nothing. Use good reliable ammo and be prepared to shoot more than a couple times quickly.
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I wouldn't either, but the fact remains that the .22LR (at least out of a rifle) is a formidable cartridge. The best .22LR packs as much energy as the average .380ACP does out of a "mouse-gun", and while the smaller caliber does limit the effectiveness (less trauma and often times it tends to over-penetrate) it can get the job done. Like I said earlier, better a .22LR in the head than a 12Ga. slug in the wall...use what you have and know how to shoot well...if that is a .22LR, so be it.

I've heard the rimfire cartridges are not as reliable as centerfire ones, so that is good to note.
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That is often, but not always the case. It is certainly better to use premium ammunition (Aguila SuperMaximum would be my choice) in this instance, both for better performance, reliability, and to a lesser extent accuracy (not a big concern at typical HD range, but should also be taken into account).

:)
 
The reliability issue with rimfire ammo relates to the way the cartridges are made. If you shoot much 22 ammo, especially the bulk packs and in particular Remington ammo, you will get fail-to-fires (FTFs) and are often caused by the primer compound not being evenly spread across the base. Also, a dirty chamber can cause misfires or light firing pin strikes. If you choose to use a 22LR, shoot the ammo you plan to use. I would choose CCI Mini Mags or CCI Velocitors. There is some discussion as to whether a HP or solid point design would be better for self defense. I don't have a strong opinion either way.

Cartridge ignition is generally more reliable with centerfire cartridges. Also, feeding 22LR through a semi-auto pistol tends to be less reliable than a center fire pistol. Whatever you choose to use, you need to test the firearm and ammo for reliability. You reduce the potential feeding problem using revolvers. You just press the trigger again.

Your wife may be more comfortable with a 20 ga shotgun. The good old Remington 870 or Mossberg 500 (pump action) are good choices. The police version will hold more cartridges. Keep in mind that the slugs or buck shot loads are the heaviest recoil typically shot from shotguns with minor exceptions perhaps for special loads for turkey or high flying geese.
 
The reliability issue with rimfire ammo relates to the way the cartridges are made. If you shoot much 22 ammo, especially the bulk packs and in particular Remington ammo, you will get fail-to-fires (FTFs) and are often caused by the primer compound not being evenly spread across the base.
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Very true, which is why the use of premium ammo is especially important. I have had too many problems out of CCI, therefore I don't use them for anything, so I certainly wouldn't use them for SD. Aguila ammo is Eley primed and has performed admirably for me, so that would be my choice (if I were to use rimfire). Like anything else good ammo is an important part of the equation (just as much as the firearm or shooter).

There is some discussion as to whether a HP or solid point design would be better for self defense.
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Don't know too much about rimfire pistols (had one, didn't like it, sold it...pretty much swore them off after that), but in a rifle a good high/hyper velocity HP would be the superior choice. .22LR has far greater penetration than most folks believe (can even penetrate soft body armor), so I would want as much expansion as possible to make the most of that energy. Additionally the HP cartridges also tend to be the most powerful loads in rimfire rounds, and with that wee round you want as much as you can get.

:)
 
Libertatem said:
I've heard the rimfire cartridges are not as reliable as centerfire ones, so that is good to note. The wife wants to try a .22 because the .357 (even with .38s) still makes her uneasy.
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As stated, if a .22 is all she shoots well it is a better defense gun for her than a .38 she doesn't shoot well. Use the most powerful ammunition for it you can find--Velocitors look good for .22lr, but see if she can handle a .22WMR.

Rimfire ammunition is less reliable than centerfire, although using good ammunition does alleviate this concern to some degree. If a family member of mine were to insist on a .22 handgun for self defense I would recommend a revolver over an autoloader--if you get a dud with a revolver all you have to do is pull the trigger again, rather than go through a failure drill with an auto.
 
