Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 9mm bullet selection

As a handloader for 9mm, what bullet do you load for self-defense? I don't see much of selection for us handloaders, as it's either choice between Speer gold dot or Honady xtp-hp. Or am I missing another bullet option? Which one do you prefer and in what weight?

Even before this shortage scenario, Speer always seemed more expensive and not always as available as the Hornady. So far, I've gone with the 124gr Hornady xtp-hp.

Hi jwp475,

I'm talking specifically regarding reloading components, i.e, bullets, that we as handloaders can get.

I never hear much about nosler 9mm bullets although I see them available as reloading components. I don't see remington's golden sabers available nor HST bullets as components. I realize HST is Federal, but it's nor under Speer component, thus don't think they're available as component to us handloaders.

The Nosler is available to handloaders

Pre craziness there were a couple sources for pulled HST bullets available in bulk for handloading. The HST or Gold Dot would be my first choices.

Yep, I mentioned they were available to us handloaders, just that I've never heard anyone talking about them or using them. Speer and Hornady seem to have the lion share of this market.

The hornady 230gr xtp-hp did real well in my 1911, thus why I'm trying them in my 9mm but I want to try to be open minded.

I never see any talk about Remington Golden Sabre bonded, but my experience shows them be one of the best in 9mm that I've tested. The Gold Dot is also good

I wish Remington sold Golden Sabre bullets as reloading component!

What I want to try and do is find a good self defense bullets, then find a cheaper bullet like Berry or Xtreme, etc in same weight as my self-defense bullet and load to same velocity.


I have M&P 2.0 4.25" barrel. Google search I've done showed M&P having feeding issues with gold dots. Not sure if this was a barrel issue that S&W fixed or not. I may have to buy a box or two and experiment as a way to find out.

Nothing from Speer or Federal have choked my several M&P pistols. And I have the original and the 2.0 in the Shield, Compact and 5" Pro. My son has an original Shield and a 2.0 5" Pro and they all run like sewing machines. I've experienced more issues with a Gen 2 Glock 22 than any other striker fired pistol I have owned. My Gen 3 Glock 19 and 20SF are good to go.

Berry's hybrid.

Passed everything I am interested in.

https://www.sierrabullets.com/product/9-mm-355-124-gr-jhp-v-crown/

I use them. They are about all that I used, but I like to stick to the 115gr variant.

I have Gold Dot 124's on hand, they're my preferred choice. In factory I carry either Ranger Talon 127's or GDHP 124's. Both have excellent records for street performance as well as in ballistic gelatin.

I also cast and load a 145 gr HP bullet for pistol and carbine that I really like for accuracy as well as performance in gelatin (non-calibrated, I don't mess with the real thing much any more). I started in on these because the heavy loads from Buffalo Bore are so danged expensive. I load these in both a subsonic and a +P version. Overall, I'm more impressed with heavier 9mm bullets than light ones.

My cast and powder coated bullets.

I bought some SIG V-Crown 124gr HPs from Midway recently. I loaded them with 6.5gr of A#5.

Th Sig V-Crown bullets are made by Sierra

I like the Speer 124 gr, Gold Dots loaded up to +P velocity.

90gr Lehigh Defenders
115gr Lehigh Penetrators
115gr XTP's is what i load for Wifes P365's, all loaded with Longshot, they're great little bullets, the 115 XTP went a hell of a lot deeper than i figured in test media, expanded to near a half inch and held it's weight, iirc velocity is an easy 1150 ish fps.

Lehigh Defense.. That's all folks..

Milk jugs full of water today,
115 Gr. pulled bullets bought then reloaded