Choosing Carry ammo for 9mm... help!

[melloyello]

much thanks folks...

I used to be a "MV first" guy... but going from hunting primarily with a 25-06 to a 35 Whelen (aka 35-06)... uh, heavy and a little slower is just A-OK...

so I'm guessing I'll stick with 124gr +Ps....

I can't imagine opting for a 115... weight is a very effective tool when it relates to energy transfer, at least on game. 'course I'm not throwing 250gr out there at 2400fps... but nonetheless... (talk about bone-destruction at about 200yds...)

thanks again.

My recommendation is to try different types of ammo.
I've found that in one of my CCW the 9mm 124 gr work great.
However, my friend's XDM9 the 147 gr felt like less recoil than the 124s.
Accuracy was they same negating opeerator error.

Also check at different distants too (5,7,10, 15 yards)

 

[1911 Headbanger]

Cor-Bon 115gr. JHP's in +P or Speer Gold Dot 124gr. JHP's in +P.

What he said!!!

 

[Glock Fan]

I'd go with the Speer Gold Dots in 124 gr. Cor Bon ammo is good, but it's a little pricey. It's good practice to shoot a couple of boxes of your defensive ammo on a regular basis. I didn't see a big enough of a difference in performance to justify the higher cost of Cor Bon ammo. If you're partial to Remington ammo, Golden Sabre ammo works good as well. It's a little more costly than Speer Gold Dots, but less expensive than Cor Bon.



gf

 

[BIMMER 540i]

Choosing Carry ammo for 9mm

I use either Cor-Bon /Glaser (also known as Pow'R Ball) it's been tested by and used by FBI because it is known to go through several layers of heavy clothing(ie: winter) and then 10-12" of forensic jelly where it stops.
I also use Hornady critical Defense 115 gr FTX for mostly the same reasons except the Pow'R Ball is 135 gr.
Hornady is often available at Cabela's ;Glaser is usually available at Cheaper Than Dirt.
Any Help????

 

[langoley]

I am going to play devil's advocate here and also add,it is also a good idea for your "personal defense"weapon to be un-modified!!This will help you in the long run should you have to use it.I personally use Speer gold dot's in my Kel-Tec P-11.They are a good "middle of the road" round,that won't draw too much attention from a CIVIL attourny should I have to use it,as well as my un-modified pistol wont either.We just had this discussion on another board,and someone found several cases of modified guns held against law abidingowners in civil court.The best consensus we could come up with is to use your stock guns for defense and the trick ones for "range"work.

 

[theicemanmpls]

Federal 9BPLE. find it at law enforcement supply houses. It makes one deadly mushroom. cops have used it for years.

 

[jtg452]

well, I'm getting close to the point where I need to decide what I'm actually going to carry for ammunition.

I (will, waiting on permit) carry an HK P2000SK in 9mm, and will be carrying it IWB...

how much of that is relevant? not sure, but what are my best choices for carry ammunition, and as it relates to that, I've noticed a lot of 124gr +P loads and 147gr NOT +P.... I can't seem to find ballistics info on most of them though, so comparing "dead bad-guy" effects is kinda tough...


thanks for any/all guidance on this!

I got 2 questions for you.

What bullet weight do you prefer?

What load does your gun shoot accurately and reliably in that bullet weight?

I've got 4 9mm's that I've used over the years for concealed carry. Every one of them worked best with a different load. I had 2 Hi-Powers that were made within a month or two of each other (Serial #'s were less than 500 apart). One loved the old Corbon 147gr +P+ load but wouldn't feed 124 Hydrashocks at all. The other shot 124gr HydraShocks all day long in a cloverleaf at 15 yards and was minute of coke bottle at 15 yards with the 147's. My 9mm Combat Commander likes the non +P 147gr loads a lot.

 

[p95_9mm]

I have used the Winchester 147 G JHP and burnt through a box of 50 with no problems at all in my P95. I use that for my Home defense Ammo..

 

[p95_9mm]

Some of the information you have recieved may be a bit...dated. While it's true that older designs did not do well in real street encounters, the newest generation 147 grain hollow points are much better.

With the right bullet design, there's nothing wrong with the 147 grain loading. Pick the one that works best in your weapon and worry more about training and tactics.

Service Pistol Duty and Self-Defense Loads - M4Carbine.net Forums

Link Removed

That is what i use is the Winchester 147 G hollow points

 

[MikePapa1]

Federal 9BPLE. find it at law enforcement supply houses. It makes one deadly mushroom. cops have used it for years.

