How did you pick your carry ammo?

[sturmruger]

Ammo Important?

I guess I have never cared to much about my carry ammo. I tend to buy whatever is on sale. I mostly carry HPs becuase I know it is better to get some expansion out of them. The last three rounds of a mag I will often put in FMJ. I like the idea that if I go through 7 rounds and can't hit what I am shooting at then maybe i can use the FMJ rounds to shoot through whatever might be blocking my shot. I thought about buying some tracer ammo and using that at the end of my mags so I know when i am getting close to being out of ammo maybe that is just a gimic I don't know if that would help.


I do test a mag or two of whatever ammo is sitting in my CCW piece to make sure it feeds properly.

 

[lycanthrope]

I load mine myself. It allows me to find what the gun likes and I can afford to run several thousand through it to determine reliability.

I don't care what any lawyer says. I deserve the best ammo for my gun and I htink that only comes through the custom shop in my house.

Currently, it's .40 SW, 125gr Sinterfire Frangibles at 1400fps.

 

[forquidder]

ammo choice

eenie-meenie-mynie-mo

 

[Smoke]

I walked into a store and said "What's the cheapest 45acp on the shelf?"

Smoke

 

[OF]

We won't get into it here, but I humbly suggest you run a search here for 'marshall' or 'sanow' and read a bit before relying on their recommendations for ammunition. There's also plenty of discussion on the topic in the archives right here at THR worth reading, too.

- Gabe

PS: Welcome to THR!

 

[blades67]

I load my own. My practice/competition ammunition and my carry ammunition both come off the same press. I trust me.

 

[Alan Fud]

GRD, I own a few books by Marshall and am familiar with his one-shot stop statistics. I am also aware of Fackner's [sp] work which deals tissue damage instead. Both present very interesting arguements. Both usually are on opposite sides of the field. Both can't be right.

 

[Hypnogator]

I chose Hydra-Shoks after seeing autopsy and recovered bullet photos accompanying a paper presented at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences annual meeting when they first came out. They've been 100% reliable in any gun and caliber I ever used them in.

I currently carry 230-gr Hydra Shoks in my .45, but carry 60-gr Cor-Bons in my P-32 because they are loaded hotter than the Federal loadings.

Will probably try the 200-gr Power Ball when Cor-Bon comes out with it. I'm not married to any of these cartridges, and wouldn't feel under-gunned with any of the premium JHP ammo now on the market.

 

[Rickstir]

I shoot JHP's in .38 +p in my .357 and 9mm. Same round the local sheriff department uses. No "evil" rounds in my mags Mr. Lawyer.

 

[SapperLeader]

I usually research which loads are good within a give caliber, and tend to prefer hp over fmj. There are exceptions, as I use fmj in .32, and am still debating on which to use in .380. For 38 special and 9mm and up, I use hollow points though. Once I find a certain load i like the ballistics of, I test it in my gun. If the gun seems to like it, I buy a lot more, and see if the gun will feed over 200 rounds. If thats the case, its my carry load. So far gold dot 124 gr standard pressure has worked in all my 9mm carry guns but my star bm which prefers the winchester white box 115gr jhp. Im about to upgrade to 124+p and just recieved a case worth to start testing each gun. Reliability is key in my guns, but I also take into consideration its paper ballistics.

 

[OF]

Both can't be right.

Yup. Research the topic enough and it starts to become very clear who's right and who's blowing smoke. When I decided to figure out what ammo I wanted to depend on, I started reading. The great thing about online forums is you can actually watch the two sides debate each other, mull it over and then decide for yourself who you think has the better argument. An invaluable resource.

- Gabe

 

[BWC]

When they first came out I shot a bunch of .45 Hydra Shoks, liked them, they were reliable, and carried them.

A couple of years ago I got ahold of .45 +P Rangers (formerly Black Talons), shot up a bunch of that and liked it as well, and made the switch to that, even though it has become a bit hard to get in quantity.

I have also tried and like the 165 & 185gr +P CorBons, but have never carried it........ And I am considering the Golen Sabers as well.

Pick something that should do the job, shoot it enough to get comfortable with it, then carry with confidence. But still keep your eyes & ears open for something better......things are always changing.

 

[DonGlock26]

I use the heaviest round in that caliber. Then, I use the ammo that performs the best in FBI style testing. I use RangerT and Golddots.

 

[standingbear]

to make a long story short-I tried several handguns in various calibers to see which ones I was most comfortable with and most accurate with-they had to fall within a certain pricerange and be affordable to me.I then went with testing them on a groundhog hunt(fast lil boogers aint they?).tested the choices for expansion and penetration in a variety of things like fiberboard in layers and clay(and a few tree trunks-both wet & dry- cut in sections).tested the accuracy in ranges from 5 feet to 50 yards to see how the bullet was going to react after hitting various obsticles and where it was going past the initial target.prolly not the best way to find a selection of defensive carry ammo but it was how I did it.

 

[Wildalaska]

Its all the same, whatever shoots best in your gun


WildchoiceschoicesAlaska

 

[themic]

i picked out:

9mm 115gr JHP by S&B. Tried it out because it was cheap, and i like the sealed primers. Reputation for hard primers, though. So I ran a whole bunch through my RAP and had no problems. Hard primers NOT a problem for that gun, jeez, with that trigger pull.

.45 ACP 230gr JHP CCI Blazer. "The Flying ashtray." Again, picked because it was cheap, tried it through my Colt 1991 and all worked fine. So I kept it.

On both, I picked stuff that was cheap enough to practice with on a regular basis, they both went through the ringer and work fine, and so I keep them.

