After reading and watching countless videos on the "best" 9mm ammo for defense (a lot of opinions out there), I started shooting the Federal HST 147 Gg round. Plenty accurate and based on the terminal ballistic tests it seems to outperform most everything else on penetration and wound cavity. After 30+ years of carry, I doubt that I will ever have to find out, but, might as well carry the best.

So what do you feed your daily driver?

Federal HST 147 grain.

Our carry load ( Agency) for the street is the Fed 147gr HST, Personnel load out is, G43, Speer 147GD, My wife's house gun, G48, Lehigh 124 GD Plus p Plus. G27 40 Cal 180 HST,

I carry and use my own brand, which is a 148 grain +P flat point hardcast.




A few years back when all the "Social Justice" types were blocking roads, throwing bricks at people, throwing Molotov cocktails at people, mobs pulling them out of their cars, rioting, running down innocent people, I stopped carrying standard JHP. I started carrying something that could also defeat barriers. Something that would work as well in the mountains on Mountain Lions and the Canadian wolves we have as well as work for home and vehicle defense.

JWP475 shot a good bit of it at various things, including gel blocks, pigs, armadillos, etc. He sent me a few pics.










It was also what I carried when I had a mountain lion stalking me, when I was hauling out an elk a few years ago.




And what I keep on hand in the house.

Federal HST 147 or 124 is my first choice. Speer Gold Dot, Winchester Ranger T, and Remington Golden Sabre are all good. Shot placement trumps all. I have said repeatedly that shot placement is King, penetration is Queen, and anything else is gravy.

I like the Fort Scott tui's currently my "9mm ammo" is 230 grain .45 hydrashok thar identifies as a 9mm.

Speer Gold Dot, Hornady Critical Defense, Winchester Ranger.

Hornady 135gr. +P Critical Duty. However, I might just have to look into MS's 148gr +P that he loads.

Mackay, I approve this message! 👍👍👍 memtb

30 years back or so the retired ex sheriff opened a small shop that just sold reloading components. One day I stopped in and noticed some card board boxes along the wall full of pulled bullets 9mm mostly 115gr rn , 124 rn , and 147 gr flat nose fmj. The bullets nose had dike cuts on them from being pulled. I asked old Mel what he wanted for them.? How many do you want? I said how about a deal on all of them, he laughed and said $120 . He'd had 2 dollars a100 on them. How many there, I asked? Nigh on to 7000 he said and I said OK. About half were 147grs fmj. Only thing better than shooting is shooting cheap. The 147"s have shot in every 9 I have ever had..mb
Venison steak , a cold beer and cheap shooting is about as good as it gets.

I don't obsess over duty-grade ammo that has been heavily vetted by the manufacturers and correlated to street results under a wide variety of circumstances. Federal, Speer and Winchester all make loads that fall into that category. As long as it functions in your gun, I don't think it really matters. HST 147 should be fine. Personally, I carry standard pressure 124 Gold Dots, but that is only because I have shot a bunch of it over the years in a bunch of different guns, and I have an decent supply on hand.

I do keep some magazines loaded with penetrator ammo, including Mackay's +P hard cast and Lehigh Xtreme Penetrators, on hand for off-pavement carry or unusual circumstances.

MacKay_Sagebrush, What bullet, assuming that they will feed properly, what bullet would you suggest for my EDC 45ACP Springfield XDS.

If you get time to look, I really like Accurate Molds, could you recommend a bullet. I also cast from straight wheel weights…..but, can temper for additional hardness if you recommend it. And, they will be powder coated! Thanks, memtb

Have you tested these loads in shorter pistols like the Sig P938 or Sig 355x?

There is always the question of what works best for barrel length. Just curious about what would work well and possibly give this kind of penetrarion in a small pistol.

Interesting points.

In my M&P 2.0 4.25" 115gr Silvertips. In my SIG P365 124gr HSTs.

Nice!

I've chrono'd Lost River Ammunition Company factory 148 grain +P hard cast out of the standard Sig P365 and a P365 XL.

Standard P365 (3.1 inch barrel): Average 989, High 1003, Low 981, Extreme Spread 22, Standard Deviation 8.8 (5 shots)

P365 XL: Average 1061, High 1068, Low 1048, Extreme Spread 20, Standard Deviation 8.2 (5 shots)

Edited to Add:

I did this gonzo test a few years ago before Mackay was manufacturing ammo. It is the Buffalo Bore Outdoorsman round, marketed as 147 grain +P. Mackay can weigh in, but I think he uses the same bullet. Chrono results on that were Average 1010, High 1035, Low 994, Extreme Spread 40, Standard Deviation 11.8 (10 shots). I would expect the same performance from Mackay's rounds. I also found that Buffalo Bore is more expensive and the lots I have frequently do not fit in a 9mm case gauge. Note that I said Jug 4 a bunch of times when it really was jug 3.

