Anyone still carrying with older JHP Ammo?

[Palladan44]

I have to confess I still carry with Older JHP ammo designs, despite all the "new hot" ammo available. And this is going on 20+ years. Why?
These were the "Hot" ammo options to carry at the time. I know they will still do the job today.
Why? Because they go bang every single time, and have been 100% reliable. I've never had a malfunction with these service ammos, and I have no reason to make a change. Bottom line, I trust my life to them. Keyword: Trust.
Trust cannot be purchased from a store, but rather gained over time through repetitive usage.
Gel nerd nay sayers-- whatever man!

Even when better ammo designs surfaced over a decade ago, these older designs could still be purchased for at least a dime or 20 or 30 to 40 cents less per round than the new hot stuff. All of the below pictured ammo were purchased in lots of 1000 for less than 30 cents per round. I've fired several thousand of these in practice over the years, and because of the low cost, I have a lot more repetitions in with the carry ammo I plan on using. I still have several thousand of these still in stock and I plan on running them until the current "new hot stuff" becomes old news and prices come down on those. That could be another 10 years.....
I have purchased some new stuff, and they did fire just fine.....but at 1.00$/rd I'd rather stick to what I got until further notice. A Jacket separation through an intermediate barrier I can say I'm not worried about whatsoever.

 

[EMC45]

I have Hydra shoks in my G36 Glock that are around 25 years old. My GoldDots in my 9MM are about 20yrs old.

 

[CDW4ME]

As far as older design, I'd be content to carry 180 Hydra-Shok in my Glock 22 if I did not have 180 HST and 165 Ranger Bonded.
I also have the 9mm Remington 124+P Golden Saber non-bonded. I shot that into water filled jugs covered on front with 4 layer denim; the jacket separated from the lead core in the 3rd jug, core made it into the 4th. Jacket separation in the 3rd jug of water (after 4 layer denim) does not cause me much stress. I have HST in 9mm that I carry but would be fine with carrying the Golden Sabers if my supply of HST ran out.

 

[unclenunzie]

My G19 gen 5 likes these: Remington Golden Saber Bonded 124 gr +P BJHP 29351 GSB9MMD. They are well respected. I would have absolutely no problem running gold dot or hst which are also well respected and run fine too. I tend to stick with reasonably modern choices. The 9bple were fine compared to then-current offerings but are not as good as modern JHP. I actually have a box or two from way back when, I don't use em.

 

[obiwan1]

I carry 155gr .40 cal Beretta breaker pre 9/11 Border Patrol loads. LOVE them. I also carry pre 9/11 U.S. Customs Gold Dot 9mm.

 

[DesertFox]

Black Talons baby!

 

[Phaedrus/69]

I've pretty much settled in on HST for all my guns except when I'm carrying in the woods, then it's Underwood cast. I'm kind of "over" chasing the Next Big Thing in bullets. HST has a good track record and it's very accurate in every gun I've tried it in. Plus I stacked it deep when it was half the price it is nowadays.

 

[SeanSw]

Yep, I have the same non bonded 124gr+p golden sabers loaded up for one pistol. They are accurate and proven in that firearm. I'd prefer to use something newer but not until they're tested, and I just don't have the resources for that right now.

Revolvers have a definite advantage here. I don't need to run nearly as much ammo before deciding if something will work.

 

[Palladan44]

Revolvers have a definite advantage here. I don't need to run nearly as much ammo before deciding if something will work.

Very, very true. A 158 LSWC [or 240gr] of any kind going around 1,000fps and its a done deal.

 

[357smallbore]

Have 20 yr old Remington 158 gr SJHP for my 357
Have 30 yr old Federal 125 gr JHP in 38 Special + P and in 357 mag (357B)
They worked then, they work now.

 

[starling]

I "might" still carry Winchester Silvertips in a few of my carry pistols. The Miami shootout didnt scare me as much as it did some others.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Yes- I tend to not chase the supposedly latest and greatest.

 

[MikeInOr]

LOL... people spend MUCH too much time stressing over their ammo choice! Do you really care what the next guy is packing in his EDC? Does that make any difference to what you carry?

