Do you research you CCW rounds or is any round as good as the next.

Do you Research your CCW rounds?

  • I do real world testing with suitable materials

    Votes: 17 13.4%

  • I try to use search engines and videos and compare stats

    Votes: 70 55.1%

  • I grab any box with a reasonable price and a decent brand name

    Votes: 33 26.0%

  • I don't do any research

    Votes: 7 5.5%
  • Total voters
    127
  • Poll closed .
Do you research you CCW rounds or is any round as good as the next

I read quite a bit on websites that test SD ammo. From that I decide what to buy a box of. I then test a few rounds for accuracy, penetration and expansion. What I've found is that the good quality hollow points all perform equally for all practical purposes.

I don't think you could go wrong with Federal HST, Gold Dots, Golden Sabers, Buffalo Bore, or Critical Defense ammo. I've shot all of these and feel like they're all up to the task. No doubt there are a dozen more that would fit in that category but I haven't gone to the expense of trying them out.
 
Jack,

I couldn't find my notes here although I have looked several times. I finally got smart and hunted down my posting last year on the 1911 board:

Kimber recommends the following as reliable in their pistols:

Federal Hydra Shok 230 gr (this is NOT Federal HST)
Remington Golden Saber 230 gr
Winchester Personal Protection 230 gr
Click to expand...

IMO it is disappointing that Kimber only recommends three loads as reliable.

But as you have noticed, Gold Dots give you problems and HST gives me problems.

I have handloaded Golden Saber and they fed okay but from what I've read, they are not reliable performers in the expansion department.

Ken
 
I have a carry gun that is particular to modern ammo because it's an older design (Colt Double Eagle). So it won't fire heavier weight +P's, nor will it feed open nosed hollow points very well. So with that, I had to research the right kind of ammo for it. Settling on CorBon Powerballs. My other carry is a Ruger SP101, so no real research went in to that. If it won't fire in a revolver (i.e. consistent cartridge failures), it should immediately be ceased in production and never made again. I use Hornady hollow point's in it.
 
I do a lot of research because I don't have the patience or the means to do my own ballistic testing. The only testing I'm interested in doing is to make sure my gun functions, and is accurate, with the ammo I choose.
 
any round is better than none

I make my own, designed to emulate most of the characteristics of the proven choices of military and LE professionals.
 
"" Yes, the nose of the bullet would push up the slide lock in mid stream. Kimber sent me a replacement (modified) slide lock but it turned me off that they only recommend three specific rounds for their guns. ""

With any mechanical device, it is near impossible to design someting that will accept a unknown universe of bullet tip shapes and still operate 100%.

There is nothing wrong with the Mfg suggestion certain types of ammo.

It's like trying to design a car that will accept any tire that will fit on a 7" x 15 " rim and expect it to have a smooth , quiet ride, ice / snow rain / mud traction long tread life. . .
 
Another bit.

I use Remington Golden Saber. 38+P they seem to have a good rep, don't seem to rely marketing hype ( super flying pinwheels of doom shock wave )

There are just too many variables when it comes time to use the ammo to fret over what to use. It is more importiant to have your practice ammo match your carry than what you carry.

Using low power target ammo as practice for carry ammo will not work. Your practice ammo _MUST_ shoot the same as carry otherwise you are just burning rounds.

I reload and make the recoil of practice match that of carry.
 
I have a Colt Agent that really should be limited to standard pressure rounds. So I practice with Remington 130 grain FMJ rounds and for defense use Federal 125 grain Nyclads.
 
I don't have the time and don't want to put in the effort to make my own ballistic's gel. So I just bundle newspaper as tightly as I can with tape then slip the bundle into a cardboard box to keep it together.
The paper seems to clog up the hollow points of rounds and prevents them from expanding. So it isn't super scientific but I'm looking for rounds that penetrate well and expand most of the time in the paper.
Winchester Rangers and Gold Dots work very well in my experiance.
 
I usually read up quite a bit on a particular load before I buy it. But it's fun to do some of your own testing. The decision I've come to is if you buy Gold Dots, Winchester Rangers, or Federal HST's you have got the best rounds you can shoot through a handgun. Sure their are some other good ones. But these are kind of the "Big Three" of JHP's. The first two have proven street records. The HST is racking one up. But I'd feel fine with any of them.
 
The decision I've come to is if you buy Gold Dots, Winchester Rangers, or Federal HST's you have got the best rounds you can shoot through a handgun.
Click to expand...
Pretty much the same conclusion I've reached. My first choice is always HSTs. They appear to be effective and very reasonably priced. If HSTs aren't available, I look for Gold Dots or Ranger Ts, depending on availability and price. I know they're supposed to be pretty much the same as Ranger Ts, but I'm not convinced about SXTs.
 
"" I don't have the time and don't want to put in the effort to make my own ballistic's gel. So I just bundle newspaper as tightly as I can with tape then slip the bundle into a cardboard box to keep it together.
The paper seems to clog up the hollow points of rounds and prevents them from expanding. So it isn't super scientific but I'm looking for rounds that penetrate well and expand most of the time in the paper.
Winchester Rangers and Gold Dots work very well in my experiance.
""

I've shot dry phone books at 15 ft with 38 plated ball , jacketed soft point, plated hollow point and Remington Golden Saber.

The ball was barely deformed

Jacketed soft point flattened out to perhaps .030" dia larger than normal dia.

Plated hollow point deformed the point but not much.

Golden Saber turned into a jagged brass / lead mass. No, not the look of flower pedals but what I'd expect from hitting the phone book at a bit of a angle.
 
I carry what I'm issued. I feel that other than feeding issues with particular guns there isn't a whole lot of difference between premium JHPs
 
Look, the job of a bullet is to first, penetrate. Secondly it would be doggone nice if it'd expand. So it goes w/out saying that a heavy bullet driven at hight velocity would have the best chance of doing that if its a JHP worthy of the name. You could probably plot a graph that'd give you a good idea of the best of the bunch, given that handgun rounds are well known for not getting the job done is quick fashion. And then you've got to place that best round right smack dab where it'll do the most damage. That's the real tricky part. Life is tough when yer a pistolero (especially for the keyboard variety!).:rolleyes:
 
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