What is the most efficient 9mm round you carry for Self and Home Defense

[george burns]

We talk about calibers a lot, but specifically what do you use and why. Is it a 115 grain jacketed Hollowpoint, or something else? Please give a reason why you feel it is best for either or both purposes.

 

[ManInLowCastle]

Frankly I think it is all picking nits at this point. Shot placement matters more than anything and an expanding bullet is better than a FMJ. Having said all of that I primarily carry either 124gr or 147gr JHP. I used to worry about carrying the best Ranger or Federal HST - now I mostly just carry Fiocchi JHP. In the extremely rare event that something happens it will do the job and I know from shooting a LOT of it that it always goes bang.

 

[RX-79G]

9mm is about the smallest cartridge that is capable of the wounding diameter and depth considered "sufficient" by scientific testing. I usually carry 124 +P because of the lack of drop at a variety of ranges.

9mm is also about the most feed reliable cartridge shape of all of the current combat cartridges. So minimum recoil with maximum capacity and reliability with sufficient wounding potential appears very 'efficient' in my mind. But there is more to life than efficiency.

 

[Starter52]

The FBI is going to the 9mm soon.

I'd find out what load they are using and carry the same.

 

[Browning]

I'd go with either ...

Federal HST +P 124 grain.



Speer 124 grain +P Gold Dots, both Regular and 'Short Barrel'

 

[manithree]

I've done my own gel tests for one of my son's science fair projects. There is a HUGE difference in reliable expansion between the least expensive JHPs I've bought (Fiocchi) and the second least expensive (Federal HST). I carry the HST in 124g, beause it's inexpensive, outperforms much more expensive rounds, and local LE use it.

I think this photo is 147g a little over-expanded because they're from a 10" AR pistol barrel, but all the HSTs we tried expanded extremely consistently. Over half the Fiocchis didn't open up at all.

 

[JohnBiltz]

Gold Dot 124+P for me. I think its the best round across a variety of barrel lengths. Plenty of real world confirmations to add to the testing.

 

[PowerG]

As a rule of thumb I always got more to the heavier bullets available for a given caliber, they tend to penetrate more. I think there are too many factors in the mix to depend on a pistol bullet expanding, it's nice if it happens, but putting a bullet that goes deep enough in the right place is something that is more within my control.

 

[george burns]

Hey guys, Slickguns is selling Shield 9mm's for $309.99, that's gotta be the lowest price yet, it's the model with the safety, but that's a heck of a price if anyone doesn't have one and still wants one for the holidays. It looks like the floor fell out on some of these guns, I see colt 45's for $650.00 in either 9 or 45. Haven't seen prices like this for years, also an AR before in an email in the Del-Ton $455, from Grab a gun.

 

[KevininPa]

I use Federal Classic 9BP. I frequently carry a Hi Power clone. It was good enough for Stephen Camp.

 

[Ironicaintit]

I don't try to figure what's "best", but I have quite a few handloaded 115gr Sierra JHPs, and so I carry those. I don't fret too much about how well they'll punch a hole at 1250fps.

 

[hdwhit]

9mm FMJ. In conncert with both the Hague and Geneva convetentions, both permissiblre do long sd thet arr regist4red in thr oringsting atstsate

 

[JohnKSa]

I usually carry 124 +P because of the lack of drop at a variety of ranges.

Interesting. I've shot 115gr standard target/practice 9mm and found that, if anything, it tended to hit high at distances past 25 yards, at least as far out as 100 yards. At what distances have you noted trajectory issues with 9mm and with which bullet loadings?

 

[hdwhit]

What is the most efficient 9mm round...

Define what you mean when you say "most efficient 9mm round"

A light round that is eaily controlled and thus is more likely to strike the point of aim is, axiomaticaly, "more efficient" than a heavier round that misses the target entirely.

You should understand that I regard this sort of thing to be a "nonsense" question because any 9mm Parabellum round is more than adequate for self defense if employed correctly.

 

[gsbuickman]

at the moment the 3 loads I carry in rotation are Fiocchi jhp, Federal HST & Winchester 147 grain jhp Self Defense loads. I recently picked up 500 rounds of 9mm in a variety of flavors including these three. does anyone have any feedback on the NATO ZQ fmj's. ?. I bought them as Target ammo, I've just never heard of them before

 

[alientrainwreck]