So recently (Christmas) there was a shoot in MinKnot. One male victim dead, one female wounded by 3 shots from a 9mm, she survived. He was hit 6 times I believe.

I am not sure what the homeland security people carry, assuming it was their duty load.

Just 2-3 months ago someone posted a pretty in depth test on a lot of 9's. luckygunner.com.


My eyes saw great pentration & expantion dia. with the 124 HST. Maybe not the winner, but I liked the numbers. Found really good prices for it at Flip ammo.

I am carrying Federal HST 124gr in my CZ75D PCR.

147 hr Underwood hard cast in one mag for woods walking and Win Defender in another for house use. I tend to have the 147 hard cast in the gun most of the time.

When I run out of Underwood, would be interested in Mackays loads.

124 Hornady critical defense.

Speer Gold Dot 147gr. Federal Premium HST 124gr +P.

90gr Lehigh Xtreme Defense handloads

I used to like 124grn REM Golden Saber. But cant find it anymore .

Now either Buffalo Bore or Underwood loads.

The defensive ammo for my full size Beretta APX is 9mm Hornady Critical Duty 135gr+P and for my Beretta Nano it is 9mm Hornady Critical Duty 124gr+P.

Brownell or Midway in stock or buy direct from Remington.

Critical Duty 135gr

Speer Gold Dot, 124 grain

for the most part, I use Hornady American Gunner 124 grain.

Cheapest 115 rn fmj I can find. LOL.

Speer 124 Gold Dot +P

Hornady American Gunner 124 grain XTPs

Speer 124 gr Gold Dot +P

My G43, Gold Dot 147gr, My wife's gun G48,Underwood, 124 gold Dot Plus P Plus.

Remington 124 grain +P Bonded Golden Sabre for hollow points. Mostly I carry 148 grain hard cast, by Lost River Ammo (Mackay_Sagebrush)

124 grain flat nose fmj.

I'm not extremely picky. +P 115 or 124 grain JHP ammo from Hornady, Federal, or Remington.

There's a lot of truth to the saying that it's more the Indian than it is the arrow.

Mine is a 9mm Makarov.......

Buffalo Bore has +P Mak ammo. I have not shot any. But have considered the hardcast for CZ82

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=64

Federal 147 HST the past few years. Before that it was Speer Gold Dot 124 grain +P.

^^^^^^^These^^^^^^^

Hornady for in the house and CC, Heavy cast lead +P for woods carry!

I use 115 gr. XTP's loaded to about 1200 fps with Unique. Also load 125 gr. PC cast to about 1050 fps for a casual target plinking load.

I worry about feral hogs as much as I do people. 147gr Hardcasts in my Glock 19.

Me too, among the very best for EDC.

Shoot those into something like a yote, and come back and let us know how they worked. BTDT. They suck.

180 JHP, Oh never mind I carry 40’s.

None for myself, but load 90gr Lehigh Defenders for Wife's P365's to 1300 fps with Power Pistol, i can't tear that little bullet up, tough customer, hit a strawberry thieving rabbit with one at 1700 fps from my 357 Sig, yes, they will spin a kitchen blender hole in and out.

Federal HST 124gr +P

Lost River 148 grain +P flat point hardcast

Gold dot

Winchester 125gr +P+

Or Lost River Ammo

Oh crap. That's just funny 😅

Thanks for sharing those numbers and the link. I wouldn’t want to be in the way of that bullet.

Federal 147 grain standard pressure HST.

Ron

Ranger 124 gr +P and Federal HST 124 gr +P.

I am still pretty well supplied with this stuff, and I don't think I'm at any disadvantage with it.

StarchedCover

115 Gold Dots

Federal standard pressure 124 and 147 grain HST law enforcement ammo.

Thank god we have lots of options. Even plain old FMJ ball ammo which everyone seems to have, will save your behind.

In 40 cal. I carry the fed 180gr HST.

Federal 135 Hydra-Shok from about 15 years ago. After rotating the mags annually & shooting what's in the gun, it's almost gone, so...

Just ordered some of this to try. Free shipping with 10 boxes.

https://palmettostatearmory.com/nor...low-point-9mm-ammo-20-box-299740020.html

124 Gold Dot 6.4gr Power Pistol. 130 TMJ bonded flat point with a scientifically determined load of Blue Dot. Don’t recall the dose of Blue Dot right now.

This^^^^^^^
Same load, same gun.