Give me your opinions on this ammunition

[Edmond]

I purchased these the other day as personal protection ammo:

Winchester 230 gr. SXT for my G30. It's in a black box and it says "Supreme" on the front. It's the first time I've seen this ammo. I haven't shot anything but 230 gr. out of my G30 and wanted to stay with 230 gr. so I could know what to expect in terms of feel.

Federal Premium 135 gr. for my 229.

Any experience with those ammo's?

I've heard great things about the Federal.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to shoot them because the range only allows for FMJ.

Thanks, guys!

 

[Jim Watson]

I have no experience with either.

But if you do not have access to a range where you can shoot your actual defensive ammo, you are in a world of hurt. Hollowpoint expansion is effective, but functional reliability is essential. I would never carry a load I had not shot a good deal of.

 

[Edmond]

I hear ya, Jim.

I'm sure someone here has used that combination and has an opinion on it.

 

[Ken Rainey]

The Winchester SXT ammo is the same as the Ranger ammo for law enforcement except that it doesn't have the "talons" when expanded. I used the Ranger ammo in my G30 and it worked well....that said, you still need to try it in your G30 to see for sure. Just tote the 230 ball ammo til you have a chance to test it. Not to start a debate, but 230 ball is a good defense load...it's all about shot placement.

I don't have any experience with the Federal ammo you spoke of.


Luck to ya,
Ken

 

[Father Knows Best]

I'm not sure about SXT, but I carry Winchester Ranger RA45T in my defense pistols. I believe it is very similar to the SXT, but the RA45T is the law enforcement version. You can get it at police supply houses. I bought a case of it (500 rounds) about a year ago for something like $180. I mostly practice with ball, but I always shoot up whatever RA45T is in my mags whenever I go to the range, and I've never had a problem of any kind. At the end of a range session, I always load another mag or two of RA45T and shoot it just to verify function with the gun hot and dirty. It always works. POI is also very close to the cheap PMC 230 gr ball that I use for high volume practice.

 

[Glock19Fan]

Like they mentioned, the Supreme SXT is the public Ranger T load. They dont have the sharp talons at the end of the expanded petals and they have 8 petals instead of 6. They dont perform as well at the Ranger T, but they are still alright for defense.

The biggest problem is the price. A box of 20 Supremes can be higher than a box of 50 Ranger T, without the performance.

I would look into Gold Dots too as a self defense load. They are available in the weights you are looking for, and IMO, they are much better performers.

 

[Johnny Guest]

Limited experience with the Winchester

I recently retired from a sheriff's office with a rather enlightened outlook - - They stocked TWO issue rounds for .45 ACP - - Speer 230 Gold Dot and the Winchester - - for those who had feelings about one or the other. After some careful testing, I found that, while both worked equally well, the GDHP was slightly more accurate in my primary Colts, a Commander and a Government Model.

Sorry -- No experience with the Fed Premium 135 gr ammo.

Best,
Johnny