21 in 7 days - Help me pick my carry ammo!

What's the best carry round?

  • Federal

    Votes: 12 21.1%

  • Speer

    Votes: 26 45.6%

  • Hornady

    Votes: 9 15.8%

  • Remington

    Votes: 1 1.8%

  • Other

    Votes: 9 15.8%
  • Total voters
    57
  • Poll closed .
L

LockedBreech

New member
Hi guys. The 25th is my 21st birthday, and I can finally buy handguns and ammo. Celebration! Right now I carry a magazine of 165-grain Federal Hydra-Shok JHPs which as I understand it is a pretty good carry round. However, just for fun, let's have a poll. What shall I carry once I can buy them myself? Federal, Speer, Hornady, and Remington are the top four I'm considering, but I've included an 'Other' category in case someone knows an amazing carry round I'm not considering.

Edit: In case my signature doesn't clarify, I am looking for .40 S&W rounds. :)

Edit #2: Also to clarify...when I say I "carry", I open carry or keep it in my car, which in Wyoming is 100% legal. I did not mean to imply that I illegally carry concealed. In one week I am picking up my license for that, however, and as Wyoming is a shall-issue state and I am not a criminal, I will soon be able to say "carry" in it's genuine sense.
 
You're Fine

I think you'll be OK with what you have chosen but you'll get lots of feedback about other options. You'll also get lots of advice about how to be safe since you are young (prime mall-ninja age). Either way, the safety is more important as long as you pick quality. If Hydra Shoks have proven to cycle in your gun, I'd go with them.

The alternative is to shoot several hundred rounds of all the other ammo people will mention until you find something that meets the accuracy and reliability of what you are familiar with just to have a prettier exit wound.

Hope your permit process goes smoothly.
 
Use whatever your gun feeds 100%

All the modern defensive hollow points have worked, all have failed.

I use Gold Dots and Golden Sabers as they both feed well in my guns and are locally available.
 
In .45acp I use Golden Saber and Hornady XTP, I like the Gold dot and golden saber in 9mm. My M&P 9 feeds every ammo I have tried, my 1911's like everything as well, but i tend to stick to the rem. and horn. I shoot better with these.
 
You need another selection in your poll. "ANY"

All the manufacturers you list make respectable self defense rounds. Choose one that you are confident will work in your gun.
 
One suggestion is buy what the LEOs who carry that calibre use...Never be brought up for excessive if you happen to have to use it...

I wish you would have added a) All of the above, b) None of the above and/or had some additional brands available...

As stated, use what you gun likes the best, performs the best with and gives you the best accuracy but the only way to try that is by buying lots of different brands, loadings and bullet types and shoot them through your gun...

I'd suggest at least 12, preferably 15 different loadings from however many makers and what I do is fire 5 rounds, wait 10 minutes and then fire 5 more rounds, wait 1 minute and fire 5 more rounds...each at a different POA and then measure and record data and clean the barrel...then do the same to the next loading until all are tested...The ones that gave me the three best performances--accuracy wise I redo with a 5 shot followed 1 minute later with another five shot string and measure again...the best of the lot is put aside and the balance of the rounds are shot off doing everything possible double/triple taps, speed shooting etc. until the ammo is depleted...I then take the winning cartridge and load it into my gun for the drive home but only after cleaning it thoroughly!

There was a forum for the .40 S&W but I can't find it anymore, sorry...The S&W forum has quite a lot of postings about it as does a number of the police/SWAT/LEO forums as well...you could check there...

For frangible, massive expanding bullets you could check these makers:
Custom Cartridge - Awesome round
Double Tap Ammo - They have 180, 185 and 200 gr bullets that are supposed to be devastating...
Evan Marshall - Must read site
Frangible Bullets - Lead free bullets
Glaser Safety Slug - CorBon - Have shot it in many different calibres, all worked for me
Mag Safe Ammo - Know nothing but what I've read
Precision Ammo - Supposed to be excellent
Rainier - Reduced lead bullets

I carry a .41 mag (only calibre I own) revolvers and loaded with CorBon 250gr HC bullets, my in-laws have Glaser Safety Slugs in their .357 and .38 Spec, my daughters and sons in law use DPX in their guns of varied calibers and are waiting for something for the new .327 Federal from Dakota/CorBon...

The only thing from reading about the cartridge is that unless you get fairly hot loads, performance isn't that great, near abysmal
 
"...165-grain Federal Hydra-Shok JHPs..." That's no guarantee that your pistol will shoot it accurately and cycle the action. You absolutely must try a box of as many brands as you can to find the ammo that both shoots well and cycles the action. The price of said ammo means nothing either.
"...buy what the LEOs who carry that calibre use..." That means nothing. Most police departments buy ammo based on the least cost, not how well the ammo shoots in the issue pistol.
"...no black talon?...metal core armor piercing..." Long gone.
 
I'd reccomend against Federal Hydra-Shoks in .40 S&W (actually any Federal ammo in that particular caliber). The reason is that Federal .40 S&W, Hydra-Shoks in particular, has been known to have issues with bullet setback. Given the .40 S&W's relatively high pressure and relatively small case capacity, bullet setback is likely to cause the ammo to be overpressure (this is true of all calibers but an even larger problem with .40S&W). This phenomenon has been blamed for many of the infamous Glock KB's. Personally, I would use a 155grn or heavier bullet in a Remington Golden Saber, Speer Gold Dot, or Winchester Ranger/SXT.

Note: I am not trying to bash Federal ammunition. I use in myself in .45 ACP and would not hesistate to use it in other calibers, I just wouldn't use it in .40 S&W.
 
Hardball, since with Wyomings crime rate and low population density you will probably be more likely to confront an enraged Brahma Bull than a horde of Homeys flashing gang signs.

WilddontforgetyourlightningrodhelmetandasparemagtobepreparedAlaska TM
 
Wildalaska, hahahaha, very true. However, I live in a particular town in Wyoming with significant meth usage as of recent years due to a labor influx in our natural gas fields. As Wyoming goes, my town can actually get a bit scary here and there. Again, as Wyoming goes. Those of you who live in real cities would probably feel safe with a pocketknife.

Thank you all for the feedback, I very much appreciate it. The general idea I get is to try all the ammo I can get my paws on, and that sounds like a "chore" I'd be more than happy to do. Speer, being the poll winner, is the first I'll try.

johnwilliamson, that's a great suggestion. Consider it on my birthday to-drink list. :D
 
Federal Hydra-shoks are good rounds, but many consider them to be a little dated by today's standards.

I prefer Speer Gold Dot in .38 Special and .45 Auto; their .45's have a profile similar to ball that seems to feed very well; their 135 grain .38 ammo is highly regarded for snubs.

I like Winchester Ranger in .45 ACP as well although it isn't as common and more expensive; 500+ Ft-lbs with a 230 grain slug is darn impressive for a .45 Auto load.

I use Federal in 9mm although I'm likely to switch soon because the supply of the particular round I like is drying up for non-LE types.

They're all good rounds, just depends what feeds reliably, what's available, and what you're comfortable with performance wise.
 
I like both Hornady Critical Defense and Winchester Ranger-T series, the critical defense has a smaller expansion but a better penetration (useful in Wyoming's Winter I reckon :cool:), the Ranger ammo on the other hand is the opposite (Summer use)!

Good luck and Congrats!

PS. I carry 40S&W as well
 
Ramp, I really like how your advice is season-specific. Wyoming has 90 degree summers and sometimes -20 winters, so it's quite a difference. The increased penetration might be a good idea for the big, thick Carhartt coats!

Thanks!
 
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