I've carried this round in my Sig 226 since it was new. At the time I bought this was what our Sheriff's Department carried in the 226. It's powerful, accurate and shoots each and every time. I don't know what more you'd want in SD ammo. I know there are newer cartridges out there but I'm an 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' sort. I've looked at the various tests and so far I've not seen anything that works better.

 

[SC Tiger]

well, I'm getting close to the point where I need to decide what I'm actually going to carry for ammunition.

I (will, waiting on permit) carry an HK P2000SK in 9mm, and will be carrying it IWB...

how much of that is relevant? not sure, but what are my best choices for carry ammunition, and as it relates to that, I've noticed a lot of 124gr +P loads and 147gr NOT +P.... I can't seem to find ballistics info on most of them though, so comparing "dead bad-guy" effects is kinda tough...


thanks for any/all guidance on this!

Don't get caught up in the ballistics as much as whether it will reliably function in your gun. Choose a self defense round from a respected manufacturer (Hornaday, Speer, Remington, Federal, or Winchester among others) and try them out. Once you find one your gun likes (which it will likely feed several types reliably) stick with it. I will caution you to make sure the round is a hollow point (laws permitting) or other self-defense design (Glaser, Pow'rball, etc) to reduce overpenetration risk and have more terminal effect. As far as self defense round A vs self defense round B, reliability is much more important than terminal effect IMO.

I've tested out a few different .380 loads for my LCP. Right now I carry Hornaday XTP but have some Critical Defense I am going to test out, if for no other reason then to determine my options as .380 ammo is still a little scarce.

 

[jimmyjohn]

My recomendation for the best 9mm ammo for the HK P2000sk

well, I'm getting close to the point where I need to decide what I'm actually going to carry for ammunition.

I (will, waiting on permit) carry an HK P2000SK in 9mm, and will be carrying it IWB...

how much of that is relevant? not sure, but what are my best choices for carry ammunition, and as it relates to that, I've noticed a lot of 124gr +P loads and 147gr NOT +P.... I can't seem to find ballistics info on most of them though, so comparing "dead bad-guy" effects is kinda tough...


thanks for any/all guidance on this!

I would recommend the Speer Gold Dot short barrel 124gr JHP+P for your gun. It gives excellent performance from guns with 3"+ barrel lengths. The penetration is amazing, the muzzle velocity is excellent and the bullet performance is superb. Hints: Shoot at least two boxes slow and fast to check function in your gun. When loading for carry always load the first round through the ejection port directly into the chamber and seat it. With the gun point at a safe surface i.e something that you could destroy if you had a slam fire, drop the slide, safety the weapon check to make sure the ejector has latched the cartridge rim and the slide is fully closed. Insert magazine and holster weapon. This is to prevent bullet set back from repeatedly slamming into the feed ramp and you can use the same chamber round next time you load your handgun keeping the magazine rounds clear of rim nicks and being assured the first round is safe and will fire.

 

[DannyBear71]

I'm personally skeptical of using ballistics gel testing alone as the basis of choosing a defense ammo, and even more so the weight some people put to a particular ammo when it comes to winning a gun fight.

While I agree it does provide a fairly accurate means of comparing ammo performance I think it has one major flaw. It isn't the human body.

The human body is not a solid mass of tissue with one consistent density. Which is really what ballistics gel is able to simulate. Skin, fat, muscle, organs, cartilage, and bone all vary in density from each other as well as among their individual variants. Add to this the fact that a round may also pass through voids and fluid masses as it travels through the body and you start to see a very different picture from what a ballistics gel test alone provides.

Any caliber, weight, velocity, and round design (ie... Ball or JHP) can incapacitate or kill a would be attacker if it strikes the right organ or severs the right artery. And any of the above can fail to do so if it does not.

When choosing an ammo type I agree what works with your weapon is just as important if not more so than how well it scored in a ballistics gel test. If your weapon jams having the best performing ammo isn't going to matter much.

What matters in a gun fight isn't solely dependent on what ammo you use. And anyone who says differently hasn't read many autopsy reports of gun shot victims or officer involved shooting reports.

True effective ammo can improve your chances of stopping an attacker, but so can choosing the right weapon for you. And let's not forget if you aren't proficient with said weapon how likely do you think it is that you will strike that organ or sever that artery that will bring your attacker down?

Situation, training, weapon, and ammo all can effect whether or not you survive a gun fight. Just ask any officer or carry holder who has survived. It can be enlightening reading.

Just keep in mind, while the ammo you choose is important, don't assume that just because you're using the "best" ammo on the market for personal defense or ammo that scored "best" in ballistic testing it's the only thing you need to consider.

 

[BowhuntnHoosier]

Right now my Glock 19 is loaded with 15+1 Remington 147gr Golden Sabres(flying ashtrays). I think those will do the job just fine.:biggrin: