Favorite Self Defense AMMO

.45 ACP Federal Premium Tactical HST 230 Grain
.357 Magnum Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 135 Grain
.38 Special Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 135 Grain +P
9 MM Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 124 Grain +P
12 Gauge Federal Power Shok Low Recoil 2-3/4” 00 Buckshot
 
It's hard to say, I've got a little of everything, I guess when you come right down to it, doesn't mater a hole lot, they'll all do the job. "Shot Placement" I do fall for hype on some defense ammo like most of you. :rolleyes:
 
[Speer gold dot, 158 Gr. .357 Magnum. +1. Has become VERY hard to locate lately
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Tell me about it! I prefer a heavy bullet in .357 Mag., and had to buy Hornady last time. Nothing against Hornady, it's a good round, but it's not the "Critical Defense" and I do prefer Speer GDHP. If anyone in the Greenville/Spartanburg area (60 mi. radius) of SC has any located, please let me know.
 
For the house, it's 12ga 2-3/4" 00 buck. (But I've been known to load it with #4 buck as well). On the street I'm comfortable with Remington 158gr LSWCHP +P .38 special.
 
Another CCI/Speer Gold Dot fan here. I carry Speer Gold Dot .38+P in my S&W Model 60-10 revolver for everyday self defense. I've got (and load) other things when I'm hiking, and especially when I'm in bear country, but for overall self defense I prefer that to anything else.
 
What I can find and afford. Sometimes in the past year that has been plan old WW FMJ.
I have yet to carry handloads, but I see a few folks do.
 
I like Hornaday Critical Defense, Federal HST, Winchester PDX1 or Ranger, Speer Gold Dots and Remington Golden Saber. Bonded jackets with the lead is the way to go for expansion. However, I would go with the Gold Dots if I had to choose one because they have an excellent record. After that it would be the HST's because those look excellent. (All 45ACP By the way)
 
Across all calibers, I like Gold Dot projectiles. In my 357Mag wheelgun I carry the Gold Dot 125gr high speed projectile as loaded by DoubleTap Ammo to speeds higher than Speer loads it. Buffalo Bore's version is possibly a touch hotter but I've got these DoubleTaps and ever since I blew up a bowling ball with one hit from this batch I've stuck with 'em. Only have 10 left right now :(.

I carry two speed strips of reloads. First one at bat has six Cor-Bon 125gr full house rounds, second has six Speer-brand Gold Dot 135gr 38+P - carried both as backup and in case I need to carry someplace VERY bystander-dense and I want to swap to a reduced power load. I'll do that maybe once or twice a year at most but...meh, just in case.

Again: reload packs are stacked such that the Cor-Bons will be the first grabbed...in fact, I actually can't get to the 38+P pack until those Cor-Bons are removed first.
 
Nice combo Jim. I think thats intellegent. Like if I carry my 1911 with 2 reloads the mag in the gun is an 8rd full of 230gr. Gold Dots. On my belt is a mag of 185gr. Remington Golden Sabers and another with standard 230gr. hardball. Gives a bit of versatility if you have the time. I want to get a 3 inch model 60 and I would do something very similar with that as well.
 
I wonder if anyone else does what I do for semi-auto carry.

The magazine in the pistol carries premium JHP ammo.
For a single stack magazine, it's fully loaded with "the good stuff"
For double stack magazines, usually the first 10-12 rounds are good stuff, with FMJ at the bottom.

Spare magazine #1 has about 4 rounds of JHP and the rest are FMJ†
Spare magazine #2 (if carried) is just FMJ.

Why? Cost is one factor. But more to the point is that if some encounter requires me to run through more than 10 rounds, I've stepped into a firefight. And I want out. If you put 10 rounds downrange at your target and miss, expensive bullets aren't any better than FMJ. And, in theory, by this time folks have taken cover/concealment. FMJ penetrates barriers better, as a general rule.

Revolvers are somewhat different. I've carried my snubby .357's with .38+P ammo for rapid follow-ups. But the speedloaders carry Speer 135gr .357 SB loads and the speed-strip(s) load up American Eagle 158gr JSP .357 mag. Same rationale. If I'm forced to reload, I don't wanna be there any more. And I want something with the potential to penetrate his cover.


† FMJ or inexpensive JSP/JHP, like WWB or American Eagle. Ideally they are selected because their POI is close to your premium load.
 
Picit, Powerball is the only factory .357 magnum ammunition that I've ever tried that I rejected outright for use in self defense. The reason? It is so light (100 gr) and so hot that the casings expand after shooting and stick to the sides of the cylinder in my revolver. I can't get them out with the extractor, and must give each one a hard push individually with a thin stiff rod. That's a deal killer with my 5-shot revolver, an S&W M60, because it's impossible to reload quickly.

I assume you've had a different experience. :-) Which Pow'R'Ball are you using, and in what kind of gun, out of curiousity?
 
All three guns I carry for SD are loaded with Hornady Critical Defense rounds ... easy recoil, very accurate from my weapons and now (thankfully) a little easier to find on store shelves ...
 
1st: I never mix different ammo in a magazine. I don't mix FMJ and HP. I don't mix different weight ammo. And I don't mix different manufacturers of ammo. The majority of feeding and ejection issues are ammo related. Ammo seats best in a magazine when it's all the same ammo.

As for what I think is best for self defense; that depends on the gun. Every gun likes and works best with what it likes. In my opinion, there is no 1 magic round that works perfectly out of every gun and caliber out there.

For me, I use 158 grain Hydra-shok in my S&W Model 13-1 357 magnum. I use 230 grain remington golden sabers in my SigSauer P220 45acp. I use 115 grain Hornady Critical Defense in my Kel-tec P11 9mm. I use 100 grain Powerball in my Hi-Point C-9 9mm. I use 72 grain Fiocci FMJ in my Walther PPK and FEG AP-MBP 32acp's. I use 95 grain Hornady XTP or Silver Bear HP in my CZ-82 9mm makarov. (I will be changing over to Buffalo-Bore, now that I've had a chance to try it). I use 70 grain Powerball in my AMT 380 Backup. And I use 185 grain Remington golden sabers in my Kimber and Springfield 1911A1's.

As you can see, I use many different self defense rounds by different manufacturers for different guns. There is no "Right" ammo for all guns. I've found over the years, certain ammo that works best in my particular gun for me. A combination of accuracy, feeding, ejecting, recoil, etc... I don't worry too much about proper expansion, because I use the ammo in the barrel length of guns that the manufacturer's tested with. E.g. a 45acp is almost always tested in a 5" 1911A1 style pistol. So I know it will reach the velocities and expansion that they advertise. Same with a 357 magnum is normally tested in a 4" barrel revolver.

Anyway, my suggestion is to find out for yourself what works best. Some people don't want to try 3-4 different boxes of self defense ammo; at around $25 a box; to see what works best. But that is really the best way. if you don't want to go that route, and are looking for the best "All Around" that you have the best chance getting to work; I would bet all of my money on the Remington Golden Sabers. Gold dots are excellent bullets, but the bullets are sold to ammunition manufacturers, and it all depends on how they load them. Gold dots in one ammo won't perform the same as a different manufacturer. The golden saber is the golden saber. There's no surprises. But if you can afford to try 3-4 different manufacturers, that's the best.
 
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