40 S&W Bullets Heavy, Light, Ultra Light?

4

44caliberkid

New member
For defensive use in Glock, M&P, XD type pistols, what is best between the heavy 180 grain bullets, the faster moving 165 grain, or the super light 90 - 100 grain going 2000 fps? I'm a capable, experienced shooter, recoil is irrelevant. Just wondering what the state of the art is in this new to me caliber.
 
I'm a big fan of the middle ground 165 grain bullets. Enough weight and better fps. But I also like to make sure the bullet goes through and through. I don't like to take a chance that the bullet will open up just right and or penetrate enough. That is old school thought so probably not a popular one. Whatever you can shoot best out of your pistols I'd go with no matter what the weight or type. Nothing will work if you can't hit your target most of the time.

PS: I've also never had to shoot anybody and hope not to so what do I know.
 
Smaller bullets expand more violently and often to a smaller diameter.

Make mine 180 gr with a good reputation please like Speer Gold Dot.
 
Which ever weight shoots the best in your gun!!!

The .40 has plenty of power, just find a top make load that is very accurate in your gun and shoots right were the sights shoot.

Deaf
 
180 "expensive hollow point stuff" for carry. Same weight fmj for practice. After I ran a couple boxes of my chosen carry ammo through my XD40 Sub Compact to insure it is 100% reliable in it.
The only fool is the one that just goes to Walmart to pick up a box of cheap "bullets" for SD with no idea how, or if it runs in their gun.
 
44caliberkid: said:
40 S&W Bullets Heavy, Light, Ultra Light?
For defensive use in Glock, M&P, XD type pistols, what is best between the heavy 180 grain bullets, the faster moving 165 grain, or the super light 90 - 100 grain going 2000 fps?
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I know for a fact that the Hornady American Gunner / Custom 180 grain JHP ammo shoots great out of my Sig P226 and my HK P2000. IMHO, a smaller grain bullet would justify use of 9mm as opposed to .40S&W:cool:
 
I bought a box of 180g HP and 165g HP to test out and see what I like better. I expected the 165 to recoil less but I felt no major difference. I put more holes in the little red dot in the center of the target with the 180g so that's what I now keep for HD.
 
Almost 100 percent of their high dollar hollow pointed stuff just makes holes in paper or steel gongs ring!
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I don't doubt that this is true, but the same is also true of ball ammunition.

Then there is that myth to practice, practice, practice with that expensive stuff to make sure your auto loader pistol is "RELIABLE" with it. There is a lot of wisdom in the saying " a fool and his money are soon parted "
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I don't know about "practice, practice, practice", but I think running a box or two through your pistol isn't a bad idea and at a total cost of maybe $50 for those two boxes isn't really parting someone from that much money when the cost of the firearm itself is factored in. In all honesty I have yet to own a modern production semiautomatic pistol that wouldn't feed hollowpoints reliably, but there's always the chance it might happen and ruling that out is worth something to me. Also knowing that the POI of my carry ammunition is similar to the range ammunition I use is a nice bonus.

I think you're right that bankrupting yourself on shooting hollowpoint ammunition is unwarranted, I just think there's a middle ground between parting with all of your money and not shooting hollowpoints at all.
 
I've read that article along with others. That is why I only shoot 165 grain ammo. Seems to shoot great out of my S&W 40.
 
155 and 165 for me. Just gives me more of what I want (power) and less of what I don't, low velocity.

Winchester white box .40 only comes in 165 grain and it shoots well for me.
 
My first choice was the 155 as it matched the trajectory of the 9mm I was using. But then as I was testing various bullets on animals and decided on the premium Barnes all copper bullets for the 44mag and 45-70 I switched to the Barnes for my HK P7 M10.
From what I've heard is that all work well when it all hits the fan with the exception of the 'reduced recoil " type .
 
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