Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 9mm self defense ammo

Not looking to switch from the Hornady Critical Defense, just curious as to what everybody else likes to use?

124gr +P Speer Gold Dots

Federal HST...

Underwood Xtreme Defender...

XD vs. HST...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClJcJ8LQFbQ&t=33s


...and carrying the XD round in my .38 Super also...30 fps faster than the 9mm +P+...

Bob

I’ve been using Remington Golden Sabers in .380, 9mm, .357, and .45s for several years, but recently was able to acquire some Federal HSTs in most of those cartridges and have now switched over.

HST

I bought some of the Sig 124gr stuff.

124+P XTP Hornady American Gunner. Good bullet, good velocity, good pricing at $15 for 25 rounds.

Underwood +P XD



Federal 124+P and 147 HST

Speer 124+P Gold Dot

Speer 147 Gold Dot

Winchester Ranger T 147

PDX1

Sig Sauer V-Crown 147

ALL good options.

Ditto.

Hst 147 grain

I like the 124gr +P hollow points, I think that they are all good, HST, Critical Duty, Golden Saber Bonded, Gold Dot, PDX1, etc. Afer those I like the 115gr +P hollow points.

Currently loaded up with Hornady Critical Duty 135gr +P.

Winchester Ranger LE T-Series..

Would be just as happy with Gold Dot.

You won’t get better ammo or a better price than this:

https://www.recoilgunworks.com/trad...m_campaign=9.9.2019&utm_medium=email

OP, I load the 115gr XPT's to 1050 fps for Wifes P365, hell of a little bullet that penetrates more than most would think, I load the 125gr Barnes to near 1100 fps in her pistol for when I shoot it.

RJM, speaking of the 38 Super, 115gr Lehigh penetrators at 1385 are the chits, so are 125gr Barnes hp's at 1341, both loads run with Longshot.

124 or 147 grain either in HST or Gold Dot. If I can't get one, I will take the other. Both designs are about the best out there.

David,

Thanks for the new book mark.

Yeah, the wound channel & the (extravagant) level of penetration of the XD looks to be impressive, but the reaction on the gelatin block being hit with the HST is considerably more violent in slo-mo..............but I'm not sure what that relates to in real life.

A better comparison might be a Barnes bullet.

Be interesting when they have been out long enough to get some real life man-stopping data.

MM

Speer 124 grain +P Gold Dots.

Dan

^^^This^^^

So how many of yall actually put down a real people with a 9. How'd it go?

Federal HST in 124 or 147 grain.

Ron

Federal HST.

While I’ve never used a handgun on a “sub-human”, we’re using 147 grain Gold Dots! I prefer heavier bullets, and suspect that all of the “name brand” Bullets are pretty good defense ammo! memtb

Really good straight meat bullets I bet, taking it you guys carry a couple mags for barriers when out and about?

Back in 1997 while working another department after retiring from DPD one of my partners put down a perp (who was stabbing his girlfriend with a butcher knife) using his department issued Sig 226 9mm with Federal 147 gr Hydrashok . He did a double tap on him center mass. Instant incapacitation. Both rounds expanded perfectly. The perp died, and unfortunately the woman also from multiple stab wounds. Back around 1984 in Detroit PD, another partner of mine off duty shot a perp shooting at him. He used his personal gun, S&W 39 9mm with 9mm FMJ. 1 shot in the head ended that. At the time we could only carry FMJ or all lead bullets. No half jacketed and no hollow points. Our issued 5" 38 special revolvers with 38 lead round nose was what must guys carried. We could also carry and double action Smith or Colt revolvers 38 spl or larger if we qualified with them. Also double action 9mm S&W 39's or 59's with FMJ. I carried a S&W model 29 4" with 250 gr cast Keith. Worked great.

I used to run Gold Dot 124+P, now I use Federal LE HST 124 +P in my 9mm.

In my .45 I run HST 230 +P


Works......very well

When I was with Dallas PD in the 1970s and 80s several of my friends shot people with 9mms, mostly Winchester Silvertips...no complaints from any one...

In 1992 one of my friends and our Sargent shot a guy coming at them with two butcher knives. My friend hit the guy just below the left eye socket with a 147 Subsonic that I believe was a Winchester.... It bounced off the eye socket bone and curved around the back of the suspects face ending up at the back of his neck. The Sargent hit the guy in the chest and I believe arm and the three shots in about 1 second knocked the guy over backwards. I was just pulling in the driveway when the shooting happened... We did CPR on him but he was dead before the ambulance got there.

Bob

I have 124gr Gold Dots. No +P since my only 9mm is a Browning HP. I don't use +P in my 45s either. I'd love to find some 115gr Winchester Silver Tips.

I seriously doubt +P ammo will hurt your HiPower

I shot quite a bit of the Corbin +P+ 115 gr stuff in the one I owned for several years. It showed no adverse effects.

Personally, I was never impressed with the 115 gr Silvertip ammo. Shot several varmints of various sizes with it over the years.

The Speer Gold Dot +P ammo, has been quite impressive though, in my experience With varmints and one very old and sick cow I had to put down at the Ranch.

Based on all the stuff. I have read and watched, I run the following in my Ed Brown 9mm:

HST 147 grain
HST 124+p
Ranger T-series 147 grain



Thinking of trying Xtreme defender in my Glock 42

Depends on what Hi Power your shooting. My T models will never see +P ammo. Not even one magazine full. Why do it anyway?

Don't even think about over springing a older Hi Power to shoot hot ammo. I choose not too myself.



https://hipowersandhandguns.com/9mm_hi_power_ammo_selection.htm

Yep. Although I wouldn't feel uncomfortable using any of the premium competitors.

A long time ago I had a decently-accurate Argentine Hi Power about 250 rounds of 115 grain Silvertips. We also had a Blue Jay infestation of biblical proportions. I can say for certain the 9mm Silvertip is an exemplary performer in that application, if no other.

I'm partial to HST 147gr, performs great on milk jugs