Best Defensive Ammo

[buster2209]

Yup, this has probably been done to death but I'd still like to know.

I recently got my LTCF and have been carrying my Walther PPS with me wherever I can.

At the moment, it's still got the good ol' fashioned FMJs in it.

Whilst FMJ are a more than suitable round for going through things and causing damage, they have a tendency to go right through things and can hit anything else in it's path.

This would not be good for defensive purposes.

To this end, what, in your opinion and why, is the best 9mm defensive round?

[Ret-Fed]

Speer Gold-Dot JHP. Easily found in most gun stores, good ballistics, reasonable price for a defensive load.

[Former_Marine99]

Im sure this has been going on as long as the 9mm vs .45 debate.

yada yada yada. I will put it simple quoting the FBI. The most important thing when it comes to ammo is that it penetrates, everything else is secondary.


To be considered an effective round it must penetrate 12 to 18 inches in calibrated 10C gel. If it does not it can not be assumed to be an adequate defensive round.

Of the bullets that do penetrate, the edge will always be given to the one that expands reliably while penetrating.

[Steve_NEPhila]

Hornady Critical Defense standard pressure.

I have shot these 115 grain FTX bullets and they cycle well through all of my 9mm's.

[Neko456]

Yup, this has probably been done to death but I'd still like to know.

I recently got my LTCF and have been carrying my Walther PPS with me wherever I can.

At the moment, it's still got the good ol' fashioned FMJs in it.

Whilst FMJ are a more than suitable round for going through things and causing damage, they have a tendency to go right through things and can hit anything else in it's path.

This would not be good for defensive purposes.

To this end, what, in your opinion and why, is the best 9mm defensive round?

I like Cor bon or Power ball and Hydra shoks for all around use. I also like in the summer time Glaser safety slugs blue or Grey.

[625]

Most of the High-end SD hollow points will work well. Using standard FMJ rounds is usually a bad idea for the reasons you already listed, plus the fact that they are usually not sealed to keep moisture out and the cheap powder used gives a bright muzzle flash that would be less than desirable under low light conditions. I like Remmy, Winchester, Federal, Speer, and Hornady the best. I like using the heavier 124 or 147 bullets. I'm not convinced the +P rounds are worth having since they produce extra recoil. My .02

[SCBaldr]

My vote goes to the New Winchester PDX1 Bonded +P rounds. They're what's in my 9mm and .45 carry guns.

You bring up a good point about penetration. A lot of people confuse stopping power and bullet penetration; assuming that one equals the other.

Penetration is the distance to rest in spec ballistics gel.

Stopping power is a function of the striking energy of the bullet, and both the time and distance it takes to stop in the spec. gel.

Rounds that deliver more stopping power dump all of their energy into the gel in a very short time and distance. Former Marine99 is right about the 12" rule for judgeing effective energy, but expansion will bring the bullet to a stop much faster than no epansion. (This also creates a huge amount of shock tissue damage)

If you have a round that takes a lot of time and a long distance to stop in the gel, it will not have much of the lauded stopping power we hear so much about. (The 5.56 round causes its tissue damage by harnessing another ballistic phenomenon entirely)

You can use the analogy of a boxer 'rolling with the punches'. In other words, learning to increase the contact time of his opponent's fist to his own face in order to lessen the shock of the blow.

[ByAnyMeans]

I agree with former marine99, get something that penetrates 12 inches or more. There are many lists out there that will tell you which ones do.

If you are unable to find a list than look for any round from a reputable manufacturer if it is their Law Enforcement line. This is Winchester T's, Federal HST, Speer Gold Dot, etc. Their are other great ones such as Golden Saber from Remington or Hornady's Critical Defense but if you are unsure look for the law enforcement line. I find great availability at ammunitiontogo.com.


From their you can get really crazy and look for which one shoots the best out of each pistol. I have 124+p gold dots which are the most accurate from my Hi Power but 147 Federal HST in my Glock for carrying.

[Former_Marine99]

I'm not convinced the +P rounds are worth having since they produce extra recoil. My .02

I hear ya there. +p and +p+ actually tend to decrease penetration. I know I know, it don't make sense, but after you think about it, it does.

Higher velocity, more expansion, more resistance in the body. less penetration.

Also remember that you have to take into account your carry gun. Most of the time when an ammo MFG tests their ammo they test against 4" 5" and 6" barrels. So if you are carrying an ultra compact, or other pistol with a very short barrel, the ammo is going to preform completely different, which is one reason I am a big fan of home rolled ammo using quality bullets. But baring that there are SD loads out there specifically designed for compact guns. Just do your research, then do your own testing.

[FNG19]

To this end, what, in your opinion and why, is the best 9mm defensive round?

When I can find them, I carry Federal 124gr EFMJ +P. They're pretty scarce these days, so I'm using Speer 124gr GDHP's. I'd prefer the EFMJ's, though, since there is no "crater" to fill with lint, clothing, etc and interfere with expansion. That said, I have no qualms about carrying the GDHP's. They're widely used, well-understood, and my Glock feeds them fine. If there were reliability or expansion problems, they'd be well-publicized, IMHO.