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As the title states, what is the best 9mm round to use for home defense? I've heard really good things about the Winchester STX Hollow Point.
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What are your preferences?
 
Oh Jeez, another magic bullet thread. Home defense = close range. Any jacketed hollow point will do. Shot placement is much more important. Brand of ammunition? Honestly, not even the coroner will know the difference.
 
Oh Jeez, another magic bullet thread. Home defense = close range. Any jacketed hollow point will do. Shot placement is much more important. Brand of ammunition? Honestly, not even the coroner will know the difference.
Not looking for any magic, just the best of whats available. I didn't ask "What round will make my 9mm do as much damage as a .40"? :)
I have searched on the topic, and have a hard time finding any dedicated information.
As of now I'm leaning towards the Speer gold dot, it seems to have the most reliable reviews.

I am currently using HST 147gr.

But whatever brand/model you decide to get, make sure that ammo feeds flawless. (test fire 50-100rd)

Noted, and planned.
 
9mm is not the best home defense round in any choice,its too hot really and you stand a much higher chance of over penetration through walls.for handgun my choice would be a .45,it's much slower and a big thump when it hits.

i know you didn't ask about that but just saying,maybe a shotgun would be a cheap alternative if you dont have a .45?
 
9mm is not the best home defense round in any choice,its too hot really and you stand a much higher chance of over penetration through walls.for handgun my choice would be a .45,it's much slower and a big thump when it hits.

i know you didn't ask about that but just saying,maybe a shotgun would be a cheap alternative if you dont have a .45?

Nothing you said was on topic. Absolutely nothing. He didn't ask which round to use for self defense, but which 9mm round to use. Go start your own thread.

I use the standard federal HP 115g in my glock 19. Love em.
 
Nothing you said was on topic. Absolutely nothing. He didn't ask which round to use for self defense, but which 9mm round to use. Go start your own thread.

I use the standard federal HP 115g in my glock 19. Love em.
Thank you.
I'll take a look at the Federal HP.
 
Nothing you said was on topic. Absolutely nothing. He didn't ask which round to use for self defense, but which 9mm round to use. Go start your own thread.

I use the standard federal HP 115g in my glock 19. Love em.

hey,d.bag...im sure you get away with talking down to your wife that way but im not your wife.(or boyfriend)
i know what he said,and i rwas bringing up something maybe he had not really thought about,you dont have to agree with everyones input but if you dont like it keep your piehole shut and chime in with your 2 cents,my thoughts were for the op not for some cocky d.bag.
 
hey,d.bag...im sure you get away with talking down to your wife that way but im not your wife.(or boyfriend)
i know what he said,and i rwas bringing up something maybe he had not really thought about,you dont have to agree with everyones input but if you dont like it keep your piehole shut and chime in with your 2 cents,my thoughts were for the op not for some cocky d.bag.

Could we not do this in this thread?
I appreciate your concern, and I have considered that aspect already. If I weren't a broke college student, I would have a pistol grip 0/0 loaded 12g for home defense, at the moment the G19 is what I have, and what I plan to use for a very long time. Thus why I asked the question I did. Neither the 870 express 20 gauge, stainless 10/22, or ruger .243 will perform the task at hand.
 
Back to the real topic at hand, I carry GDHP's in my 9mm's. Just my choice.

The best insurance against overpenetration and having a round end up in your neighbor's house is

NUMBER ONE, don't shoot unless absolutely necessary!

Second, and equally important, make sure you are capable of hitting what you're shooting at. A bullet in the center of mass rarely "over penetrates". In most tests it's hard to find ammo that penetrates enough.

It's more than just the bullet in your pistol, it's getting enough practice. A hit with any bullet is far more effective than a miss with any "magic" bullet. I was a broke college student once as well. It's a matter of just directing the price of a "6-pack" every once in a while into a box of bullets in the same weight as your defense round so you can get the necessary practice.

Also spend some time on learning the law as to what justifies a defense shooting. That can be free if you just look up State Law on the use of Deadly force online,
 
hey,d.bag...im sure you get away with talking down to your wife that way but im not your wife.(or boyfriend)
i know what he said,and i rwas bringing up something maybe he had not really thought about,you dont have to agree with everyones input but if you dont like it keep your piehole shut and chime in with your 2 cents,my thoughts were for the op not for some cocky d.bag.

He was a bit blunt but the point was valid. He asked a specific question about a specifc round. Your answer did not answer any of his question, it was your personal opinion on something that you felt was better. We've gone around and around with 9mm vs. .40 vs. .45 etc in other threads and talking about shotguns vs. whatever for home defense. The guy had a specific question and by adding something else it sort of derails the thread a bit and as you can see, people get all excited and bent out of shape. So our overly blunt friend was just asking that you try to stay on topic rather then potentially derail it.

So don't get too annoyed with him. His heart was in the right place. ;)
 
I also like Speer Gold Dot. I've been wanting to look at the Federal HSTs but haven't gotten around to it.

These images should give an idea of what each round will do.

9mmtests.jpg

9mmtests2.jpg
 
Wow, thank you!
That federal HST 147g looks nasty!
Anyone know of a good retailer?

I'd look online.
Just search for it and someone like ammoman or ammunitiontogo should have it.


A picture is worth a thousand words, thanx for posting Drew:s0155:

You're welcome. I consider the test less than perfect but still revealing much about the behavior of each cartridge. I wish I could have found a similar test using ballistic gel. There might be one; I didn't look very hard.
 
I also like Speer Gold Dot. I've been wanting to look at the Federal HSTs but haven't gotten around to it.

These images should give an idea of what each round will do.

9mmtests.jpg

9mmtests2.jpg

Take a good look at #3. This is a bullet that was developed by the designer of the Hydra-Shok. It will expand like this regardless of what it passes through first, unlike others that tend to have the hollow point plugged by heavy clothing that tends to turn a HP into a FMJ.

They are not available as a "component" for hand loaders, but the GDHP's are.
 

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