Which personal protection ammo do you like best?

[possum]

I have a wide variety of home defense/ personal protection ammo, and i test fire all of them in my handguns to make sure they will work properly if their comes a time i might need them. I have a good stock of elderado starfires, golden sabers, hydrashocks, win jhp, but carry hornaday xtp's in my xd .40. and will probally do the same in my khar when it arrives.
What do you guys carry and why and which of the above would you guys carry. any past experiences with them, in real world situations, the only ammo we use in comat is fmj, so we really don't get to see the effects of the other brands and types of ammo.

 

[JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone]

45acp -Win 230gn JHP and 230gn lead Lee SWCHP. (my own pour)

.357mag -Win 158gn SWCHP and 158gn TalonHP

.38spl -158gn Golden Sabre HP's and Sierra 147gn JHP

9mm -115gn Hydra shocks and 115gn Win Silvertip JHP

I haven't purchased factory ammunition for years.

Why? I've tested them all in wet newspaper, and/or sand and some on animals to know what the outcome would be. For each of these I've developed loads for particular pistols. No need to try something new. These are perfect for me.

I have tested Hornady XTP's in the above calibers in the same manner I did the rest. I'm no expert. My tests are not scientific. But I was not impressed with the expansion. Weight retention -yes, but not expansion.

-Steve

 

[LeonCarr]

Winchester Ranger 127 grain +P+ SXT in 9mm, 230 grain +P SXT in .45. Accurate and hits hard. I also like their Low Recoil 00 Buckshot, and their .223 and .308 ammo also.

Federal Classic 158 +P LSWCHP in .38 Special, Federal Classic 125 grain JHP in .357 Magnum.

Any of the JHPs will work, just put them in the right place .

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[possum]

Yeah i have never used reloads as self defense ammo but i guess it wouldn't hurt to try, I have 50rds of 155gr and 50rds of the 165gr speer gold dots that need to be loaded up, and i think they might work well with some of that power pistol powder I have been experimenting with, that would definetly hit hard and get the job done. they have a little bump to them but they are the most accurate rds i have shot through my xd.

 

[Xigris]

Right now I'm carrying Remington Golden Sabers. I also like Speer Gold Dot HP's.

 

[S&W 910]

i like black hills for my 9 and 40 and gold dot for my 357 sig

 

[Rob96]

I like Black Hills loaded Gold Dots for my 9mm and 45acp.

 

[Ala Dan]

Hornady's .45 caliber 200 grain T.A.P. JHP's~!

 

[bpisler]

I use gold dots in one form or another
in all my defensive calibers.The only
exceptions are 45 colt (200gr corbons)
and 44 spl (200gr silvertips).The cor-
bons were the most accurate from my 3"
625-7 than any of the various gold dot
loading i tried.The same applies to
the silvertips and my 1st generation
charter arms bulldog with a 3" barrel.

 

[Don't Tread On Me]

I haven't experimented much, but I use the Winchester Ranger 115gr +p+. I chronographed this load out of a 3.5" HK USP Compact barrel...it averaged 1,310fps. Wow! It would be even hotter out of my 5" XD Tactical barrel...

I'm getting low on my stock of these...so as a replacement, I'll be looking to the 124gr SXT +p+..the 124gr 9mm loads are much better at penetrating. I think pusing a 115gr bullet that fast will probably cause it to fragment. This is just my speculation, I've never seen Jello tests with the 115gr Ranger. Will also consider the Gold Dot and the Golden Saber, since I can handload these to clone my defesive ammo for "cheap" practice...I bought some Hornady 124gr TAP. It's ok. I chrono'd them in the 3.5" HK..they average 1,087fps. Kinda slow for a defensive round. They advertise 1,100 out of a 4" barrel. Mine is 1/2 shorter, but has polygonal rifling. The XTP bullet used by the TAP isn't the greatest HP, but its cheap. It expands ok, and penetrates pretty well. It's all around average.


I used to own a Kahr P45. I bought some Speer Gold Dot 200gr +p for it. I sold the Kahr before I ever shot any of these. Thank God, because these are brutal out of a 1911!

Out of a 5" barrel 1911, these babies are doing average of 1,063fps using my chronograph. Only problem is, these do not feed at all in that gun. The nose of the hollowpoint just dives into the feedramp. Will check to see if it is a magazine related problem.

185gr Winchester Silvertips feed flawlessly in that 1911, and they are very mild to shoot. Haven't chrono'd them.