Best .45 ammo for Concealed Carry

M

mrod

Inactive
I carry .45 and I am wondering everyone's opinion on the best round to carry in it. I have concerns about shooting the bad guy and the round continuing through him and hitting a bystander. I currently carry Star Fire bullets but recently shot hog at 7 yards and had it go clean through it. Any input would be helpful. Thanks
 
Last edited:
I like the Speer Gold Dots, myself. I've also liked Hydra-shoks.

I have friends who really like the Federal Expanding Full Metal Jackets, and also the Powerball stuff.

We have noticed that if even a good hollowpoint plugs with something like wall board, they act just like a full metal jacket round and don't expand.

I wonder if you hit your hog behind the shoulder, where that tough cartilage shield is around their heart and lungs. If the bullet plugged up with hair and gristle, perhaps that kept the bullet form expanding. The EFMJ's and Powerball are supposed to keep from plugging up, yet expand just as well as a hollowpoint.

Interesting. Did you recover the round?
 
Best not shoot, if there's a person standing behind the target? Be sure of your target, and what's beyond? I actually like the idea of the round going all the way through, as you then have two leaky holes, rather than one.
I like the Winchester 230gr SXT.
 
If I'm forced to shoot a bad guy, I prefer to use a +P hand load with a .45 caliber close range tactical nuclear war head. One shot stop every time:rolleyes:.

Seriously, +1 on the 230 grain Speer Gold Dots. I've "unscientifically" tested several brands by shooting through denim covered water jugs and the Gold Dots expanded the best without flying through the back of the box. My test were through a Glock 36 which has a fairly short barrel.

For years I was sold on, and carried Federal personal defense loads(hydroshocks) based strictly on what I read about them. When I actually tested them I was horrified at how unreliable the expansion was. I would find bullets behind the water box that had chunks of denim stuck in the end and almost zero measurable expansion.
 
If you have a gun with a 4"+ barrel then 230gr loads are usually prefered or 185gr loads with the Barnes copper bullet. When you get in the 3" range it gets difficult to find loads that will expand reliably. Stay with lighter 160gr-185gr loads...some +P 230gr loads will work but have sharp recoil.

The 230gr. Speer Gold Dot and Federal HST loads are both very good. So is the 185gr +P Corbon DPX. These are my three favorites. Stick with a well known brand of jhp like Corbon, Federal, Speer, Remington or Winchester and you wont have a problem with overpenetration. Most loads today are designed to penetrate 12"-14"...if they go all the way through they wont have very much energy left. With new technology like the Federal HST I would stay away from the Hydra-shoks as they are more expensive and have had expansion reliability issues when penetrating heavy clothing.
 
There isn't a 'best" only a "different." I can think of a few cases where FMJ would have been the best choice for that situation, but usually they are not. Any of the modern designer JHPs will do fine. Personally I've used the Starfire round before and wouldn't hesitate to use it again, but I also wouldn't mind using Gold Dot, Golden Saber, Hydrashock, HST, EXP, and so on.
 
Presumably barrels vary from 3-5+" and you have not said which you have. I suppose it might be hard to get any expansion from the shorty with the MV losses. Isn't that an issue, like revolvers, snub versus full size ammo performance?
 
For a compact 45 you could use Speer Gold Dot "For Short Barrels". They are designed to expand rapidly at low velocities and rapid expansion reduces penetration. Alternately you could go with a light bullet to reduce penetration. But in reality any effective round is going to penetrate 10-14" and will probably exit the badguy. You just have to make the call about how great the threat is and the risks to bystanders. For my full sized 45s I use HSTs because they expand to truly huge diameters.
 
There are a lot of variables to consider. I use my 45 mainly for bear and mountain lions. Tough skinned bear require a full metal jacket in order to penetrate to vitals. If you have a bad guy behind glass or drywall or similar full metal jacket may help give more penetration. Or if you have two badguys one behind the other FMJ would get them both. :D I use FMJ all the time but I live in rural America, probably not preferred for city shooting, but it's legal during times of combat so good enough for me.
 
Criteria for selecting ammo;

1. Reliability. It ain't worth crap if it doesn't go boom.
2. Accuracy. Super-JHP's waste $$ if you can't score hits.
3. Penetration. The round has to have the gee whiz to traverse the body to reach vitals
4. Expansion. Just that "extra" insurance to hit vitals.
 
i like the Rem golden sabers. its what the FBI SWAT teams use (aka HRT).

that doesn't mean its the best out there....but if its good enough for them, it should be OK for me!!
 
I have concerns about shooting the bad guy and the round continuing through him and hitting a bystander.
Click to expand...

No one is ever worried about all the rounds that just plain miss . be a lot more of them .
I use the 185gr Corbon DPX +P in compacts and 200JHP +P Corbon in my Govt.
 
Back a ways a guy said he was using ball to shoot thru two bad guys? That will work with ball rifle ammo, at least with the 30 cal stuff, maybe. Some have stated the ball 45 ammo loaded to normal spec is dangerously overpenetrative, others have said that if it exits, it has very low energy at that time, presumably meaning from center of mass hits, not peripheral strikes. Then you start to wonder, will something like standard vel. round nose or fmj 38 specials over-pentetrate? I would like to see some real world evidence of over penetration with handgun rounds, either fmj or HP. Not saying it does not happen, just want to know what extent it happens with say, something besides heavy magnum hunting rounds!
 
Federal HST 230 grain for my Sig C3 45 - Main carry gun

They sure do expand nicely and feed 100% in my gun:
600_IMGP8577.JPG
 
I really like the Speer Gold Dots, But I agree with many of you that the Federal Hydrashoks are a very good defense round also..
 
defined "Best"

Any 230g modern-design HP bullet that:

1) Functions in YOUR gun with utter reliability.

2) Offers controllable accuracy.

3) Other stuff.

SXT / Golden Saber / Hydra-Shok / Gold Dot / etc.; all will offer sufficient velocity, regardless of barrel length, to expand.
None is measurably better than the other; all are sufficient.

But if you NEED them perhaps your tactics sucked? LOL
 
I am using a Taurus 845 with a 5 inch barrel as well as a Taurus PT145 with a short barrel, depends on what I am wearing ( I have to conceal it). I have purchased the hydro shocks in the past but like everyone else I have had my problems with them as well. Thanks for all of your input I Really appreciate it. I think i am going to try out the golden spears. Also to answer the first question, I shot the 80 pound hog in the head at 7 yards, he was moving left to right at a good speed. The bullet entered just below the right ear canal and existing the through the left, I was not able to recover to the round.
 
Last edited:
Back a ways a guy said he was using ball to shoot thru two bad guys?
Click to expand...
A good 20 years ago Dr Fackler showed in tests that 45acp 230gr FMJ consistently penetrated 26" of ballistic gelatin. That's roughly 2 people.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top