Ammo advice

H

h518may

New member
Hey guys, been awhile since I've shot a .45 so I was wondering, what are some good brands/ types of ammo for self defense nowadays? What do you guys use?
 
Defensive ammo: .45acp

According to statistics compiled by the us justice dept. The federal 230 grain "hydra-shok" is a top-tier performer. However, hornady, winchester, speer, remington, & cor-bon would all be acceptable for defending self, home, & hearth.

Mostly, it depends upon what your pistol will reliably feed 100% of the time & what your barrel groups the best @ 25 yards shooting from a bench-rest, to determine what your launching platform prefers.

You question is one of those we frequently on this forum, that is virtually unanswerable because forum contributors will have a personal opinion based on experience or shooting bias. Remember to keep an open mind when recommendations began pouring in from the membership.

Good luck in your personal quest for the "holy grail" of factory ammo for your personal needs.

Guru1911
 
Hydra-Shok (which came out in 1988) is no longer a "top-tier" performer. It is superceded by the MUCH improved HST bullet design, which is arguably the best modern JHP available. These older bullets tend to plug up and act like FMJ projectiles when shot through heavy clothing; they also often have significant degradation in terminal performance after first passing through intermediate barriers

Please read this:
http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=19887

And this:
http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=34714



Good loads for .45 ACP include:

Speer Gold Dot 230gr
Remington Golden Saber 230gr
Winchester Ranger-T 230gr
Federal HST 230gr
Corbon DPX 185gr
Hornady 230gr XTP
 
My personal .45 loading of choice is Federal 230gr HST +P, but I would be comfortable with any of the following (+P or standard pressure) in a 200gr or heavier weight:

Remington Golden Saber
Winchester Ranger
Speer Gold Dot
Hornady XTP.
 
Federal HST's (Kinda Rare), Speer Gold Dots (Plentiful and Excellent), Winchester Ranger (Black Talons basically without the black because its scary :eek:). I think these are the 3 best SD rounds on the Market right now. I shot only a few HST's but got to in a phonebook and the 45ACP was .76, no joke. We also fired at least 40 rounds ind the phone books and they all expanded. However, HST's are hard to find. My favorite round probably because it performs just as well are the Speer Gold Dots. I saw a 45ACP Gold Dot that was .82 I like them alot. The Winchester Rangers are as good as the others as well.

--Other JHP's I believe deserve mentioning are (Remington Golden Sabers, Hornaday FX and Critical Defense, and Corbon) Then you can get cheaper ones but dont skimp on your life.

Buffalo Bore Is an ammo in a class of its own. I would check it out though because they have some MEAN loads. I would use them sparingly though.

P.S.-- I have Corbon's 45ACP in my S&W 1911, 165gr. +P, 1250ft/sec with 573ft/lbs of energy. I really like those rounds and they kick really easy. Expansion is very good as well. I hope I helped you out somewhat.
 
I like Rampant Colt's list. My top two choices based strictly on penetration/expansion numbers are Gold Dots and HSTs.

I primarily use 230 gr. Gold Dots. I do use Golden Sabers (230 gr or 185 gr +P) in a pistol that would occasionally fail to feed Gold Dots and in another where feeding just felt a little rough. I have a small supply of Federal HSTs and have proof tested them in one pistol. I plan on buying more and shooting them through some of my other pistols.

BTW, 230 gr. Hydrashoks are still good loads and are easier to get than HSTs. I would not feel any hesitation in using them. I still have a supply of them for a pistol that really loves them for accuracy.

As always, you have to fire enough rounds of the particular load through your gun to make sure it will feed reliably.
 
As always, you have to fire enough rounds of the particular load through your gun to make sure it will feed reliably.
Click to expand...
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Excellent advice that is often overlooked or ignored. If you are using a pistol this is absolutely critical as some semi-autos are finicky about which ammo they'll feed, especially with JHPs. You should fire enough of your selected SD ammo to be 100% sure your pistol likes it (say, 100 or 200 rounds), and then carry only that ammo until you verify another. Then re-verify this at the range periodically (maybe annually) by running through another box or two. I have several pistols, two of which have specific ammo which they simply refuse to reliably feed and have absolutely no problem with any other ammo (one is a high-end SD load, the other cheap Russian stuff).

If you're chambering the ACPs in a revolver this is much less important but still needs a little attention, mostly to make sure the spent brass will properly eject, that the moon clips fit properly, and that the firing pin delivers sufficient force. I have several revolvers in .45 acp and only one has given me ejection problems - my S&W NG is a little picky about what it will easily eject, nothing that can't be overcome with a bit of pressure on the ejector, but in a SD situation that's an unwanted distraction.
 
I had Hydra-Shoks 15 years ago. Time has passed them by.

I currently have a bunch of the Winchester Ranger 230+p loads (bought probably 10 years ago), and "a fair bit" of the Cor-Bon DPX (bought in the last five years). Those are my current carry loads, because I know that they function in all my .45s and they are reliable performers (expansion/penetration).

There are now (arguably) better performers available. If/when I use all of my present stash, I will be trying the HST. If it functions 100% in my .45s, I will buy a bunch of it and be happy for the next five years.
 
HSTs have been my EDC ammo since I discovered the round back in 2008... I believe it was.

Sorry I don't have pictures, but they sure tear up a 2x4!
You won't regret having this round in your carry firearm.
HSTLarge.jpg


HSTCoins.jpg


HSTPic.jpg


All the best...
TJ
 
FBI testing of the LEO Tactical Hydra Shok by Federal to be effective. They tested it in clothed gel and it still worked. So, I might skip on the civilian version of Hydra Shok. I would buy the LEO version if I got a deal on it.

Link to some dated results with .45acp ammo.

Anything on the m4 link provided earlier will work well. Tactical Hydra Shok will also work. The 230gr .45acp, 165gr .40S&W and 9mm 147gr all performed up to standard in FBI testing in the late 1990s. The HST is better, but I doubt the LEO Hydra Shok's design has gotten worse.

People act like old bullet designs are useless. Don't let us forget that Golden Sabers have been around about 17 years. The much loved Gold Dot has been around at least 14 years.
 
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I want to get my hands on a reasonably priced large quantity of 45ACP Federal HST's and Winchester Rangers. I would like some 165gr., 185gr. and a 230gr. loads the most as I feel those are the best 45ACP weights. Lets say 1000 of each weight and type (HST,RAT45) :D. 6000 of those JHP's would be a good amount of SD ammo :).
 
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