Let's have a Personal Defense ammo discussion

[Pete92FS]

Speer Gold Dot .45 230 grain in my .45's.

[HarleyDave]

Terryg. Thanks and would appreciate sharing your completed information with me. You may even pickup some from this thread.

To all others that have contributed, thanks so much for taking the time to respond.

After we've run this for a little while, I'll compile the information and share with everyone. It will be sometime mid to late November as of Nov 1 I'm having hip replacement surgery. So during the healing process this will give me something good to do. Again, thanks to all for your responses and keep em' coming.

[Bird10]

Double Tap 165 grain GDHP or 175 grain Winchester Silver Tip for 10mm.
Double Tap 125 grain GDHP or 125 grain Federal 357b for .357.
Speer Gold Dot 124 grain for 9mm.

[mctowalot]

Corbon Pow'rball in mine.

[Embalmo]

I do Spear Gold Dots for my 9 and .380. I purchased another carry weapon 'cause I wanted something else kinda' small and reliable with a better round capacity than my LCP; so I chose the 9 over the .40 'cause the Bersa 9MM had 3 more bullets in the magazine than the Bersa .40. For combat or LE, I'd work with foursies.

Embalmo

[Pete92FS]

Terryg. Thanks and would appreciate sharing your completed information with me. You may even pickup some from this thread.

To all others that have contributed, thanks so much for taking the time to respond.

t will be sometime mid to late November as of Nov 1 I'm having hip replacement surgery. So during the healing process this will give me something good to do. Again, thanks to all for your responses and keep em' coming.

Hope everything goes well and you have a speedy recovery.

[HarleyDave]

Thanks Pete92SF, appreciate that.
This is my second one, had the left done last October so I guess I enjoy the pain to go through it again on the right side .
But, it is well worth it. Thanks again.

[MoJo]

I use Federal Vital Shok 230 grain in my .45. I use Federal Vital Shok for all my self-defense loads on all calibers except my FivenseveN. I don't have an intelligent, researched reason for why I use this ammo. It feeds very reliably for me, but the truth is, I grew up shooting Federal, and I have just stuck with it. Dumb reason I know.

There's nothing wrong with Vital Shok it's not the latest technology but I doubt the BG will know the difference. If it worked in the past it'll work in the present.

[loneaggie]

Corbon DPX 115gr +P in 9mm. All copper Barnes bullet which expands reliably and has excellent weight retention even after passing through hard barrierers.
Remington 124gr +P Golden Saber. Reliable expansion, bonded jacket.

Thinking of trying the Buffalo Bore 9mm +P+ since many of their runs are with the Speer Gold Dot Bullet. 1400fps + Gold Dot = solid SD round.

[Pawpaw]

Kimber Ultra CDP II: Winchester PDX1 230gr +P

Sig P239 9mm: CorBon 124gr +P

Hi-Point 9mm carbine: Speer Gold Dot 115gr +P+

[CC Italian]

.32 H&R Ruger SP-101 Black hills 85 grain XTP, Federal jhp 85 grain
.380 Bersa Thunder CC -Blacks hills 90 grain xtp, speer gold dot 90 grain
9mm S&W 908- Black hills 115 grain extra power xtp
.40 Glock 27- Winchester silvertip 155 grain
10mm Glock 20- Winchester silvertip 175 grain, Double Tap 165 grain Golden Saber, Double tap 135 grain Nosler jhp. These are the main ones but there are many more for 10mm.

I like the xtp bullet, silvertip and Golden sabers the most. Gold dots are of course great but xtp and silvertips are the most common ones I use. I have only recovered the jackets that I have hunted with. That’s only the 10mm and the xtp and silvertips expand very well. I prefer the silvertips or xtp because they are usually cheaper and therefore I can practice more. Plus, I know the Gold dots are probably the best but I have yet to see a deer or boar not drop with one round to the lungs or chest cavity from a .40 silvertip or any 10mm over 150 grains and if it is good enough to take some of those big boys then it is good enough for protection against humans. Anything between .357 mag- .45acp is more then enough in any decent hollow point. Just my 2 cents.

[A-R]

to the OP, here is link to some amateur ammo testing I did. Easy to replicate yourself with your own guns and ammo choices if you have access to a range or some vacant land and permission to do such things ... viewtopic.php?f=23&t=32400&hilit=+milk+jug" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That post is about 7 months old now. Need to update it with some new guns and ammo, but no time at the moment. I also want to do a side-by-side comparison of similar ammo from a "full size" 9mm gun and a "subcompact" .40 gun .... I'm curious how much difference an inch or so of barrel length makes and whether (if I can conceal it) I'm better off carrying my G17 that I use for CHL instruction and IDPA shooting or my G27 ..... basically want to find out if a full size 9mm makes up for its "weaker" ammo vs. .40 by adding barrel length.

Here's what I keep loaded in my various guns:

.380 (LCP) - Hornady Critical Defense (the ONLY ammo I've actually tested that I found gave borderline acceptable results - but have not tested much).

.38 Special (S&W J-frame Airweight) - Winchester Bonded PDX1 +P and Speer Gold Dot +P - don't remember the grain weights, but I think they're both around 130 grain

9mm - Speer Gold Dot 124-grain +P "short barrel" in my Walther PPS; Winchester Bonded PDX1 124-grain +P and Speer Gold Dot "regular" 124 +P in my Glock

.40 (Glock) - Winchester Bonded PDX1, Speer Gold Dot ("regular" and "short barrel" version depending on gun), some Cor Bon too but (DPX, I think?) .... also have some Winchester Ranger in the safe but haven't used it yet.

12 gauge - Federal 00 buckshot with "flight control wad" - 4-inch spread from short barrel at distance of 15 yards OUCH!

.223 (1/8 twist 16-inch barrel AR) - Hornady TAP 55 grain for PD; Federal 69-grain Match for pinpoint target shooting.

.308 (1/10 twist Savage bolt action) - Federal 150-grain Wal Mart maroon box specials - consistently one MOA or better if I do my part

.22LR (Ruger 10/22 and Advantage Arms Glock conversion) - Remington Golden Bullet (never ever had a feed problem with this round in either gun).

I like the Winchester Bonded PDX1 line because it performs well in my tests, gets high marks from "professional tests" and is readily available at Wal Mart and Academy. The Speer Gold Dots I pick up as often as I can dirt cheap at GT Distributors whenever they allow us mere civilians to buy the good stuff ..... $22 per 50 rounds of top of the line Gold Dots in 9mm or .40 is a price that can't be beat.

*wow, I have too many guns *

[glbedd53]

Hornady 45 +P 230 gr XTP and sometimes Remington Golden Saber 185 gr +P

[lrb111]

Corbon 45 +P 230, Hornady 45 +P 230.
Hydra-Shok in .357.mag.
Can't recall if the 9mm stuff is Corbon or Buffalo Bore, but it is +p+ JHP.
Pretty "snappy" in a compact pistol.
CCI Mini-Mags in the b.u.g.