Trying to select a good 9mm ammunition for my CCW

[Erik M]

I hope I'm not splitting hairs to badly. I am trying to decide on what I want to carry as my standard load in my 9mm CCW. For months I have carried Federal 115 Grain +P+ JHP's. There are the LE rounds that have the 'most impressive track record' for one shot stoppages. Recently my brother gave me a few rounds of Extreme Shock 85 grain copper jacketed polymer rounds. (1500 fps) He has done some field testing on phone books, fruits, and vegetables and he swears by them. From what I have read about them I fear that they would break up on thick clothing.

I have been thinking about switching to Buffalo Bore +p+ rounds because that’s what I carry in my .380. They claim that their 9mm 115 grain JHP achieves 1400 fps with 500 ft lbs of torque. They advertise that the 147 grain round generates 450 ft lbs @ 1175 fps.

From personal experience or preference would you recommend that I stick with the Federal rounds I started with, keep the Extreme Shock rounds that I have now, or switch to either the 115 or 147 grain Buffalo Bore rounds, or something else all together?

 

[bestseller92]

I'd say the Federal rounds you are using (9BPLE's) are fine. Another good choice would be the Winchester Ranger 127 grain +P+.

I like both of those rounds, and don't feel undergunned at all with standard velocity Federal 115 grain JHP (9BP).

 

[Ditch-Tiger]

Which ever one shoots to your POA and functions 100% in your gun. Thats what really matters.

(I like Federal Hydra-shocks)

 

[rklessdriver]

If the Federal 9BPLE feeds 100% in your gun... there is no reason to change.

I don't buy into the 1 shot stop internet stuff - but I do buy into the Border Patrol's exellant results with Federal 9BPLE.
Will

 

[belus]

Stopping power = placement is my thinking on this.

I expect most people stop when they realize "Oh *****, I'm shot!". If that shock doesn't stop them I don't expect any single round to unless its hit the heart, brain, or spine. When you're relying on hitting the right organ, you just need enough power/penetration to make it there and enough accuracy/confidence to know your gun and load can do it.

In 9mm I carried 124 Gold Dots at standard pressure or 124 Golden Sabers +P. I think any reputable manufacture's premium HP will do fine. I do not consider Extreme Shock reputable.

edit2: I think you should find a commonly available SD round that feeds reliably and stick with it. Other money should be spend on range time to build shooting skills. Maybe take up USPSA or IDPA.

edit: interesting I typed a four letter word but it put five asterisks.

 

[c919]

I personally am a big fan of Gold Dots and the newish Winchester PDX1 when it comes to 9mm SD rounds.

 

[9mmepiphany]

the Federal 9BP has been my default 9mm load for over 28 years. it feeds through everything i've tried it in and is usually accurate in all of them.

my last issue round was the Winchester Ranger 127gr +P+ Talon and is a more modern design with good accuracy and expansion

my last purchase (just a case) was the Speer 124gr +P Gold Dot which has also been accurate and has had very good reviews. it was a lot cheaper than the Ranger 127gr +P+.

the original design bullet weight for the 9mm round was 124gr...i think it only helps reliability to stick close to it

 

[Jack2427]

The 9mm round was developed over a hundred years ago. It has been used primarily with bullets in the 115-130 gr range as most guns were built for that weight range, they still are being built that way. I would not go super light because of a lack of penetration issue. In a fighting cartridge, bullet placement is issue number one, penetration is number two. If the bullet does not hit and penetrate it is useless. There are many things that affect penetration, and many of them are out of our control. We have a wider and better selection of ammo available today for any caliber. But with 9mm, I am sticking with the original effective range of 115to(my limit)125 grains weight. Note that the .357 SIG does very well at 125 grains. I still have a load of Federal 9BP 115 gr HPs, they work and work well. I expect the +P+ version will also, as with the 127gr +P HPs. I am convinced that they will give the penetration needed-in fact I know they will.
Just remember, you cannot expect any 9mm round to stop as well as a 10 gauge slug, just ain't going to happen.
know what your 9mm will do, and when you find a round that does what it was intended to do, use it.

 

[CWL]

They claim that their 9mm 115 grain JHP achieves 1400 fps with 500 ft lbs of torque.

"torque"? I think you mean "muzzle energy". You aren't expecting to spin a BG into the ground are ya?

Carry whatever you can afford to regularly shoot. That's all there is to it, no "secret" at all. The more you can practice, the more capable you will become, -it's not the bullet, it's you.

Don't fall for gimmicks, work on your abilities.

 

[Steve C]

Personally I stay with what is know to work well and that's the Police ammunition like the 115gr Federal +P+ or the Winchestar Ranger 127gr +P+. When Buffalo bore and Extreem shock have accumulated a record that's as good or better than it would be worth my consideration. For the most part any of the good JHP's work about equally well but LEO ammo is the most tested ammunition in the Lab and on the streets.

 

[KBintheSLC]

I personally don't see the point of the +p+ fireball stuff. If you need that much more power, why not just get a bigger caliber? Don't need to wreck your gun trying to make it something it is not. I generally carry standard pressure stuff in 147g, or a moderate +P loading in 124g. If I want to breathe fire, I carry my 10mm Auto.

 

[HydrostatiK]

147 grain gold dot all day every day

 

[Airman193SOS]

I generally don't take shots at other peoples' choices, but you need to see this test done with ExtremeShock ammunition.

