What defensive ammo do you carry and why?

[Hawk]

Another one for what Jack19 said - mine is 200Grn .45ACP.

My 3" and 3.9" bbl 1911's like it and it's supposed to not be so fussy about the reduced velocity from the shorty barrels. I have no first hand experience that would bear this out, though.

 

[jsalcedo]

Hardball for reliability in my 1911's

Except in my Mak which has alternating HP's and glasers because the mak has never jammed.

 

[Bobarino]

135 gr Cor-Bon .40S&W's.

because i subscribe to the light and fast school of though and they make a really cool, loud BANG!

Bobby

 

[David4516]

"... because the mak has never jammed"

I carry a Makarov for that very reason.

My carry rounds are home-made "+p"s with 95 gr Hornady XTPs...

But when I'm out in the woods I carry FMJs, just in case I run into four legged critters and need the extra penatration...

 

[Johnny Guest]

Varies by the gun - -

.45 ACP 230 Gold Dot HP
9 mm 124 GDHP

These are agency-issue and I like them as well as anything else, and better than most.

In .38 Spl, the Remington 158 LSWCHP+P, because I like full weight bullets better than the issue GDHP. Well-proven track record, and all my .38/.357 revolvers shoot it accurately. I'm of a firm enough opinion that I went through getting approval for this ammo, and furnish it at my own expense.

These handguns serve me well over 95% of the time.

On the rare occasions when I carry something else - - -
.357 Magnum - - Remington 158 JHP
.45 Colt Black Hills 250 gr. LSWC or handload, 276 LSWC at about 900.
.44 Spl. PMC 240 LSWC or handload, 240 LSWC at about 900.
.32 ACP Fiocchi, S&B, or FN FMJ
.380 ACP Federal 90 gr. JHP
.40 S&W Whatever 180 JHP is handy.

Best,
Johnny

 

[Jeff OTMG]

What ammo do you carry and why?
In any caliber I carry RBCD. The velocities and perfomance are the 'why'.
.32 ACP 1815 fps
.38 Special 1850 fps
9mm 2300+ fps
.40 S&W 2300+ fps
.45 ACP 2300+ fps

Why is that you carry said ammo and are willing to trust your life on such ammo?

In the five shootings known to me, all hits have been effective and all but one has been fatal

Is it the gun, the ammo?

It is both. The gun is no good without ammo and the ammo serves no purpose without the gun.

 

[OF]

Winchester Ranger Talon RA45TP. Research leads me to believe it's the best available.

- Gabe

 

[tbeb]

I just switched to Federal 158 gr. lead semi-wadcutter hollowpoints for my .38 snubby, because I'm convinced they will at least reliably disform from a 2" barrel. This performance is as good as I can expect. This load works on the streets (even from snubbies), and that's all that matters to me.

 

[Lennyjoe]

G19 9MM with 15 rounds of Black Hills 124 gr +P sporting the Gold Dot JHP

Taurus PT100AFS in .40 cal loaded with 11 rounds of Speer Gold Dot 165gr JHP.

 

[gulogulo1970]

I use in:
9mm, Federal 115gr +P+ load
38 Spl, Any 158gr SWC +P
357 Mag, Blazer 158gr JHP
40 S&W, Winchester 155gr Silver Tip HP
45 ACP, Winchester 230gr JHP
44 Mag, Corbon 165gr JHP (44 Spl Load).

I use the auto pistol rounds that I do because they do not malfunction in my guns.
I use the revolver loads because they hit point of aim in my guns.

 

[Zach S]

230gr Hydra Shocks, mainly because they were the only hollowpoints my AMT would eat regardless of anything. Some other types were pretty reliable, but the Hydra Shocks were stone reliable. I've since moved on to much better pistols, but I stayed with the ammo. It runs flawlessly in all of my pistols, hits the same place as practice ammo (230gr WWB), I have plenty of it, so why try anything else?

 

[STEVE M]

45ACP= 230gr. Hydrashoks. Co. approved and, great track record, cheap

practice ammo.

38spl.= 158gr. LSWCHP have never seen anything better on the street.

40S&W=either 135gr Cor-Bon or Fed 155. Most seem to do well in this

Cal. but these are the 2 I have shot the most and are use to.