I am also an apartment dweller, so I picked them for shallower penetration. Don't want to shoot through the walls and nab an innocent. The 9mm is a lighter bullet, and the ashtray is so ridiculously wide open that it should pretty much dump it's energy fairly well. I hope. Haven't seen too many gel tests with it. Or none. And neither are +P or anything like that. Just good solid cheap reliable (in my guns) JHP ammo.

 

[gbelleh]

I choose defense ammo much like most others. There is plenty of data online (velocity, gelatin penetration, expansion, etc. for most barrel lengths). I've also done some informal tests out in rural Kansas. Based on research and personal testing and experience, I usually pick one of the heaviest Speer Gold Dot rounds available for the caliber. Gold Dots have always performed consistently in my specific guns and all recovered bullets have been perfectly expanded. Accuracy has also been very good. I've also had very good results with Remington Golden Saber.

My current carry rotation ammo includes:
Speer Gold Dot:
9mm (124gr +p)
.45 (230gr)
.38 sp (125gr +p)

Remington Golden Saber:
.45 (230gr)
.380 (102gr)

Federal:
.38 sp (158gr +p SWCHP)

 

[Smoke]

Maybe I should clarify my feelings:

It is less important what you hit them with, than that you hit them.

Smoke

 

[Dave R]

Here's what I did.

First, I shot for group size/accuracy.

Then, I shot wet newsprint media so I could see with my own two eyeballs what kind of expasion/penetration I would get.

Yeah, I know--its perfect if I get attacked bywet newsprint...Right, its not the same as the terminal performance in a body, but it allows me to see differences between one kind of ammo and another. And it allowed me to see how many layers of denim were required to keep it from expanding.

So I feel pretty comfortable that I know how my chosed ammo will perform.

 

[shooter1]

Pretty much any of the premium factory loadings are good in the mid to heavy weight range. I stay away from the magic bullets, like the 90gr .45 bullets at warp 2, that penetrates 2" of armor plate and then expands to .70 in a grape. You know the ones!
str1

 

[threefeathers]

ammo

I go to ammolab.com and look at the results. Then I look at what the local police use. I however am most impressed with the consistance of Taurus Hex in 45 ACP. I use Golden Saber in 9mm, and Corbon in 40 Smith. Am going to test my new Sig in 357 Sig and see.

 

[MrPink]

I carry an S&W340PD loaded with Proload's "Tactical Lite" 357 125 grain Golddot. I like the Golddot bonded technology and seems to have good tests, press, etc.

I got to this load because full power magnums REALLY HURT in this gun. The 130 grain Federal Hydrashok Personal Defense load I use to carry was selected for the same reason - but that is even stiffer than the Proload.

Speer is now out with a Golddot 38+P that I'll try and probably use. I'm trying to go for the hardest hitting, lightest kicking round and like the fact that its specifically designed for snubbies with a large HP.

 

[Mil Novecientos Once]

Alan you may also do these tests

Personal Defense Ammunition Functional Reliability Test for Semiautomatic Handguns


A Simple Method for Testing Bullets with Your Guns

http://www.firearmstactical.com./briefs3.htm

A quick and easy method to determine bullet or shotshell performance out of any handgun or shotgun is to gather several (and we mean several -- about 30) cardboard half-gallon milk cartons (plastic won't do).

Fill them full of water, line them up side-by-side three abreast, in three rows of 10 (each carton should be in contact with its neighbor). Back-up several feet and shoot a bullet from your handgun into the center row of cartons.

Count the number of water filled cartons the bullet penetrated, including the carton where the bullet came to rest. Multiply the number of cartons times 2.5 to determine penetration depth in inches. This will give you a SWAG (scientific wild-ass gauge) of how your gun/cartridge combination will perform in soft tissue (both bullet expansion and penetration).

The data obtained and averaged from three test shots should give you a fairly accurate SWAG. Remember to observe all safety rules when handling your firearm.

 

[Chewie]

First test is reliability, it's got to go bang EVERY time. I've always read good things about Cor Bons in every caliber tested and I've never had a misfire. I carry them because they're accurate enough, reliable, penatrate and expand well. I carry them in 45 aurto, 44 special and will in 9mm once the gun is broken in.

 

[Blackhawk 6]

For my primary carry gun the procedure is as follows:

Academic research:

I consider major manufactuters for loads that have approximately 400 ft/lbs muzzle energy, high weight retention and ood expansion using the FBI protocols. This usually narrows the field to 3 to 5 loads.

Market research:

I check the local gun stores for availability and cost. While most things can be purchased via the internet, I prefer to be able to lay my hands on a box or two when I want. Cost becomes a factor only if one load is substantially more expensivce than another. Generally, this reduces the field to 2 or 3 loads.

Range testing:

I buy 50 rounds of each of the prospective loads. At the range, I chronograph each load out of my carry gun to confirm the manufacturers data. I then put between 200-250 rounds of ball through my carry gun. I then shoot my standard practice regimen with each load and my carry magazines. Any stoppages disqualify the load. Finally I compare my times and accuracy with each load. The best load becomes the carry load and I buy another box or two on the way home from the range.

After my gun and magazines are cleaned, each round is "chamber-checked"
in the barrel of my carry gun before being loaded in one of my carry magazines.

I repeat the range testing portion with my carry load each time I rotate ammunition.

I can not speak to the scientific validity of my method, but the results of my crude methods have been echoed by ballistics experts.

Current carry weapon and load: SIG P-229 9mm w/ Speer 124-grain +P Gold Dots.