Defense Ammo Discussion

[RANOVRU]

What do you use for defensive ammo and why? I'm mainly interested in pistols but feel free to share others.

Please list the brand/manufacturer, weight/grain, FMJ or JHP, etc.


The "target round" versus "personal defense round" has been a hot topic for quite a while in the gun community and there's plenty of research to back up pro's of both, but I'm interested in what the RCC gunfolks have to say.

 

[taco08jk]

I used to carry JHP's in my EDC, but I read a few articles about how lawyers can twist that into pre meditation. Same with gun mods ( i.e. Trigger jobs ) can also be twisted from what I have read. So I just carry good ol fashioned 230 grain ball ammo in my EDC now.

 

[RANOVRU]

So what do you currently use?

 

[taco08jk]

So what do you currently use?

See edit above^^^

 

[hpiguy]

Speer Gold Dots in the warmer months and FMJ rounds in the winter.

 

[RANOVRU]

^ That's interesting. Care to share why? I'm assuming penetration?

 

[KJ10]

 

[hpiguy]

^ That's interesting. Care to share why? I'm assuming penetration?

Yep, in the colder months even criminals tend to layer up, and all those layers can lead to premature expansion for JHPs. "thumbsup"

 

[D19er]

124g Federal HST 9mm .... Has great expansion...

 

[SPLATT]

Remington Golden Sabers in .45 ACP 230 grain. Good penetration and expansion and feed well in my gun.

 

[lead lobber]

Here is my .02,
I target shoot with FMJ,
Defense with JHP, either Golden Sabers or Gold Dots. Just depends on what I can get my hands on first, and I'm in AZ, not the snow belt. Not too many layers to worry about.
I'm not going to get into the grain of the bullet and caliber debate. I shoot 9mm. Call me a sissy because it's not a .45, what ever...:roll::lmao::lmao::lmao:

In the end, you are carrying. That's all I care about. I'd rather have it and not need it, vs. need it and not have it.

 

[RANOVRU]

I'm not going to get into the grain of the bullet and caliber debate. I shoot 9mm. Call me a sissy because it's not a .45, what ever...:roll::lmao::lmao::lmao:

There's a reason why 9's are so popular. ;-)

Aside from that I like the capacity on mine.

 

[binaryterror]

I routinely carry a Ruger LCP, mainly for the super ease and comfort of a pocket carry. Being a small gun it is a .380 caliber. A caliber that is very hard to reach FBI ballistic standards in JHP's.

So I went a little different, researching options that aren't JHP because well in the end there are better, you just likely haven't bought or heard of them.

I carry exclusively the Lehigh Defense Xtreme Penetrator rounds. Their ballistics are amazing since they re-engineered the idea of how to properly inflict damage and in a very repeatable pattern, unlike JHP.

The pockets actually create force that forces your own internals to create the damage, rather than relying on a JHP to expand at the right time and correctly. Having watched JHP tests, the failure rate to fully expand correctly is rather shocking.

That said Lehigh also offers the more normal 9mm, 40, 45 calibers. Along with improved methods of expansion in a HP style bullet as well that out perform the "best" of the best JHPs. Lots of solid options and great customer service and pricing for the technology improvements. Lehigh Defense - Manufacturer of Bullet and Ammunition Technologies – Lehigh Defense, LLC

 

[CrawlinMike]

I also have the Ruger lcp. For self defense I carry Hornady critical defense rounds that are hallow point. Gun has no catches to get stuck in clothing, easy to conceal, and no safety for fool with or forget in an emergency. Of course the idea is to never be in a situation that it's needed. But as the saying goes, better to have and not need than to need and not have.

 

[Hoosierdady]

My EDC is a S&W Body Guard. I run DRT Frangible rounds, but I also like the Hornady "Zombie Max". Here's why I carry the DRTs.

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BI8YGJVR9aE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[RANOVRU]

I routinely carry a Ruger LCP, mainly for the super ease and comfort of a pocket carry. Being a small gun it is a .380 caliber. A caliber that is very hard to reach FBI ballistic standards in JHP's.

So I went a little different, researching options that aren't JHP because well in the end there are better, you just likely haven't bought or heard of them.

I carry exclusively the Lehigh Defense Xtreme Penetrator rounds. Their ballistics are amazing since they re-engineered the idea of how to properly inflict damage and in a very repeatable pattern, unlike JHP.

The pockets actually create force that forces your own internals to create the damage, rather than relying on a JHP to expand at the right time and correctly. Having watched JHP tests, the failure rate to fully expand correctly is rather shocking.

That said Lehigh also offers the more normal 9mm, 40, 45 calibers. Along with improved methods of expansion in a HP style bullet as well that out perform the "best" of the best JHPs. Lots of solid options and great customer service and pricing for the technology improvements. Lehigh Defense - Manufacturer of Bullet and Ammunition Technologies – Lehigh Defense, LLC

I knew about this particular ammo before you posted and I must say that I was impressed with what I've seen/read.


If I were to make the switch from standard FMJ's I would probably go with those.