What do you feed your 9mm for defense?

[orionengnr]

Winchester Ranger, 127 grain, +p+

^^This.

 

[two gun charlie]

Two Gun Charlie,no the 147 gr. Golden Saber is not plus P rated.

well perhaps I will have to take a drive to the city someday and see if I can pick up a few , see what they do in testing . I believe in simple truths , heavier objects travelling at great speed just does more damage than something lighter ? what would be the drawback ?

 

[9mmforMe]

Results so far

Some of the posts were a little vague but I did the best I could. The corresponding numeral indicates the number of members who wrote a post indicating what they carried as their 9mm defense ammo.

Here is what we have at this point:

Speer Gold Dots 124gr +P, 13
Hornady Critical Defense, 11
Federal 9BPLE 115gr +P+, 8
Winchester Ranger 127gr +P+, 8
Federal HST 124gr +P, 6
Federal HST 147gr, 4
Winchester Ranger 147gr, 4
Remington Golden Saber 124gr +P, 2
Remington Golden Saber 147gr, 2
Winchester PDX1 147gr +P, 2
Corbon DPX 115gr +P, 1
Corbon DPX 125gr, 1
Speer Gold Dots 147gr, 1
Georgia Arms 115gr, 1
Federal Hydrashok 124gr, 1
Winchester Ranger 115gr +P+, 1
Winchester Ranger 124gr +P, 1
Remington UMC 124gr, 1
Magtech 124gr, 1
Winchester 124gr Bonded +P, 1
Canadian 120gr FMJ ("blunt tip"), 1
Highland 115gr HX, 1


THIS LIST WILL BE UPDATED AS SUBSEQUENT ENTRIES ARE NOTED.

 

[9mmforMe]

Well the 124 grainers have taken a commanding lead, keep on posting all you 9mm fans! Thanks

 

[Mr.Blue]

Speer Gold Dot 124 +P or Hornady TAP 124

 

[MikeNice]

I currently carry 147gr Winchester Ranger Bonded. My CZ is tending to shoot better with 124gr standard pressure ammo though. So, I am thinking of moving to 124gr HST, Gold Dots, or Golden Saber ammo.

 

[TimeIsRunninOut]

Hornady Critical Defense

 

[Mastergunner40]

I like Federal 9BPLE 115gr +P+. Old technology, but it works. Easy shooting, very accurate and reliable in most guns, and can be found at bargain prices compared to other premium self defense ammo. Federals 9BP 115gr standard ammo is also a good choice for those that are a bit recoil shy.

 

[Mike1234567]

Self-defense ammo choice will change with firearm capabilities and the environment in which a possible discharge will occur. When I lived in a close urban neighborhood my 9mm choice was 115gr Hornady Critical Defense in order to minimize overpenetration. Now that I moved to a rural environment I changed to 124gr Federal HST (standard pressure). BUT... when I replace my Kel-Tec P11 with something that can withstand a steady diet of 147gr +P then I'll switch to 147gr Federal HST +P.

So... ask me again in a few weeks. My reply will have changed.

 

[Madcap_Magician]

Winchester 127-gr. Ranger +P+

 

[subee13]

Winchester ranger and Winchester black talon

 

[Axel Larson]

I don't use my 9mm much so I just have some cheap 115 grain stuff in case I need it.

 

[drush1962]

9MM

Hornady 124g Hollow Point.

 

[Bigg Jimm]

Speer Gold Dot 124 gr+P or Golden Saber 124 gr+P. LEO surplus GoldDots at my local shop are $30 for 50 rounds. Therefore they aren't main round.


Posted from Thehighroad.org App for Android

 

[Bigg Jimm]

excuse me. I meant they are my main round.


Posted from Thehighroad.org App for Android

 

[golden]

124 grain HYDRO SHOK or HST

I usually use the FEDERAL 124 grain HYDRO SHOK +P because it was my issue ammo when I was allowed a 9m.m. I have a good supply of it and it worked very well in the field.

I also use FEDERAL or REMINGTON 115 grain hollow point as practice ammo and for carry in small 9m.m. pistols. The lower recoil makes a big difference and the low cost allows me to practice with my carry ammo.

Jim

 

[Sapper771]

I am currently using Winchester Ranger SXT in 127gr +P+. It is a superb round with excellent street result. It penetrates and expands well. It is also accurate out of all my 9mm pistols. Recoil isnt as bad as you would think a +P+ would be.

I recently got some Federal HST 147gr +P. It is pretty stout, but accurate. Blooms out real purty.

I have shot/carried a wide assortment of different pistol ammunition. I like Gold Dots, HSTs, and XTPs. I dont really care much for Golden Sabers (unless they are bonded) and Hydra-shoks.

 

[JRWhit]

I use Hornady critical defense. I stay away from +p & +p+ for fear of over penetrating beyond a target. I want to try out the new Watch Dog. It's a jacketed flat nose that has a gel in the tip and expands like a hollow point. I believe it does surpass FBI standards though. If I remember correctly I think penetration is in the 16-18in range.

note; That's not a knock on service men. As it is you're job, you carry tougher tools and rightly so.I Look for a round that suits personal defense for the civilian as I don't have to follow the lion into the den. I leave that to the pros.

 

[S&W620]

I'd like to say I use some uberboolit HP +++P+++, but....I don't.

I use whatever FMJ I happen to have.

The cost/benefit ratio of the SD ammo vs. odds of actually having to use the weapon in a SD situation doesn't make sense to me.

I mostly shoot 9mm so I just try to have some 'hot' 124 gr NATO rounds on hand.

If I do my job and put the rounds where they need to be, the FMJ's will be just fine in the exceptionally unlikely situation that I'd ever have to use them.

 

[Bozwell]

A box of Federal HST's is about $25-30, which will give you more or less 3 full magazines (likely all you need for a carry/defense gun). Now, you probably should test a few boxes to ensure your pistol feeds them reliably, but we're talking a pretty minimal "cost" for a very tangible benefit over 9mm FMJ's.

You're right in that shot placement is key, but you should still use the best tool for the job, and 9mm FMJ is not the best tool in these circumstances.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I use the 140 grain Lee SWC cast of wheel-weights driven pretty hard because I'm weird. Been using it for decades out of Hi-Powers. It'll make a good size hole and usually tumbles after hitting. Breaks bones and penetrates very well too.

 

[Hangingrock]

It appears that providers of law-enforcement/self-defense ammunition all have their magic bullet and advertise that fact at great length in multiple venues. Since most of the respondents to this subject have probably never had a lethal encounter then it’s all opinion in regards to the magic of the bullet supplemented by such and such reports of law-enforcement agencies usage. I’d opt for the opinion that placement trumps magic but its nice to magic along for the ride.

 

[Certaindeaf]

^
You could always shoot an animal and see how "magic" a given round is. never know though. Seems pretty simple to me. You sure want to hit things proper though or maybe practice some more.

 

[Water-Man]

Federal HST 147gr.

 

[easyg]

115g Winchester Silvertips