When using Critical Defense or PDXI Defender ammo, would you load your magazine full with all defense ammo. Or could you load most of your magazine with regular range ammo and then finish off with 2 defense ammo rounds on top so they come out first. If hitting a person with 2 defense rounda does not stop them, then what ever rounds you use after that does not matter. What is the thinking when using personal defense rounds.
When using personal defence ammo.
- Thread starter daveb03
- Start date
Ghost Rider
New member
I have two magazines fully loaded with 147gr jacketed hollow points. I personally don`t mix ammo, I want the same knock down power from shot to shot until the threat/bad guy goes down.
gunnerbob
PEW Professional
I don't mix ammo in my CCW weapon magazines, ever! The reason is simple... reliability. Though your weapon may be capable of chewing through whatever you throw into it, I believe removing a variable from the situation makes sense. I usually carry a .38Spl and sometimes a .380acp now but, in the .38Spl I don't have the issue of whether or not each round is identical in length, bullet type or powder charge, thus causing some sort of unforeseen malfunction. In the .380acp, I carry FMJ anyway... It's a relatively low powered round so I'm not concerned about over-penetration. Also, I haven't found a defensive round that reliably expanded and penetrated to sway me in one direction or the other to spend bookoo $$$ on it. Anyway, I rambled... Point is, I don't mix ammo (bullet design/powder charges) in magazines.
NewlyEnthused
New member
Simple question, what if there are more than one bad guy? If you carry and load just in case, why not carry and load for just in worst case?
gunnerbob
PEW Professional
This is a good hypothetical! I train in many different ways but, I always make sure to include an exercise of two or more threats involved! I will draw, fire two rounds into target #1 and another two round into target #2, access the threat and if necessary... put another one (or two, depending on the .38Spl) into whichever threat is still a threat. Obviously, if I'm using an auto... the drill may involve more rounds into each target or what have you...
There's really not a whole hell of a lot that can be added to this
flintlock62
New member
First of all, I would not use range ammo for SD. You may have a pass through, and hit an innocent by-stander. Remember, you are responsible for everything and anyone you shoot. Make sure it's the BG, and the BG only.
Secondly, what caliber are you shooting? 9mm and up do fine with hollow points. .380 and below don't have enough power to reliably expand hollow points.
Use only high quality ammo for SD such as Federal HST, Speer Gold Dot, or Winchester PDX1. You are looking for reliability. Use the cheap stuff for practice.
Secondly, what caliber are you shooting? 9mm and up do fine with hollow points. .380 and below don't have enough power to reliably expand hollow points.
Use only high quality ammo for SD such as Federal HST, Speer Gold Dot, or Winchester PDX1. You are looking for reliability. Use the cheap stuff for practice.
JCliff
New member
.
Every single round that comes out of your firearm in a self-defense situation matters. If what you assert was true, then why would you bother loading more than 2 rounds in your carry firearm? There are any number of reasons why the first 2 rounds out of your firearm may fail to "stop" an attacker. Also, what of multiple threats? For enhanced reliability I also do not advocate mixing and matching ammo in your self-defense pistol, with the possible exception of a revolver like the Taurus Judge or S&W Governor.
BC1
,
You're assuming you hit with the first two rounds. You might miss. Even with a hit you may not stop the attacker in one or two rounds. Stopping power depends on distance, shot placement, caliber, muzzle velocity, bullet weight, expansion, size of the attacker and what he's wearing. A lot of factors. To maximize stopping power you want the attacker to absorb the entire foot-pounds of energy produced by the round. Hollow points will increase the energy absorbed by the attacker when compared to hard nose rounds. Ball ammo may go directly through the attacker, thus the total energy of the shot was not absorbed. The exception is in use of .45 ball ammo and/or wad cutters in a .38. Load-up with the appropriate ammo to do the job.
Roscoe P Coletrain
New member
I use Hornady Critical Defense out of my CCW .380 and I load the magazine full of it. I've researched ballistic tests on it and I am confident that all of it will mushroom like it should. My CCW instructor told us to use frangible rounds for our first shots and finish with hollow points. I am not sold on the performance and reliability that I am after with this technique. I agree with the statement of "prepare for the worst" and don't want any failure to feed opportunity in my magazine. My 2 cents.
In that situation, are you REALLY that concerned about an extra $15-$20 for good ammo?
Seeya
New member
My first thought! lol
apvbguy
New member
why?
SR9
New member
I use 9MM FMJ round nose for targets and 9MM hollow points for defense. Have 4 mags., 2/ 17 round and 2/ 10 round, and of course 1 in the chamber. A friend of mine says he always loads 1 bullet less than capacity and never carries a chambered round. He says loading one less makes it easier on the pistol and same for none chambered. I say I want as many as I can get and having one chambered can give you an advantage.
Deanimator
New member
More importantly, different ammunition produces a different recoil impulse, something not conducive to reliability in a recoil operated firearm.
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