Favorite self defense ammo?

[kwf2006]

I wrestled with this dilemma for some time.

Here is the reasoning I utilized to for my choice.

I, like flintknapper am in a small East Texas town.

While visiting a gun shop in Longview, and perusing defense loads for the 9mm, I actually had the

"old timer gun nut expert" try to convince me that NYCLAD ammunition was ARMOR-PIERCING because

of its blue nylon coating! NOT!
[1] "Federal Nyclad ammunition is often mistaken as armor-piercing ammunition too, due to the

blue-black nylon coating on the lead bullet.")

Eventually I came to the conclusion is that, its all good as long as its hollowpoint. I have a

PX4 in 9mm that will eat ANYTHING, even the steel case ammo from Academy! (NOT RECOMMENDED!) With

20+1 rounds, why worry, its not like your weapon is a single shot!

If you want MAXIMUM damage, your going to want the Winchester Ranger in +P+. Hard on your gun,

Big flash to blind you at night, and slower time to get back on target with the higher recoil.

Also, lets say you were involved in a justified defensive gun fight, and it came time to go to

court. [2] I do not want the court to penalize me for using overly lethal ammunition due to their

ignorance of the truth.

So, after talking about this with a fellow gun enthusiast, who also happens to be an attorney, I

decided to carry ammunition that my local LEO's carry. (Federal Hydrashok) Why?

The Federal Premium Hydrashok is an old, but proven design, and is lethal enough in my book.

If its good enough for my LEO'S. Its good enough for me.

If you cant accomplish your goal with standard ammunition, get a bigger gun!

Basicially to sum it up, "When in Rome..."



1: http://www.firearmstactical.com/briefs12.htm

2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Talon

[Charles L. Cotton]

Welcome to TexasCHLforum and thanks for the post. I can't help but smile when I think of my younger days when I was always trying to squeeze the last foot-per-second out of my reloads in the quest for that magic bullet/magic load.

Chas.

[CWOOD]

Well, let's face it folks, we will never know the true effectiveness of any particular round in this 'real' world.

All of the studies using wet newspaper, ballistic gelatin with and without fabric covering, discussions of ballistic physics, barrell length, bullet weight, powder choice is all theoretical for most of us.

It is all like kicking the tires on a car to determine if those are "good tires" or not.

Until we can convince some aggressive, hyped-up volunteers to line up and be shot we can never know what the true effectiveness on our ammo selection will be compared to another choice. Even then, we would have to compare the effect of shot placement in the equation.

Essentially, having something is going to be more effective than having nothing when the critical moment presents itself. On the otherhand, having a hand cannon and putting the shot in the wrong place will be less effective than putting a .380 in the right place.

My decision making process on this issue has eventually evolved to the following. I read some, listen to others some, make sure the choice works 100% in the weapon, and make a decision and don't worry or over analyze my selection. If you feel comfortable with what you use stay with it. If you like having the 'latest technology', that is OK too...repeat the process.

Afterwards, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!! Whether this involves a formal training process, IDPA or IPSC type competition or whatever, do it to make sure that you can put a round in the right spot in a time of stress while you move. Better yet, occasionally practice doing this in a low/no light situation while holding a flashlight. Probably 70% of civilian self defense situatons using deadly force occur during conditions of low/no light.

All that being said (and while stepping down from form my wobbly soapbox) I will add that my carry choice is a Glock 30 (.45ACP) which has a 3 7/8" barrel with night sights. My ammunition choice for years has been

Corbon 185 gr +P hollowpoint

After reading I have purchased some

Corbon DPX 185 +P hollowpoint.

I am seriously considering a change to this round and will fire enough to satisfy myself as to its flawless operation in my pistol before making a final decision.

For any who might be interested, I did a personal test on a pair of recently killed deer carcases a couple of years ago to test the penetration, and retained mass of my current carry choice. I was VERY impressed. If any would like to read the results let me know.

Good luck out there.

[kwf2006]

CWOOD, thanks you reminded me, I left this out.

Shot placement, and the practice, practice etc.! most important!

And I should have mentioned, definitely put many rounds of your new ammo through your gun to make sure it works every time!

