What's the best 9mm self-defense ammo?

[Nick Burkhardt]

Federal HST 124 gr

 

[edmondsguns]

Gold Dots, Critical Duty, Rangers. Any modern self defense round will be fine. The key will be shot placement and number of shots. There won't be the mythical one shot stop even with .45 acp or .357 magnum. Aim for center mass, the heart, and keep shooting until the threat stops.

 

[cookie]

The best is pretty much any bonded bullet cartridge

 

[Certaindeaf]

The best is pretty much any bonded bullet cartridge

Especially the 147's going 1000 (if that) that don't expand? lol

 

[Raidingtime]

The best is pretty much any bonded bullet cartridge

agreed.

I figure the biggest consideration when we're talking ONLY ammo (accuracy/training aside) is having a good hollow point that won't over penetrate. HP do more damage (slightly bigger exit hole/ cavitation/ wound cavity) but I figure the best thing about them is that there is theoretically less risk of collateral damage.

advice: 2 good hits to the chest followed by one to the head- philosophy that was followed going through a month long training course instructed by several former navy seals, a coasty VBSS guy, and of course a marine recon lunatic .

 

[NSDQ]

If you're really serious there is a partially scientific test of all types of 9mm hollowpoint ammo.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgNSGOEQko_M90AMdRCDMgd-w4Yozc27i

Considering that ballistic gel is relatively expensive it can give you a basic idea of how each ammo worked out.
Federal HST ended up beating out some of the more expensive ammo.

 

[coop44]

simple philosophy, a 9mm MAY expand, a .45 will never shrink. any questions?

 

[40calruler]

simple philosophy, a 9mm MAY expand, a .45 will never shrink. any questions?

 

[Certaindeaf]

simple philosophy, a 9mm MAY expand, a .45 will never shrink. any questions?

Many .45 hollow points will not expand, especially with the short barrel guns so common these days.
It's exceeding rare, especially these days, that a 9mm HP fails to expand.

 

[coop44]

I understand how sensitive 9mm owners can be, with an inherently underpowered anemic cartridge. Please understand that ballistic gel only gives an even ground for comparision and does not compare to real world performance in flesh. 9mm can be deflected by bone and performance affected by varying densities in actual flesh. A 45 acp round (even ball ammo) is a "bone breaker" and will expend most of it's energy in the target.

Another point, if you cannot practice with what you carry, in my humble and honest opinion, why bother? If you practice with ball and carry $1+ a round hollow points, you are doing yourself a disservice, most likely the ammo will shoot to a different point of aim and recoil differently, likely reducing your effectiveness with it. I happily carry a .45 loaded with ball. 15 of them.

please get out of the "as good as ..." mentality.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I understand how sensitive 9mm owners can be, with an inherently underpowered anemic cartridge. Please understand that ballistic gel only gives an even ground for comparision and does not compare to real world performance in flesh. 9mm can be deflected by bone and performance affected by varying densities in actual flesh. A 45 acp round (even ball ammo) is a "bone breaker" and will expend most of it's energy in the target.

Another point, if you cannot practice with what you carry, in my humble and honest opinion, why bother? If you practice with ball and carry $1+ a round hollow points, you are doing yourself a disservice, most likely the ammo will shoot to a different point of aim and recoil differently, likely reducing your effectiveness with it. I happily carry a .45 loaded with ball. 15 of them.

please get out of the "as good as ..." mentality.

Well that's pretty lame thinking. Would you hunt/attempt (and I say "attempt" because you'd just wound it and it'd just run away) to hunt/take deer with FMJ's?

 

[Certaindeaf]

Elmer Keith wouldn't even use hardball .45 on jackrabbits. He'd laugh in your face.

 

[mjbskwim]

I understand how sensitive 9mm owners can be, with an inherently underpowered anemic cartridge. Please understand that ballistic gel only gives an even ground for comparision and does not compare to real world performance in flesh. 9mm can be deflected by bone and performance affected by varying densities in actual flesh. A 45 acp round (even ball ammo) is a "bone breaker" and will expend most of it's energy in the target.

Another point, if you cannot practice with what you carry, in my humble and honest opinion, why bother? If you practice with ball and carry $1+ a round hollow points, you are doing yourself a disservice, most likely the ammo will shoot to a different point of aim and recoil differently, likely reducing your effectiveness with it. I happily carry a .45 loaded with ball. 15 of them.

please get out of the "as good as ..." mentality.

