What ammo for a short barrel .45?

[riddleofsteel]

I know we all have our preferences.

Pistol; Mine happens to be a G36 with a 3.78" barrel.

Ammo; Currently I am packing Federal 200 grain EFMJ +P and I am testing CorBon 165 grain +P PowRball.

Reason; Some short barrel .45's do not produce the velocity to expand conventional JHP's all the time and many JHP's become plugged with cloth, hair ect. preventing expansion.


What are you packing and why?

 

[Boats]

After extensive function testing I am carrying Federal 200gr +p EFMJ in my shorter 1911s. I do so because this round was designed from the clean sheet to feed well and expand consistently from shorter barreled pistols.

Points I like about EFMJ:

Added +p momentum.

No gaping hollow point to fill with denim or other material which would turn the round into ball ammo.

Did well at ammolab.com in expansion testing, not the biggest, but consistent.

Unlike the CorBon Pow'r Ball I am not sacrificing much bullet weight, The Pow'r Ball seems to me to be an attempt to turn the .45ACp into a .40 S&W loading with a skosh more bullet diameter.

 

[Humble Texan]

I carry a PT145. Short 3" barrel. Being more of the slow and heavy school, I carry Georgia Arms 230 grain ball for maximum penetration. I like deep. For an expanding round I would definitely use the 200 gr. EFMJ round. All others, except maybe the Powerball, excluded.

 

[DeltaElite]

I like Speer Gold Dot 200gr +p loads.

 

[COHIBA]

hornady XTP 200gr +p

 

[boing]

Winchester white-box 230 gr. JHP.

It's cheap enough to shoot lots and lots of it, so I know that it's 100% reliable in my carry guns, and all their magazines(!). If it expands, great. If it doesn't, it still pokes a hole.

Priorities:

1) Reliability
3) Penetration
4) Expansion

 

[Jeff OTMG]

What? RBCD Tactical
Why? 45 ACP at over 2340 fps & 1000 flbs

 

[Wildalaska]

Win Ranger 230 +P

 

[denfoote]

I'm rather fond of the Triton 230gr +P Quik Shok!!!

 

[moxie]

What is needed for hollow points to work properly is sufficient velocity. It does suffer with a short barrel. So, I like a lighter bullet such as the 185 gr. in +P mode. This keeps it going over 1000 fps as a rule (or very close), even out of a short barrel, so there is still a high probability of expansion. The 230 grainers don't always get moving fast enough. I like the Rem. Golden Saber 185 +P. Or, for indoor work where penetration and ricochet can be a problem, the Glaser Blue. Never had one fail to feed, fire, or hit what I aimed at.


"If you think you need to shoot...shoot...don't talk." Tuco