(I know everyone isnt lucky enough to have a Beretta PX4 Storm, as it renders all other handguns inferior and obsolete! so if you dont have one, you better MAKE SURE your ammo works good in your gun!)

Good luck and safe shooting!

Great forum by the way!

[jclif1995]

bullets are like buying real estate. location locaton location

[NcongruNt]

My current carry weapon (FEG PA-63 - 9x18 Makarov) is loaded up with Hornady XTP 95gr. JHP. For the imminent purchase of a Hi-Power (9mm Luger), I've got some Speer Gold Dot 124gr.+P JHP.

I tried some Silver Bear 95gr. JHP out in the PA-63 and found that there was too much friction between the steel cases and the lips of the magazine, causing the nose of the round to turn downward as it fed. This, combined with the wide profile of the Silver Bear bullet points caused the round to catch on the edge of the feed ramp and jam, usually only on the first round when the spring tension in the mag is highest. The Hornady is brass-cased and very slick brass, at that. The bullets have a narrower profile at the tip, and I have not had any feeding problems with it yet. There aren't many other options for JHP in 9x18 - Cor-Bon Pow'rBall is about all there is. Speer makes Gold Dot bullets only (not loaded ammunition) for 9x18, and Georgia Arms makes loads for these, though they were on backorder the last time I checked. There's also Glaser Safety Slugs, but they're expensive and not really what I was looking for.

For the Hi-Power, there are so many options for 9mm Luger it's dizzying. As Gold Dot is a common LEO round and has a bonded jacket, that's what I've decided on for now. I'm considering the Hydra-Shok (not the "Personal Defense" loads that lack the center post) as well.

[TIN BENDER]

Speer GoldDot.

Recommended by my favorite

Texas DPS Trooper.

380 38 spcl 9mm 40 cal

[nuparadigm]

I carry 230 gr. Winchester SXT.

[txinvestigator]

I have switched to a +p+ Uranium tip low yield nuclear bullet.

[hi-power]

(I know everyone isnt lucky enough to have a Beretta PX4 Storm, as it renders all other handguns inferior and obsolete!...)

Them's fightin' words, mister!

[kwf2006]

Thanks hi-power, I was wondering when someone was going to give heck on that one!

[USMC_1983-89]

I personally prefer the Winchester Ranger T-Series (RA40T NOT the R40180HP) in 180 grain variety in my .40 S&W XD carry gun.

For those who aren't familiar with the T-Series, about 10 years or so ago Winchester came out with the Black Talon. So called due to the black coating of the bullet (lubox or lubealloy) designed to reduce friction and heat buildup in the barrel as well at the projectile's very novel expansion qualities. Instead of simply expanding, the bullet "peeled" to create what were known as "talons" which did a very respectable job of acting like a food processor in the wound track.

The bullet worked great. It worked even better in the mind of Congress and the public so Winchester pulled them off the market. Rather than going the way of other "evil" products such as the Lawn Dart, Winchester took the coating off, made the bullet an even more efficient food processor and dubbed it the SXT (Supreme Expansion Technology).

Winchester reintroduced this ammo as the Ranger T-Series and markets it only to LEO and Military. You wont find this at Walley World. Ranger T's have greater performance and stopping power that the original Talons. This is some of the most extensively tested ammo ever developed. Winchester actively tries to keep Rangers only in the hands of LEO/Military and out of the hands of civilian shooters. It's Winchesters rule not a law so its perfectly legal to own and use (state and local lunacy aside).

Remember, you can have the best ammo in the world, pack a .45 or a .22, but it's all for naught if your shot placement is bad. Shot placement is key.

Just my .02¢.

Winchester Ranger after expansion. Note the visible "talons":

[davefrmmrfy]

I personally prefer the Winchester Ranger T-Series (RA40T NOT the R40180HP) in 180 grain variety in my .40 S&W XD carry gun.

I have some RA40155HP's for my 40 S&W. Other than being "practice ammo", is there anything inherently wrong with the ammunition? What are the differences between the real "T" and what I have?...and it this in the right thread?