Sorry...I just can't endorse the original link. I got to here before I stopped reading word for word.
The decreased likelihood of your attacker dying from hollowpoint bullets saves you the moral and legal complications and expense you will experience from killing a man.
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I then got to here and stopped reading entirely.
Lastly, your attacker is safer because he is far less likely to die from one or two hollowpoint bullets than the five or six round-nose slugs you would have had to fire to put him down. Most gunshot deaths occur from shock and loss of blood, and ball rounds tend to make entry and exit wounds, whereas hollowpoints go in and stay put. An attacker shot twice with ball ammo will probably have four holes in him rather than two, and is thus in far greater danger of death from blood loss. If you can avoid killing your attacker you should, for both moral and legal reasons.
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I agree. It's extremely questionable. Hollowpoints from anything this side of a big magnum handgun or rifle do tend to have a braking effect, but they still increase the diameter of the bullet and lacerate more tissue than an FMJ RN. To assume that they're less lethal is not a good idea. To assume that they're BETTER because they're supposedly less lethal is dangerously stupid. It starts getting into "shoot to wound" territory.

The most effective handgun round on the market - regardless of caliber - is the Federal .357 Magnum 125 grain jacketed hollowpoint (357B). This load has more stopping power than any other handgun bullet (and this includes more powerful rounds like the .41 and .44 Magnums)
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Absolute hogwash. Even if you buy into the hype about "hi vel" .357's, there is simply no comparison between them and the full power .41 or .44 magnum loads. Look at any gel testing. Look at the ft. lbs. Look at the size of the bullets! Whoever wrote this is no expert.
 
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I would try a .25 acp and see if she likes that. However, unless she is extremely weak wristed, the issue here is experience and training. Gals should be just as capable of shooting a larger caliber as us 'fellas.
 
You may as well go with a "stout" .22lr (velocitor) than the anemic 25acp. I don't think there is a person on the planet that couldn't shoot a 4" 38 spl revolver well with some pracitice.
 
I agree. It's extremely questionable. Hollowpoints from anything this side of a big magnum handgun or rifle do tend to have a braking effect, but they still increase the diameter of the bullet and lacerate more tissue than an FMJ RN. To assume that they're less lethal is not a good idea. To assume that they're BETTER because they're supposedly less lethal is dangerously stupid. It starts getting into "shoot to wound" territory.
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+1, a hollowpoint has the potential to cause much greater damage due to the larger permanent cavity and simply slightly more chance that it hits something "important" (vital area).

Absolute hogwash. Even if you buy into the hype about "hi vel" .357's, there is simply no comparison between them and the full power .41 or .44 magnum loads. Look at any gel testing. Look at the ft. lbs. Look at the size of the bullets! Whoever wrote this is no expert.
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I believe he is looking at the FBI source that exhibits lethal shots categorized by cartridge. IIRC the .357Mag. is at the top of the list for one shot stops, however it doesn't take into account the area hit, or pretty much any other important information. I would, therefore, take the information with a grain of salt.

You may as well go with a "stout" .22lr (velocitor) than the anemic 25acp.
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Absolutely, the .25ACP is roughly the power level of standard velocity .22LR...it is probably the only "modern" cartridge that the .22LR actually definitively bests. Anything short of a .32ACP would be of no advantage, and you have to step up to .38Spl. until you see significant gains in performance.

:)
 
I agree that the .25acp's defensive capability essentially suck. I was speaking to the reliability concerns that were expressed about rimfire cartridges. I would say that the defensive capability of a .25acp 35grain FMJ is about on par with a .22lr with the added benefit of centerfire reliability. As I said before, the issue here is experience and training. A .22lr that you know how to use beats a larger caliber that you don't know how to use every time. Get her trained on a something better suited for use in a defensive capacity and in the mean the time, use whatever she's comfortable with.
 
An attacker shot twice with ball ammo will probably have four holes in him rather than two, and is thus in far greater danger of death from blood loss.
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That's possibly the most idiotic statement I've ever read. The writer must know absolutely nothing about anatomy and physiology.
I was going to read the article after perusing the replies in the thread, but now I won't bother to read the article.
 
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