Best self-defense ammo?

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padrejay

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I'm looking for opinions on the "best" 9mm or .40 S&W ammo to carry for self defense. Brand, grain, and slug type would be appreciated.
 
There is no best. There are lots of compromises. Penetration, for example. If a round has enough penetration to almost always reach the vitals of a large man it will over penetrate at some of the time. If a round will almost never over penetrate it will at least sometimes not reach the vitals.

Cost is another compromise.

Whatever you pick be sure to test it thoroughly in your handgun to make sure it runs well.

Fortunately, most handgun ammo today that is intended for use against people is very good.

All the "information" about "relative stopping power" and "one-shot stops" may be sort of useful, but I wouldn't take it as fact the round X is .5% better than round Y. I've seen too many large animals run off after being well hit by rifle rounds to believe that any handgun round can be proven to work a certain percentage of the time. Plan on the best round not stopping a bad guy and you will be well prepared.
 
I guess what I'm looking for is what would be considered the best combination of reliability, penetration, and cavitation of the slugs. Typically in self-defense, you're going to fire multiple rounds and hopefully hit your target a couple of times. Therefore, incapacitation is the ultimate goal.
 
Just about any of the major name brands (Winchester, Remington, Federal, Hornady, Speer, ....) make reliable JHP rounds for SD/HD.

In 9mm, I prefer 124gr JHP. My personal purchase preference is Remington Golden Saber or Speer Gold Dot, just because that's usually what my local shop has for a good price - ie. these days about $1.00/round. My SIG P226, currently out as my HD gun, is loaded with 124gr. Gold Dots (I tend to fire off and replace my HD rounds every 6-8 months).

I've also used Winchester Supreme SXT 147gr JHPs too. But those seem harder to find on local shelves these days, and I've come round to thinking that the 124gr bullets offer the best compromise of velocity and mass for 9mm.

You can debate brands of ammo endlessly and you will get no consensus at all. Which, to my mind simply means there are lots of good ammunition choices out there. Heck, even the 147gr Winchester White Box bargain JHPs seem to be pretty good, going by slug expansion in various inert target materials.
 
Most hollow point ammo that folks recommend will penetrate several walls before stopping. This can be bad news when you miss your target.

Because of this, I prefer Glaser Safety Slugs, which are pre-fragmented. They have a ball on the tip for reliabe feeding, and a bunch of shot behind that so they will penetrate deeply enough to reach the vitals and transfer all the energy to the attacker, but not enough to go through wall after wall.

They offer Blue & Silver. Blue is for warm climates, silver is for cooler climates. (to ensure adequate penetration through winter clothing, etc.)

So many people here think about penetration and expansion, and totally ignore where the other bullets go. That is not how reality works.
 
Personally, I like 124-127grn bullets in +P or +P+ loadings for 9mm. Like gwnorth, I think this weight probably gives about the best balance between weight and energy. Currently, I use Winchester Ranger 127grn SXT +P+, but will use Cor-Bon 124grn +P if I can't find the Rangers. I don't own a .40, but in it's big brother (10mm) I use Double Tap 180grn XTP. If I owned a .40, I'd probably go no lighter than 155grn bullets.
 
So many people here think about penetration and expansion, and totally ignore where the other bullets go. That is not how reality works.
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Well I know I do think about it. However, I just don't trust Glaser Safety Slugs to put a BG down and out. And if I ever do end up having to use one of my handguns in defense of my life in my own home, that is my primary concern - first and foremost - to protect my life and the lives of those under my roof.

What's the point of having a gun as a SD/HD weapon if you don't load it with rounds that you feel competent to do just that. And with Glaser's product, I don't feel that confidence as there seems too much ongoing debate about the real world efficacy of their product.

And, they are so incredibly expensive, it's difficult to practice much with them ($10-$12 for 6 rounds means is more then 4 times the cost of premium JHPs).
 
Any good quality, general purpose bullet loaded by the major ammo manufacturers will be a good choice. Almost any "specialty" round will be a poor choice.
 
They have a ball on the tip for reliabe feeding, and a bunch of shot behind that so they will penetrate deeply enough to reach the vitals and transfer all the energy to the attacker, but not enough to go through wall after wall.
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I think we've had this discussion before<G>! The problem, of course, is that while this is great in theory in reality is hasn't proven out. They don't reach the vitals, the issue of energy transfer has not been shown to matter, and not only do they not go through wall after wall they also don't go through light cover.
 
Effectiveness comes before all other considerations.

If your bullet doesn't stop the BG, everything else won't matter. Glasers put the priority on safety to bystanders. Bystanders may not be so safe if the BG kills you and comes after them.
 
many are best

I am with Mr. Armstrong on this matter; use a big-name-brand modern design choice.

In 9x19 I recommend 124--127g.
In 40 S&W I recommend 135--180g.
In 45 ACP I recommend 230g only.

Different cartridge? Ask.

When in doubt buy Winchester.



As for "effectiveness", I would point out a well-delivered rock can be utterly effective.
 
Use what the tugs use 99 out 100 times wal-mart white box, it kills very good, the one time high doller ammo use jag player shoot 14 times he is still alive:rolleyes:
 
"Bitmap" is right. There is no "best". Everything will be a compromise between penetration and expansion. FWIW, I carry:

.40 S&W - Corbon DPX, 140 gr. JHP
9mm - Corbon DPX +p, 115 gr. JHP
.38 spcl. - Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel +p, 135 gr. JHP
.380 ACP - Corbon 90 gr. JHP

Are these the "best" rounds? I dunno, but they work for me. Reliable and accurate.

My preferred carry is a Steyr M40 - .40 S&W
 
"When in doubt buy Winchester."
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I'm in complete agreement with you there, Weshoot. I've been using Winchester Silvertips in the .38 that I keep by my bedside, and my .357 Marlin 1894C carbine for years.

Around the house, I carry a little NAA revolver loaded with CCI Velocitors.

It's expensive ammo, and not something I would use for everyday practice, but when it's my a$$ on the line, I think those are the best. ;)
 
I look at things a little different. I carry what I can handle in a panic situation for a second or third shot. A lot of the heave bullets kick like a mule when your at the range. In a panic situation you might be shooting weak hand, off balance, while trying to protect loved ones so a well placed shot followed by a second or third if necessary comes first. Most of all you should practice with what you carry so your no in for a surprise.
Just my $.02
 
Based on my own experiments and information I have read, I prefer Federal HST for 9mm and .40SW. In 9mm I use 147gr. and in .40SW 155gr.
 
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