Best .45 ACP round?

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My favorite round is the Winchester 230gr JHP in the 50-round USA white box. It's old-school, but reportedly the same bullet, sans silver color, as the Silvertip. This box is priced approximately the same as the 20-round PDX next to it on the shelf. It's affordable, accurate as I am, and even if it doesn't mushroom into something the size of a small pizza, it'll still punch almost-half-inch holes.

Sometimes "good enough" is good enough, IMHO.

Q
 
I carry the 230 grain HST +P. It or any other high quality JHP is fine as long as it functions 100% in your gun. One thing to keep in mind about 'premium' SD ammo is that it tends to have significantly less muzzle flash than stuff like WWB FMJ. I do 'lights out' practice at a local range and the muzzle flash of even +P HST is less than WWB. It's been so long since I fired regular HSTs I can't remember how much less muzzle flash they had.
 
I like the Cor-Bon Guard Dogs, Cor-Bon DPX or Cor-Bon Glaciers, in that order, for Home Defense or Personal Defense. Currently I carry 3 Extra Mags with Gaurd Dogs in All of them, DPX would be next.
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Federal Gaurd Dog ?
 
I carry Winchester Ranger T 230gr JHP +P on and off duty and have been very pleased with it. It is accurate and functions well in everything I've shot it in so far.
 
My preference in .45ACP is for the Hornady 230gr XTP +P JHP- It expands to ~1.5x caliber and is very accurate through my HK USP45.
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Same, this is what i have in my Glock 21 at the moment. OP, why don't you post a poll? The manufacturer should not matter that much, just put bullet grain and style.
 
I agree with RC's post above. Find a load that you can shoot well, that feeds well in YOUR handgun, and is available.

For me that happens to be 200 grain Hornady XTP ammo in my 1911, and in my HK USP. It is 115 grain Speer Gold Dot in my High Power, and in my Kahr CW9. If I can find the XTP rounds in 9 mm I will give them a shot, but the Gold Dots feed just fine in my 9 mm's.
 
To repeat what RCModel said, find a load made by a reputable company that feeds well and is accurate in your specific handgun. Everything else is gravy. Bullet design and powder manufacture has come so far in the last 20 years that even the "marginal" rounds today are better than premiums of the past. There was a time that 158 grain LRN in .38Spcl was king of the hill. Now it's toward the bottom of the heap.
 
I have always had great performance and reliability in my Colt Combat Commander and Officers Model with Winchesters 185 gr. Silvertips. I stocked up on them awhile back because I found that they worked well in my guns and gave me decent results, both in their reliability and accuracy.
 
If we're talking .45 auto (and we are), my criteria is simple. Brass cased, 230 grains, and made by a reputable manufacturer. Even in FMJ, it's STILL a .45!

I use Winchester white box JHPs or Remington UMC JHP. But my 220 absolutely loves Winchester 230 FMJ, and I'd be fine with that too.
 
Regardless of caliber, my go to choice is Speer Gold Dot. However, when there are questions about functionality, I always turn to the Glaser Pow'rball. That big polymer ball up front feeds so slick.
 
1. Speer Gold Dots
2. Hornady Critical Defense
3. Rem. Golden Sabres +P
4. Most any 230gr. RN will do in the field.

Most 185 to 200gr JHPs do in my P220s. My 1911s are slightly more finicky.
 
My wife uses the Remington Green Box L45AP7 ammo for years.
It may not expand as fast as the Golden Sabers but it does expand & is the same price as the practice FMJ ammo with exactly the same ballistics & trajectory.

My antique preferrs FMJ & that works for me.
 
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