The Box O' Truth #23 - ExtremeShock™ Ammo and the Box O' Truth

It is never possible to have too much information to make an informed decision, but it is possible to have too little.

 

[Erik M]

I generally don't take shots at other peoples' choices, but you need to see this test done with ExtremeShock ammunition.

The Box O' Truth #23 - ExtremeShock™ Ammo and the Box O' Truth

It is never possible to have too much information to make an informed decision, but it is possible to have too little.

thanks! i was actually going to box of truth to read this article, but got sidetracked on an article about sabot slugs and fell asleep.

I think im gonna stick with the federals. my 92 isn't phased by +p+ loads and 100 rounds of it have cycled perfectly.

 

[SouthernBoy]

You might consider looking into the Federal HST loads in 124 and 147gr configuration, both available in +P loadings. The 147gr +P HST looks very impressive.

 

[mec]

Ive used gold dots in a bunch of differet factory loads and reloads. they are reliable expanders regardless of barrel lenght. In this picture, the poor expanders on the left were actually intended for 357 sig velocities and didn't do well at 9x19 velocities. The 124 gdhps in the center look the same fired from 3" barrels to 5" barrels. The one on the right is a 45 acp short barrel bullet.
Ive settled on Gold dot standard velocity factory or reloads for my general 9mm walking around load. Walking around generally means being out in the country without any real intend to shoot anything but wishing to be prepared if the opportunity presents. I do believe the load is about as good as anything you could get for defensive shooting. While equal in performance, most people would pick the factory load over the reload because of possible court room factors.

Tiny gibblets of pants material went all the way through the brisket I was using as primary media.

 

[skeeter_08]

IMHO, the CorBon DPX 9 MM +P 115 GR. [DPX09115/20] is the best that I've ever tried; at @ $1.73/round, this ain't exactly practice ammo though!

 

[obiwan1]

Use what the local cops carry. It probably will work fine, and is easily defensible in court.

 

[dbshabo]

I second what SouthernBoy said.

Shabo

 

[.357 magnum]

Penetration-Accuracy-Expansion

Federal LE Tactical 147gr +P HST and Winchester LE Bonded 147gr +P----The Non +P Versions of the above also offer Excellent Performance.

The Best To All!

Frank

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

Extreme Shock is gimmick ammo and could get you killed. Stick with quality ammo from reputable manufacturers who supply LE agencies with the money and knowledge to do the proper testing. ES ammo will not achieve the minimum 12" penetration for reliable man stopping that was determined by the FBI.

The top of the line brands by Federal, Speer, Remington, Winchester, etc... are the brands to stick with.

I use 124gr +p Speer Gold Dots in my 9mm.

 

[ohwell]

I recently bought some Hornady Critical Defense rounds in 9MM I havent had a chance to test them yet but if they perform as well in 9 as they do in my LCP 380 they are what I will carry.

 

[wrs840]

In 9mm, I've currently settled on Golden Saber 124 grain, because they just have the smallest-group mojo for me in my wife's 5904 and my BHP, which surprises me in a way. I'm a 165gr Gold-Dot fan for my .40.

les

 

[Boba Fett]

Some caveats before I give you my choice:

Generally speaking, all handgun ammo sucks. But since we cannot carry rifles around, in most circumstances, we're stuck with handguns.

So, knowing that handgun ammo sucks in terms of stopping power, what's a CCWer to do?

Carry ammo that meets several criteria:
1) Has a proven track record of reliability/dependability amongst the general firearms community.
2) Works in your hand gun. Meaning you bought at least one box and made sure your firearm eats it. Expensive to do, yes. But cheaper than a failure to feed when it counts.
3) Feels comfortable and controllable for you to shoot. If you can handle +P+ from a little 3" barrel (or whatever you've got), go for it. If you can't, don't let someone talk you into into a case of it. And make sure your handgun is actually built to handle the more powerful loads.
4) Do not buy a snake oil ammo. In other words, a quality ammo/manufacturer doesn't need hype, sexy women, creepy names such as DRT (Dead Right There) which will be more likely to get you sued (I noticed they changed what the acronym stands for), or a bunch of guys in SWAT gear bursting from the box. Quality ammo doesn't need gimmicks; it sells itself.


So what do I carry? Well, I carry Winchester Ranger T - 147 grain RA9T. I was first interested in the Ranger T ammo with my 45. It had such a perfect expansion and did not lose mass (i.e. pieces of the jacked didn't come off) when it expanded. Which is good because if your ammo does manage to expand, then you want it to carry as much mass as possible.

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/BHP and 147 gr Ammo.htm
http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/P220ammo.htm
http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/HiPower127Winchester.htm

Now, before someone says, "Isn't that the Black Talon ammo?", let me remind you of what I said above. I could care less about the hype. Hence the reason I didn't pay $50+ for the "original" Black Talon ammo on Gunbroker or what is known in some circles as out-of-date, overpriced, inferior ammo since it is several generations old compared to the Ranger T ammo. I could care less if it has "barbs" that might nick some vital area. I do care that it expands constantly and retains mass in the tests I've read about.

Other's have mentioned several excellent choices as well. I have also carried the Federal and the Hornady and found both to be very good.

As I said at the start, handgun ammo sucks. Pick reliability over hype and reputation over gimmicks, and you'll probably be fine with whatever you choose.

 

[spd1303]

Speer Gold Dot is awesome also Hornady Double Tap Ammo is very good.