What's your factory carry ammo, and why?

[Kennedy01]

Hi everybody. For those of you who carry factory self defense ammo, what are you carrying, and why did you decide on it? I currently have regular Remington 115 gr jhp because it's affordable and offers reliable expansion, and also because I haven't been able to find golden sabres anywhere. The Golden sabers, either bonded or not bonded, really are the ammo I want to try, but the regular Remington suffices just fine. I also have a small box of Sierra 115 gr jhp I picked up on a whim.

 

[thastinger]

124 Gr Critical Duty but I would also carry the Sig V-Crowns in 124Gr.
I reload now but I don't carry my own reloads in my ECDs, Sierra makes the V-Crown bullets for SIG and you can buy the bullets as a reloading component. I carry that critical duty because it is what a couple of family members who are LEOs carry in their duty guns, it has been around a long time and there are several gel tests of it on utube.

 

[tyman]

Federal HST 124grn 9mm

 

[Sonic]

In my 9mm’s it’s usually Remington Golden Saber 124gr +P or the basic Remington 115gr jhp as well. Remington sells 100 round packs of that stuff. I’ve never had any issue with the basic 115gr. For 45acp it’s Golden saber as well in 185gr +P. Or at least I think that’s the grain. Also WWB 230gr JHP. I have some federal hydroshocks too. 40s&w is Federal 135gr JHP OR 180gr Golden saber.

 

[JohnnyG]

Liberty Civil Defense 9 mm +P 50 gr 2000 fps copper

 

[jstert]

22lr: cci stingers or minimags solid point.
32acp: fmj ball.
38sp: fmj ball or wadcutter.
in other words, so-called target ammo. a target is a target, whether it’s a cardboard cutout or a feral/rabid biped or quadraped that i just might encounter in my boring, diurnal life. i carry what i practice with, and alot of practice is most important (a miss with a boutique round is more dangerous to innocent bystanders that a solid hit with a humble target round). no feeding issues with fmj ball ammo in a semiauto pistol. some states impose restrictions on boutique ammo by law, too many district attorneys do so by political bent. uncle sam addicted me to plenty of free fmj ball centerfire ammo first in 1972 and i never kicked the habit.

 

[ChrisD46]

For 9mm : Federal HST standard pressure 124gr. or 147 gr . Runner up would be Speer Gold Dot in same bullet weights and pressure .

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

Hi everybody. For those of you who carry factory self defense ammo, what are you carrying, and why did you decide on it? I currently have regular Remington 115 gr jhp because it's affordable and offers reliable expansion, and also because I haven't been able to find golden sabres anywhere. The Golden sabers, either bonded or not bonded, really are the ammo I want to try, but the regular Remington suffices just fine. I also have a small box of Sierra 115 gr jhp I picked up on a whim.

Winchester Ranger T-Series .40 caliber 165 gr. JHP (the new Black Talon, now Gold) .
When they expand (almost an inch in diameter) I call them "Flower Petals From HELL!"
In the video below FF to the 4:00 minute mark to see their expansion.
I have read articles about the bad guys getting shot with these bullets. The Drs. just walk away because there is too much damage for them to even attempt to fix the wounds.

 

[wpod]

I have read articles about the bad guys getting shot with these bullets. The Drs. just walk away because there is too much damage for them to even attempt to fix the wounds.

I doubt that.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

I doubt that.

I will do a search and TRY to find this information. I am a member at an M16/M4/AR15 forum. There is a Dr./Ammo tech./Firearms Author as a member there, that did a break down on JHP ammo, and which ones that are the best for EDC/SD. He stated similar to what I stated in my reply here, about the Drs not being able to repair the damage SOMETIMES when shot by the Black Talon and/or the Ranger T-Series ammo. He also stated that the Winchester Ranger T-Series 9mm +P+ 127 gr. bullet was the best EDC/SD bullet in 9mm. It too expands rather large and really shows the "Flower Petals From HELL" talons.
FF to the 2:40 mark to see the expansion with those nasty razor sharp talons.

9mm Hi Power and Winchester 127

 

[MParr]

If you want something to stop a bear then, Buffalo Bore 9mm +P hard cast is the one. Personally, I use Federal HST 124gr.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

I have a Glock mag full of 115 gr Critical Defense I keep handy at my apartment but I don't carry it.

