which 9mm+p doubletap for self-defense?

[coosbaycreep]

I've got one box of each (115 grain, 124 grain, and 147 grain), but haven't shot any of it yet as I am cheap and poor. I know you should actually SHOOT different kinds of ammo to find out which functions the best and is most accurate in your gun, but I'm too cheap and lazy to do that. So, assuming that there's no reliability or accuracy issues with any of these three weights of doubletap in my gun, which is the best for self-defense?

Here's the ballistics info from DT's website:
Ballistics : 115gr @ 1415fps / 511ft. lbs. from a G17.
Ballistics : 124gr @ 1310fps / 473ft. lbs. from a G17.
Ballistics : 147gr @ 1135fps / 421ft. lbs. from a G17.

Obviously the 115gr bullets have the most energy, but I don't know if that makes them the best for SD.

This would be for a glock 17 BTW.

 

[Marcus L.]

I'm of the opinion that you don't need all that increase in velocity. You'll have more recoil, more muzzle flash(blind you at night), more muzzle blast(cause you to flinch more), and it will wear out your firearm faster accelerating the possibility of broken parts during a fight. Modern ammunition performance and advanced bullet designs has taken away the need for super high velocity handgun rounds. The .357magnum gained its manstopper reputation in the 1970s and 1980s because of the poor design of early hollow points. Ammunition manufacturers back then tested their hollow point designs in water. However, the human body is not 100% water so hollow points were not opening up reliably with lower velocity caliber like the 9mm and .45acp. High velocity calibers like the .357magnum were the only calibers that could reliably open up those early hollow point designs and cause more trauma than a .45acp military hardball. Now days, ammo manufacturers test their loads in ballistic gel which have the same water consistancy of muscle tissue and lower velocity calibers are doing quite well in actual shootings. At one time, the .357mag was the king of the law enforcement calibers....now days it, along with the .357sig are distant in popularity compared to the now proven 9mm, .40S&W, and .45acp modern bullet designs.

Just one cop's advice......get yourself some standard pressure 147gr Speer Gold Dots, Remington Golden Sabers, Federal HST, or Winchester Ranger Talons and rest easy that you are carrying the best overall 9mm loads on the market. If you must go with the Double Tap.....I would go with the 147gr load.

 

[ashtxsniper]

go with the 124 grn

 

[GRIZ22]

I'm of the opinion that any quality JHP will do the job as long as it feeds well in your gun. There is no magic bullet.

I'm not a fan of +P ammo. Yes I'll use it in a K frame or larger but if you wanted more velocity you should have gotten a 357 SIG. If you look at the numbers you don't gain a lot over standard ammo and as Marcus said a lot more muzzle flash. Muzzle flash can bother you m ore than recoil.

Gold Dot 124 (std loading) does a little over 1200 fps in my Glock 17. The extra 100 fps isn't going to make much of a difference.

 

[wnycollector]

+1 for the 124gr. The DT 124's run flawlessly through my SIG P226.

 

[jon_in_wv]

I'm curious if you guys have shot any of these loads? +p doesn't necessarily mean more muzzle flash or a ton of recoil. I recently switched to carrying Federal 9BPLE which is rated at +p+ and there is neither much muzzle flash nor a greater amount of recoil. Also the double tap loads are significantly faster than the regular loads and the Gold dots give super expansion at those velocities. You want to see muzzle flash? Try some standard pressure 115gr UMC some time. Its not the +p that causes the muzzle flash. That being said they all seem like good loads. I would try them all. See which one is the most controllable for YOU and shoot them at dusk or at night to see if there is significant muzzle flash rather than just assuming there is.

 

[Deus Machina]

I vote for the 124.

115 will hit hard but slow down (terminally) a little faster at any range, and some 147's have a reputation (sometimes undeserved, in many cases) of not expanding reliably. And, in some cases, not feeding as well.

If the 124's feed reliably, carry them. 124 is, IMO, the 'golden number' for 9mm.