.45 acp ammo...

S

SevenSixTwo

New member
I have one question, after much perusing and search engine work I want new updated answers.
If you were to choose one round(brand) of ammunition to stake your life on in a dire situation...What would it be? We are talking about JHP here for HD not ball. Keep in mind factors like heavy clothing, accuracy and consistent expansion. Price is no object, we aren't on budgets in this scenario.
To throw in some variables, the rounds would be fired from a 4" barreled handgun with a 1:16" twist. State your answer and the reasons why you chose that particular brand/line.
Thanks, 762
 
what particular brand/line functions 100% in this 4' barrel,what brand/line of ammo shoots poa.both of these points are way more important than bullet performance.now given that this barrel is magic and shoots any bullet 100% and to POA IMHO any of the premium bullets will due.
 
So you have no preference in what you would keep on your nightstand for your families sake? Of course anything that hits a decent POA will work...But let's put aside simplicity and talk ballistics. There has to be SOME science behind marketing and pricetags!
 
So you have no preference in what you would keep on your nightstand for your families sake? Of course anything that hits a decent POA will work...But let's put aside simplicity and talk ballistics. There has to be SOME science behind marketing and pricetags!
Click to expand...

It's a 45... any reliable/accurate jhp and you're good.
 
762: Glad to have you at TFL; welcome aboard.

You state that you are looking for some new answers but in reality you are wanting our opinions. There is no one answer to your question and no right answer for that matter. Some of us will swear by Winchester, Remington, Cor-Bon, etc and most of us have shot all of these and feel comfortable with all of them as well.

I agree with win-lose, if it runs in my .45 then I shoot it. Thus far everything has feed flawlessly in my Sig P220 and my G36. That includes Gold Dot, Golden Sabre, Supreme, XTP, etc.

I haven't done any tests on any of these rounds shooting into heavy clothing or through other materials. But if you do a search you will find that many have. You can take their results for what they are worth.

As all of these rounds have functioned in my firearms then I am comfortable with all of them. At the moment I am out of state for Christmas and carrying a G36 loaded with alternating Golden Sabres and Winchester White Box.

Find what works and shoot it.

Merry Christmas
 
Thanks for the input guys. I will just have to experiment and find out. Now if I could just get some ballistic gel....:cool:
The shop around my area carries a lot of golden sabre on hand, but I've known and have a lot of experience with hydra shok. Someone at my range was telling me the hydra shok is an outdated design and it would be in my best interest to find a more modern designed cartridge for HD. That's why I asked.
 
Like a few others have said...anything that feeds well. No, let me rephrase that. Anything that feeds with 0 failure.

I ran about 1100 rounds of Magtech 230 grainers (FMJ) without failure so I am willing to bet my life on that. I am okay with ball ammunition.

Performance wise, I found that the Federal hydra shocks feed reliably in most guns AND perform rather well in terms of penetration and expansion. It seems to have worked well for you, so why change? A hollow point that travels at 850+ fps and weighs 230 grains may be outdated due to the design of the slug, but I am pretty sure it'll still do the job.

For further reference, check the following websites:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/ammo_by_anonymous.htm

www.theboxotruth.com
 
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Right on man. I like that site "the box of truth", used it many times as a reference. I'm ok with ball ammo too, I just live in a suburban area where FMJ may penetrate more than a JHP endangering neighbors. I would definitely use ball for SHTF though, alongside my saiga ak and everything would be good in my world!LOL:D
 
Whatever JHP I can afford. My Sig eats anything I've given it. The thing is 15 years old but hasn't jammed ONCE having owned it 5 years. It did snap a trigger return spring but that's akin to a tire having a blowout...not the car's fault.
 
I use and trust Glaser Pow'R Ball JHP ammo. It is JHP but has a clever little plastic insert in the hollow point that allows for ultra-reliable feeding, just like ball ammo.
 
"...could just get some ballistic gel..." You don't need it. Expensive stuff anyway.
"...a 4" barreled handgun..." Calibre and action type?
If you're not reloading, you need to try a box of as many brands and bullet weights as you can to find the ammo that shoots best and reliably cycles the action of your handgun. The price of said ammo means nothing either.
"...hasn't jammed ONCE..." That doesn't mean it's the most accurate ammo for your pistol.
 
Corbons 165 grain JHP. Gives me hyper speed while maintaining more mass than most other calibers. Best of both worlds so to speak.
 
Hornady XTP for my carry gun. 200 and 230 grain both feed without problem. Both match up to POA to POI. Recoil is mild from both. If they fail to expand, well it still leaves a .451 inch hole. If it does expand it will leave on even larger. For me it is more about how well they shoot, and match up to POA. For me shot placement is more important than ammo choice.
 
762 - after doing the same kind of search you have done, after reading all I could find on the subject, I came to the conclusion that you should be able to count on any brand name JHP .45ACP for your HD needs - with the caveat that you need to be sure it will run through your particular gun. I've found that Federal HST +P does well in my P-220R Carry, so that's what's in the magazines. But I've also got Gold Dot and PDX-1 in the safe. I think the most important thing is practice with what you want to carry.
 
At the risk of legal issues.....

The only ammo I fully trust is the ones I load myself. With them, the only thing I have to take on faith is the primers. Everything else I can test and verify to my own satisfaction.

Now, the difference is something like 99.9% trust in my reloads and 99.5% trust in quality factory ammo, but there is a difference.

In over 40 years of recreational shooting (I have been fortunate enough to never have had a defensive shooting, other that against animals), I have had more than a few factory rounds fail to fire. Even good quality ammo has the rare (extremely, but it does happen) failure. And milsurp ammo (especially foreign stuff) has a lot more, comparatively.

I have seen a case from a "quality" maker that lacked a flash hole! And I have had batches of surplus ammo that had as much as 50% failures (yeah, it was some real crap).

If you are looking for a brand recommendation, you won't get one from me. What I will recommend is ammo that feeds and fires reliably, and hits where you aim it. The overwhelming majority of ammo will do that. The rest is up to you.
 
My first choice, assuming it feeds reliably in a given pistol, is 230 gr. Gold Dots. I've seen test after test demonstrating that they expand reliably while still penetrating deeply enough without fragmentation. Personally, I don't understand why you would go with light bullets like 165 gr in a .45 acp. If you believe in the faster, lighter theory, go with a .40 SW or .357 Sig. I prefer heavier bullets at moderate speeds provided they expand reliably like Gold Dots.

Next choice is Remington Golden Sabers which was the first .45 acp bullet to meet the FBI's requirements for penetration, expansion, and retained weight.

I also like Federal Hydra-Shoks but penetration can be an issue if you insist on 12 inches minimum. I've got some Federal HSTs on order and believe these will be a good choice in .45 acp.
 
Speer Gold Dot 230 Gr hollow point out of a 5" Government 1911. Totally reliable through my gun, and the Gold Dot has a great performance reputation.
 
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