Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association

View Poll Results: What .40 Grain Ammo in Do you Carry for Defense?

Voters
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  • 135 gr

    11 11.22%
  • 155 gr

    4 4.08%
  • 165 gr

    34 34.69%
  • 180 gr

    48 48.98%
  • 200 gr

    1 1.02%
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  1. #1
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    Question What Grain .40 Caliber You Carry?

    Just wanted to get a ballpark figure of what fellow members carry in their .40 caliber pistols for personal defense.

    Usually, the big debate is over 165 vs. 180 grain.
    I prefer the 165gr JHP's because of greater velocity. But I recently was speaking with someone who said that the 180 packs more "punch".

    Would like to hear your thoughts on that as well.

    Also, whats the real difference between Sub-Sonic and Super Sonic ammo besides speed?

    I have often read here on the forums many members really dislike carrying sub sonic ammo?
    Last edited by Ricochet; April 20th, 2011 at 01:26 AM.
    "One must be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves” ~ Machiavelli

  2. #2
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    Default Re: What Grain .40 Caliber You Carry?

    I don't have a .40 Cal, but if you're talking only in terms of energy then the 155 grain has the most, just beating out the 200 grain by a few ft-lb. (I had to look this up since I don't have first hand experience with this caliber.)

    My major in college was physics, so I've studied projectile motion a lot due to my love of target shooting. The energy scales directly with the weight of the bullet, but the energy scales as the square of the velocity... so a slightly lighter, but faster moving projectile will have more energy.

    This is the whole argument (or so I was told) as to why the US Military switched to the 5.56... lighter, faster, more energy... that and it has less recoil and you can carry more ammo compared to the 7.62.

    Myself, I like the 7.62 so go figure. LOL!

  3. #3
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    Default Re: What Grain .40 Caliber You Carry?

    I would have to believe in a real life situation the difference between the 165 and 180 would be almost unnoticed. I've put quite a few of each through my Glock 23. The 180s usually have slightly more recoil. As far as I'm aware most police depts that used .40 carried the 180 grain bullet. As far as accuracy I didn't notice any real difference between the two.

    One thing to keep in mind...while a lighter bullet will have more velocity and energy a heavier bullet should still penetrate farther into the target.
    "Improvise. Adapt. Overcome."

  4. #4
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    Default Re: What Grain .40 Caliber You Carry?

    I carry 135 Cor-Bon DPX, they have to be light because of the HUGE hole in the end of them.......
    not sure that the weight will matter as much as a quality bullet....


    Glock Pistols.......So simple a Caveman could fix them!

  5. #5
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    Default Re: What Grain .40 Caliber You Carry?

    I have 165 grain federal hydra shoks.
    Last edited by vetter3006; April 20th, 2011 at 09:11 AM.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: What Grain .40 Caliber You Carry?

    Quote Originally Posted by JTokash View Post
    I don't have a .40 Cal, but if you're talking only in terms of energy then the 155 grain has the most,
    You sure about that?

  7. #7
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    Default Re: What Grain .40 Caliber You Carry?

    Quote Originally Posted by JTokash View Post
    I don't have a .40 Cal, but if you're talking only in terms of energy then the 155 grain has the most, just beating out the 200 grain by a few ft-lb. (I had to look this up since I don't have first hand experience with this caliber.)

    My major in college was physics, so I've studied projectile motion a lot due to my love of target shooting. The energy scales directly with the weight of the bullet, but the energy scales as the square of the velocity... so a slightly lighter, but faster moving projectile will have more energy.

    This is the whole argument (or so I was told) as to why the US Military switched to the 5.56... lighter, faster, more energy... that and it has less recoil and you can carry more ammo compared to the 7.62.

    Myself, I like the 7.62 so go figure. LOL!
    7.62 still has more energy than 5.56, despite 5.56 going roughly 300-400 FPS faster.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: What Grain .40 Caliber You Carry?

    I carry 155 gr Hydro Shoks. I want a bullet that will expend all or most of it's energy inside my intended target without passing through. Also a lighter bullet will self destruct easier if I miss and is less likely to ricochet. The last thing I want is to injure or kill a person that is not my intended target. I started out with 135's but after shooting two ground hogs and a raccoon and observing the penetration of them I moved up a notch.
    The older I get, the better I used to be.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: What Grain .40 Caliber You Carry?

    The difference in energy only tells half the story. For the sake of argument Ill use 135 and 180 grain. In a face to face shooting where your target is facing you and is only about 8 inches thick thru the chest, even less thru the neck or the head. You shoot someone with the 180 it will penetrate entirely and leave with a few hundred pound of energy still with it. The 135 on the other hand will deposit all its energy and blow apart (esp cor bon 135s). This would be great for self defense from a mugging. Not so great if your a cop shooting at a suspect that is running and firing back or not face to face where you may need to penetrate an arm or a shoulder before entering the vitals. Most of the self defense loads for 10mm are of the 135 gr variety because they dump energy and dont overpenetrate.....most of their hunting rounds are based on 180-230gr bullets to bust up a shoulder or penetrate a deer or hog from front to back where the vitals might be 12 inches into the body.
    Personally I carry a p229 in .40. I carry 135 gr cor bons in the summer, and 165gr rangers in the winter. I carry 200gr tap ammo in the woods if I take it camping instead of my 10mm.
    My point of impact with all three of these rounds differ about an inch at 25 yards.
    Last edited by Edg; April 20th, 2011 at 10:38 AM.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: What Grain .40 Caliber You Carry?


    180gr black talon, 165gr ranger, 155 corbon powerball, 135 corbon.
    The ranger went thru 3 complete gallon jugs of water and expanded over .081. The corbon 135 only made it into the second jug but there was absolutly nothing left of the bottle except for the cap. Although it lost its jacket and most of its weight and only expanded to .49 I gotta think all thost copper fragments would make their own wound channels and would be pretty devestating to be shot with.
    The black talon was kinda unimpressive The talons measured .79 and were razor sharp, but they would sometimes snag if I put a layer of denim in between the bottles and that would be enough to stop them.
    My setup for doing these tests is 3 gallon bottles of water rear two upright, front one on its side and I aim for the cap. I put 2 layers of denim in front and a box of old clothes in the rear to catch any bullet that goes thru the water.

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