For 9mm and .45acp I load my own gold dots making them cheap enough to occasionally practice with and continue to ensure functionality. I don't load for .380 so I carry Hornaday critical defence. Where these appear on the "modern" scale I don't really know and I really don't care, they work for me and I sleep well at night!

 

[WisBorn]

Older design or older ammo?

I still like XTP hollow points and carry them in several different cartridges. The ammo itself is not old in age. I'm sure Hornady has probably improved the bullet over time. The important thing is that they go bang every time and function in the handgun.

 

[Archie]

I have about 400 rounds of Federal Hydra Shok (230 grain JHP stuff) .45 ACP ammo. It works as well as it did 20 years ago. Shoots to the sights and was noted then for effective delivery.
For .38 Special, I have some 'Chicago (or other agency) load' 158 grain SWHP and it still seems to work.

No doubt, some of the ammo manufacturers would have me buy newer stuff, but I don't see the need.

 

[Armored farmer]

I "might" still carry Winchester Silvertips in a few of my carry pistols. The Miami shootout didnt scare me as much as it did some others.

I 'might still have a box or two of Silvertips around here. There 'might' be five of them in my SP101 right now.

 

[Armored farmer]

 

[P5 Guy]

Gold dots for my Glock 26 and 34
Home and walking around pistols.
I shoot thru the batch in a year or so. I buy 10 boxes every time I run low. And I like to shoot them to make sure they still work.

 

[jar]

Yes, and also simple flat point ball.

 

[Riomouse911]

I have some PMC Starfire ammo in a .38 revolver and another box of it in .44 Mag that I carried while fishing in the Sierras a time or two. I also have boxes of Hydra-Shok ammo in .380, 9mm and .45 and Cor-Bon 155gr in .40S&W, Golden Saber in .45, Black Talon in .40, Speer in .357, etc..

But I keep my carry ammo fresher than these older rounds, Im happy with Win SXT, Hornady Critical Defense and Fed HST.

Stay safe.

 

[Charlie98]

I tend to rotate my carry ammos out... it used to be every 6 months, but now, given the market, it's about once a year... so I don't have 20 year old GoldDots in my pistols. As far as that goes...

people spend MUCH too much time stressing over their ammo choice!

...I don't. If it functions 100%, and delivers a velocity I expect from carry ammo to do it's job, I'm done. A bullet from 30 years ago, vs a bullet from today doesn't bother me a whole lot. I know at the Moment of Truth shot placement matters, and bullet performance a very distant 2nd Place. The caveat to that is, of course, every situation is different; if all I can do is get those bullets where I want them... then I'm satisfied that's the best I can do.

 

[CapnMac]

Even when better ammo designs surfaced

I'll grant you that there are newer designs out, now, whether they are better is debatable.

If you are more comfortable with an older design, and you can buy more of them to stay good with them, that surety of being on target is probably worth more than 2 or 3 percent "terminal performance improvement."
But, that's my personal bias and is entirely subjective.

But, let's say some ammo could be proven to be say 20-25% better, but at 2x the cost. That suggests only half as much practice time with the ammo, which, suggests, charitably, being only 75% "as good" with the ammo. By that calculus, you are just back to "even" with your previous ammo.

As to the age of the ammo, I try to rotate, through the muzzle, all carry ammo at least every 6 months; and my preferred world would be every 3-4 months. But, again, that's me, being entirely subjective, and biased. Spend my 2¢ carefully.

 

[MedWheeler]

My nines are loaded with either Remington-UMC or Winchester Defend loads in 115-grain JHP configurations. This is because they run in the guns (kind of important) and are both available and affordable enough for sufficient testing (also important.)

 

[.455_Hunter]

Being limited to what was in the 1990 ammo catalogs wouldn't bother me one bit. In reality, I would get along just fine with the 1950 catalog.

 

[gotboostvr]

I've got a bunch of Golden Sabers and Hydrashoks. Always been a big fan of XTP's as well in a number of cartridges pretty sure I have some of them too rolling around. Definitely as components.

I will probably replace the GS's and HS's when they get used up.