Nothing more to add as 40cal's post should end the thread

Oh ,except,if you aren't able to or don't shoot a 45acp gun very good,then what good is it?
And ,for the record,45 acp is my second choice behind 10mm

 

[TOVO]

The best 9mm carry ammo is the stuff you can afford to practice with.

 

[Certaindeaf]

The best 9mm carry ammo is the stuff you can afford to practice with.

I can afford to practice with my own handloads and my own cast slugs. I can replicate the recoil impulse of any load from standard pressure to +P+ by adding essentially a grain of powder at the cost of 1/7000th of x$.. (price per pound of powder). I don't usually carry those socially but I do hunt with them.

 

[9mm guy]

OK, that's a great answer to end with. I've learned a lot and I agree with TOVO's answer. That's why I'll be going with the Speer Gold Dot 147 grains. The heavier bullets seem to be a little more consistent when you look at all the tests.

I love the Federal HST 147 grains but it simply is not available for me to practice with. SGAmmo.com has this ammo in enough times for me to buy it at a bargain including shipping. My back up will be the very available Hornady Critical Duty 135 grains. I'm not a big believer in +P ammo either.

And I do prefer the 9mm (hence my username). 45 is great but I know how likely one is going to miss the first 3 shots or so in a real life gun fire situation due to the shock, adrenaline, and moving target scenario from all the police shootings and regular shootings that I was a part of for work. And so I prefer the shot capacity. And the 9mm is plenty powerful enough to kill. Many of the murders I reviewed were with 9mm or a lesser powerful round. Thanks everyone.

 

[Raidingtime]

OK, that's a great answer to end with. I've learned a lot and I agree with TOVO's answer. That's why I'll be going with the Speer Gold Dot 147 grains. The heavier bullets seem to be a little more consistent when you look at all the tests.

I love the Federal HST 147 grains but it simply is not available for me to practice with. SGAmmo.com has this ammo in enough times for me to buy it at a bargain including shipping. My back up will be the very available Hornady Critical Duty 135 grains. I'm not a big believer in +P ammo either.

And I do prefer the 9mm (hence my username). 45 is great but I know how likely one is going to miss the first 3 shots or so in a real life gun fire situation due to the shock, adrenaline, and moving target scenario from all the police shootings and regular shootings that I was a part of for work. And so I prefer the shot capacity. And the 9mm is plenty powerful enough to kill. Many of the murders I reviewed were with 9mm or a lesser powerful round. Thanks everyone.

I understand how sensitive 9mm owners can be, with an inherently underpowered anemic cartridge. Please understand that ballistic gel only gives an even ground for comparision and does not compare to real world performance in flesh. 9mm can be deflected by bone and performance affected by varying densities in actual flesh. A 45 acp round (even ball ammo) is a "bone breaker" and will expend most of it's energy in the target.

Another point, if you cannot practice with what you carry, in my humble and honest opinion, why bother? If you practice with ball and carry $1+ a round hollow points, you are doing yourself a disservice, most likely the ammo will shoot to a different point of aim and recoil differently, likely reducing your effectiveness with it. I happily carry a .45 loaded with ball. 15 of them.

please get out of the "as good as ..." mentality.

- .45 has no significant edge over 9mm according to military, doctors, and patients.

I'm glad that you like your .45.

 

[coop44]

Thank goodness it's as good as. I was afraid they just bounced off. not like a 9mm that will blow a hole big enough to throw a bowling ball through.
it's a wonder they use artillery anymore with the 9mm being so amazingly effective.
all other calibers will soon disappear, given the penultimate superiority of the 9mm.

 

[40calruler]

Thank goodness it's as good as. I was afraid they just bounced off. not like a 9mm that will blow a hole big enough to throw a bowling ball through.
it's a wonder they use artillery anymore with the 9mm being so amazingly effective.
all other calibers will soon disappear, given the penultimate superiority of the 9mm.

That is the most accurate statement about 9mm ever. I thought you would never come around.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Thank goodness it's as good as. I was afraid they just bounced off. not like a 9mm that will blow a hole big enough to throw a bowling ball through.
it's a wonder they use artillery anymore with the 9mm being so amazingly effective.

Hardball say what? Maybe you think an icepick hole is the same as a bowling ball and don't know how to decipher data? oof