[ =full]226458[/ATTACH] When I worked for the U.S. MARSHAL SERVICE we had to carry either the Remington golden sabre +P or the federal Hydrashock +P nothing else was allowed. One night me and another marshal had a man in a house with a federal warrant along with two other men and a dead woman laying in the yard we waited for assistance to arrive and as we were planning out how to do this without killing them all inside the house all of a sudden all hell broke loose they were trying to make their escape from out of the garage came a suburban with guns blazing they hit another vehicle in reverse and got their vehicle hung up with another when they crashed into it so they were stuck but still guns blazing I was about 50 feet from their vehicle as the other marshals drew the gun fire there direction I opened my passenger side door to be able to see them clearly but I couldn't see the third man he was in the back somewhere I only had shots at the two men in the front seat so I fired a total of 4 shots killing the two men in the front instantly ( face and neck shots ) then the shooting stopped for a moment as I crawled through my vehicles front seats to come out on my drivers side the gunfire started again as I was out I was hit in the upper left thigh and again in my left hip, the assisting officers quickly killed the third man. I was shooting a Sig 226 loaded with 124gr Hydrashock +p ammo and the funny thing about it is I was shot by the exactly the same ammo that I was shooting federal 124gr Hydrashock +p they retrieved the two slugs that I was shot with from the cushion in my front seat. I was able to get them eventually just to have. And I can tell you that those two slugs almost killed me even though they were nowhere near my head or heart. And the pain was unimaginable. Here is the picture of the two bullets that I was shot with. Federal 124gr Hydrashock, one of the slugs lost it's jacket somewhere and the other is perfect and it still weighs 124 grains. Here they are.

 

[HexHead]

The FBI is going to the 9mm soon.

I'd find out what load they are using and carry the same.

I understand they will be using Speer 147gr Gold Dots +P.

 

[GRIZ22]

There is no magic bullet. If you don't hit something important the type of bullet is not going to save you.

Someone mentioned using +P because of less bullet drop. I don't know what distances he's shooting at but bullet drop at self defense ranges is a non issue at self defense ranges (up to 25 yards).

I don't use or like +P in anything other than a 4" or longer barrel 38 special. You get more muzzle blast, muzzle flash, and recoil with very little return. You're only getting no more than 150 fps (and usually less) in a round already doing 1100-1200 fps like a 9mm. If you look at the manufacturer's tests +P really doesn't expand or penetrate more than standard ammo.

My own preferences include WW Silvertip in low light or night conditions. It has very little muzzle flash. Muzzle flash can blind you as well as your opponent. Federal 147 gr is more accurate in some of my 9s. Speer Gold Dot works well as a general purpose round. In short there are these and other weights and brands of ammo I'm perfectly comfortable with.

If you look at what ammo big agencies with big budgets like the FBI, DHS, NYPD, and others choose for duty ammo the bullet weights and brands vary greatly. These agencies have the facilities to do their own testing and they all come up with different answers. That should tell you it doesn't make much difference as long as you choose quality ammo.

Your can take any You Tube videos where Bubba and Moe shoot milk jugs in the gravel pit to determine the best ammo with a huge grain of salt.

You will notice no big agency uses what I call "designer ammo". Ultra high velocity, super lightweight bullets, at a cost of $1.00 or more a round. That should also tell you something.

Stopping power? Really non existent in anything you can hold and fire. A NATO fmj to the medulla oblongata will stop. A round that costs you $2 and a hit to the forearm probably wont.

 

[Drail]

ANY round you can place where it needs to go. It doesn't matter what you hit them with - only where you hit them....... Practice like your life depends on it.......

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

I use Sig V-Crown 115 JHP's, mainly because it's the only off the shelf HP I can find around here in 115. Since I practice exclusively with 115 target rounds I wanted something that shot the same in terms of recoil.

For me personally even stepping up to a 124 has more felt recoil and a 147 is even more so. The 115 Sig's feel exactly the same as my target rounds.

 

[jonnyc]

Used to hoard and carry 124gr. Nyclads, but those disappeared. Now, for 9x19, I stock 124gr. Gold Dots in both Standard and +P.

 

[Deanimator]

I won't carry anything lighter than 124gr., and prefer 147gr. I won't carry anything but JHPs in 9x19mm.

I've been carrying the Winchester White Box 147gr. JHPs for years and am very happy with them.

 

[TarDevil]

I've done my own gel tests for one of my son's science fair projects. There is a HUGE difference in reliable expansion between the least expensive JHPs I've bought (Fiocchi) and the second least expensive (Federal HST). I carry the HST in 124g, beause it's inexpensive, outperforms much more expensive rounds, and local LE use it.

I think this photo is 147g a little over-expanded because they're from a 10" AR pistol barrel, but all the HSTs we tried expanded extremely consistently. Over half the Fiocchis didn't open up at all.

+1. Granted, my test weren't scientific or controlled but simple expansion tests show that some of the cheap JHPs don't expand as well or hold together (Remington UMC comes to mind).
Personally I use +P124 gr Speer Gold Dots. Never had a malfunction (most critical requirement, IMO), and expands consistently. But there plenty of brands that do the same.
Choose wisely, Grasshopper.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Gold Dot 124+P for me. I think its the best round across a variety of barrel lengths. Plenty of real world confirmations to add to the testing.

I carry the same, for the same reasons. This particular loading is accurate in my gun and seems a good balance of velocity and weight.

 

[Browning]

Your can take any You Tube videos where Bubba and Moe shoot milk jugs in the gravel pit to determine the best ammo with a huge grain of salt.

You mean in gelatin that follows the FBI standards for calibration and which then goes on to duplicate the FBI tests?

Both of the loads are also on the approved ammunition list.

Okay Bubba.