 

[skyactiv]

.40 Winchester Defender 165 gr for my full sized pistol.

For my CCW .380 gun, it has Hornady Critical Defense 90 gr.

 

[totegoat]

Barnes TAC-XPD .40 140gr, Barnes TAC-XPD .45 185gr......just because.

 

[Kennedy01]

In my 9mm’s it’s usually Remington Golden Saber 124gr +P or the basic Remington 115gr jhp as well. Remington sells 100 round packs of that stuff. I’ve never had any issue with the basic 115gr. For 45acp it’s Golden saber as well in 185gr +P. Or at least I think that’s the grain. Also WWB 230gr JHP. I have some federal hydroshocks too. 40s&w is Federal 135gr JHP OR 180gr Golden saber.

One reason I went with the Remington green box stuff was it's the carry ammo Paul Harrell uses, or at least he did around 2018-19. In his meat target test it always shows good, consistent reliable expansion. Also, I can actually find it.

 

[Kennedy01]

I will do a search and TRY to find this information. I am a member at an M16/M4/AR15 forum. There is a Dr./Ammo tech./Firearms Author as a member there, that did a break down on JHP ammo, and which ones that are the best for EDC/SD. He stated similar to what I stated in my reply here, about the Drs not being able to repair the damage SOMETIMES when shot by the Black Talon and/or the Ranger T-Series ammo. He also stated that the Winchester Ranger T-Series 9mm +P+ 127 gr. bullet was the best EDC/SD bullet in 9mm. It too expands rather large and really shows the "Flower Petals From HELL" talons.
FF to the 2:40 mark to see the expansion with those nasty razor sharp talons.

9mm Hi Power and Winchester 127

Those things are just plain nasty. Where are you finding them at the moment?

 

[Springer2]

Self defense ammo needs to hit where it is aimed, penetrate deeply enough to reach vital organs, and any expansion leaves a larger permanent wound channel-in that priority order. The FBI established ammo testing standards using ballistic gelatin that most all LE use for reference. Penetration of 14-16 inches is considered ideal but rounds that have less than 12 inches or more than 20 of penetration are usually not recommended. In 9mm 147 grain rounds usually test out the best in performance due to superior sectional density. Attached is a sample test result of 115 +P+, 124, and 147 rounds for example. Hope this helps.

 

[SCOOTERTOM69]

Federal HST 115 grain in my Glock 19 (9 mm) and Speer Gold Dot 90 grain in my Glock 42 (.380). I have CCI Minimag 40 grain solids in my wife's Ruger SR22 but it's a night stand self defense weapon and not carried.
I, of course, have no real world experience with any self defense ammo and made my choices based on many ammo test videos on You Tube.
All of these feed reliably in each firearm.

 

[CB22]

Hi everybody. For those of you who carry factory self defense ammo, what are you carrying, and why did you decide on it? I currently have regular Remington 115 gr jhp because it's affordable and offers reliable expansion, and also because I haven't been able to find golden sabres anywhere. The Golden sabers, either bonded or not bonded, really are the ammo I want to try, but the regular Remington suffices just fine. I also have a small box of Sierra 115 gr jhp I picked up on a whim.

https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/handgun/9-x-18mm-makarov-95-gr-ftx-critical-defense#!/

Not a lot of choice with a Makarov.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

Those things are just plain nasty. Where are you finding them at the moment?

These are the only (2) places I found them (9mm) online. Before the pandemic I was paying $20-$25 for a box of 50. I stocked up on both 9mm and .40 caliber. I have enough to last me a few years if need be. My advice, buy these NOW! The price has come down about $10-$15 per box of 50 in the last few months. It might go lower, it might not. But being they're available I would at least buy (1) box if I were you (if you can afford them).
SGAMMO has the Winchester .40 caliber in the 20 rd. PDX1. Get some of those too if you shoot .40 caliber.
They're nasty and the talons are razor sharp.

Winchester Ranger T-Series 9mm 127gr +P+ Ammunition 50-Rounds

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20 Round Box - 40 SW 165 Grain Bonded JHP Winchester PDX1 Defender Ammo - S40SWPDB | SGAmmo.com

20 Round Box of 40 SW 165 grain Bonded JHP Winchester PDX1 Defender Ammo for saleFactory SKU number: S40SWPDB10 boxes per caseVelocity rated at 1140 FPS, energy rated at 476 Foot pounds

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