Personal defense ammo

D

DownShift

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I was just curious what ammo y'all are using in your handguns for personal defense.. I personally carry a FNH .40 and use hornady critical defense ammunition, also any personal opinions on why you choose your particular ammo.... My buddy at the gunshop where I bought my FNH suggested the Critical Defense by Hornady because he says "There made for causing damage".... I personally love the hornady ammo. Just wanted to picks yalls brains about the toPic!!!
 
I carry 124gr +P Gold Dots in my USP Compact 9mm and the Hornary Critical Defense .90gr in my Ruger LCP. IMO, the most important thing is to find one that's 100% reliable in your carry gun.
 
.41 Magnum = 175gr Silvertips.
.41 Long Colt = 200gr RNL.
10mm = 175gr Silvertips.
.45 ACP = 230gr Golden Sabers.
9mm = 124gr FMJ (all that feeds in the Luger).
.38 Special = various 158gr JHP (+P for S&W Model 10, standard pressure for older Colt).
7.65mm = FMJ (usually Fiocchi).
.44 Special (the wife's guns) = 200gr GDHP.
 
alot of great SD rounds out there but for me its

hornady CD in my G23 .40

hornady CD 00buck in my HD mossy 590

cor-bon in my ruger p-90 .45

only reason i still have the cor-bon in my .45 is cuz i havent shot it out yet:). cor-bon is great but i like to have the same stuff in all my guns and im really happy with the critical defense!
 
It depends on the caliber; while I don't rely on all of the following for personal defense regularly, all of them could be used in that role and I keep at least a small amount of the listed ammunition on hand.

Handguns
.22LR- CCI 40gr Velocitor
.32 Auto- Fiocchi 73gr FMJ
7.62x25 Tokarev- S&B or Winchester 85gr FMJ
.38 S&W (not Special)- 200gr LRN handload
9x19 Parabellum- Winchester Ranger 127gr +P+ T-Series
.38 Special- Remington 158gr +P LSWCHP
.357 Magnum- Remington 158gr SJHP
10mm Auto- Winchester 175gr Silvertip
.44 Magnum- Speer 240gr Gold Dot
.45 ACP- Federal 230gr +P HST

Shotguns
20 gauge- Remington 2 3/4" unplated #3 Buck
12 gauge- Winchester 3" unplated #1 Buck
10 gauge- Remington 3 1/2" steel BB

Rifles
.223 Winchester- Winchester 45gr JHP
6.5x52 Carcano- Hornady 160gr JSP
7.62x54R- Bulgarian 148gr silver tip FMJ
7.5x55 Swiss- Ruag GP11 174gr FMJ
.45-70 Government- 420gr hardcast handload

While I don't own any currently, I have previously owned firearms in the following additional calibers and have PD ammo preferences for them as well

.44 Special- Speer 200gr Gold Dot
.303 British- Remington 180gr Cor-Lokt JSP
7.62x39 Soviet- Wolf 124gr JSP
.30-06 Springfield- Federal Vital Shok 180gr JSP
 
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.45colt = Cor Bon 200gr Self Defense JHP
.45acp = Cor Bon 165gr JHP +P
.44mag = Cor Bon 165gr Self Defense JHP
10mm = Underwood Ammo 165gr JHP
9mm = Doubletap 125gr Bonded JHP +P
.32acp = S&B 73gr FMJ + Cor Bon 55gr Pow'RBall.
 
Frangible or "exotic" rounds...

Don't believe ever tidbit you hear in a gun shop or sporting goods dept. ;)
In 2004, I had a "good ole boy" wig out on me in a gun shop over the state of Florida's ammunition requirements for G/armed security.
I was tempted to walk out, go to my vehicle and return with the printed Div of Licensing security officer handbook, www.Mylicensesite.com .
This incident was in NW Florida near Pensacola.
Florida does have strange restrictions on the use of "frangible" or exotic rounds. This, IMO, is based on out-dated T&Es & 2nd hand accounts of some handgun rounds not working as claimed by the factory sales rep(s).

Now QC(quality) or production standards may be an issue with some brands but I never heard of Hornady's TAP or Critical Defense having problems.

Now, Im not saying Glasers or Critical Defense rounds are the "best" for handguns but they are useful under some conditions.
ClydeFrog
 
It Doesn't matter which handgun I use, all my self defense ammo is LSWC. It's also my hunting ammo, gotta go with what brung me to the dance, worked for me in 72 and hasn't stopped working yet.
 
Just realized, I load all my carry guns with Federal (the brand, not affiliates). I have a good bit of other stuff but don't carry nothing but Fed. Maybe it's Freudian? I guess it's the one I trust the most to go bang.
 
I see where you are coming from Old Grump. I take a slightly different but related approach. I didn't mention it in my earlier post, but I generally keep 4 to 8 hardcast semi-wadcutters or flat nose at the bottom of my magazines. I honestly expect most confrontations to be over before I get to those. However, I figure if I do get 4-9 rounds into my magazine and I still need to shoot that means either JHP was the wrong ammo to start with, or the assailant has had a chance to move behind cover that I need to shoot through if he is still a threat. So I go almost entirely the opposite way from JHP with something capable of excellent penetration and with as large a meplat as possible.

.45acp = Buffalo Bore 255gr Hardcast Flat Nose +P
10mm = Double Tap 230gr Wide Flat Nose Gas Check Hardcast
9mm = Double Tap 147gr FMJ Flat Point +P
.32acp = Buffalo Bore 75gr Flat Nose Hard Cast +P

As for my Revolvers, I don't really CCW them so the personal defense loads used above are more for home use. When I do carry one of them it is generally in the wilderness. Out there I carry:

.45colt = Buffalo Bore 255gr Keith Style SWC Soft Cast Gas Check
.44mag = Buffalo Bore 340gr Lead Flat Nose Gas Check +P+

Point being.... I like Semi-Wadcutter a/o Flat Nose an awful lot as well.... And I am even debating getting some of the BB anti-personnel Full Wadcutter to replace the JHP I currently keep in my revolvers.
 
Gold Dots, Golden Sabers, Critical Defense, FBI Load...

I think any good quality ammo would serve well. I don't think the brand name matters.
 
I load my Ruger P-90 with 230 grain JHPs, usually the Winchester white box stuff from Wal Mart, but occasionally I switch to Hydra Shoks in the same weight.
 
380-FMJ, for penetration
40- Winchester personal protection, cheap enough to test in my gun.
357 mag- hornady critical defense, good reviews.
Shot gun- 2 turkey, 2 00 buck, 2 slugs.
 
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