Not only has the 9mm NATO FMJ round shown the bleeding and pain wont stop a person, look at the problems faced by the U.S. over a hundred years ago in the Philippine Insurrection. Soldiers with the New Army Revolver in 38 Long Colt put a whole cylinder of rounds into some Moros that just kept coming and would hack them with swords and Kris daggers before dropping dead. This experience brought about the development of the 45acp as a big heavy bullet was the best they could do in the age before JHP ammo.
Which 9mm Defensive Round?
- Thread starter FirstNissan
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As many previous posters have alluded to, you can't go wrong with law enforcement endorsed ammunition. Just about every single large agency has extensively tested their ammunition, so you'll be well served by any of the majors like Speer Gold Dot, Federal HST, or Winchester Ranger T.
I personally use Federal HST's. I don't need the penetration of a bonded bullet (HST has plenty of penetration regardless), and the $5 difference per box means I can send a few more rounds down range during training. You won't be able to find a white box cheapo round that will simulate the feel of a +p defensive round, so plan on going through a few boxes of the good stuff for training purposes. If I buy four boxes of HST, I'm basically getting one box for free compared to Gold Dots, Ranger T's, or Critical Duty. And in all seriousness, I don't feel like I'm getting $5 less in ammunition....quite the contrary, Federal HSTs are serious rounds.
I personally use Federal HST's. I don't need the penetration of a bonded bullet (HST has plenty of penetration regardless), and the $5 difference per box means I can send a few more rounds down range during training. You won't be able to find a white box cheapo round that will simulate the feel of a +p defensive round, so plan on going through a few boxes of the good stuff for training purposes. If I buy four boxes of HST, I'm basically getting one box for free compared to Gold Dots, Ranger T's, or Critical Duty. And in all seriousness, I don't feel like I'm getting $5 less in ammunition....quite the contrary, Federal HSTs are serious rounds.
1. It must function flawlessly in your firearm.
2. It must be accurate in your firearm.
3. It must be easy for you to shoot (recoil, blast, and flash).
4. It must be effective.
Each of those are in in order of importance. IE #1 is more important than the last 3 put together, #2 is more important than the last two put together and so on.
Many people tend to put the cart before the horse.
For my primary carry 9mm that round ended up the Federal LE9T5 135 Grain Tactical Bonded. For you and your firearm the answer may be end up being entirely different.
2. It must be accurate in your firearm.
3. It must be easy for you to shoot (recoil, blast, and flash).
4. It must be effective.
Each of those are in in order of importance. IE #1 is more important than the last 3 put together, #2 is more important than the last two put together and so on.
Many people tend to put the cart before the horse.
For my primary carry 9mm that round ended up the Federal LE9T5 135 Grain Tactical Bonded. For you and your firearm the answer may be end up being entirely different.
Let's not forget about Corbon's DPX, another well developed and highly tested design offering optimal penetration and expnasion.
winchester ra9t is my advice along with what is loaded in my g17 and g26 as we speak. the ranger t series is a continuance of the good 'ol black talon as per winchester data. i have water jug tested some of this stuff and it reliably went thru 5 water filled plastic 1 gallon milk jugs. it expanded beautifully with 6 "talons" opening up.
Originally Posted By: whitearrow
winchester ra9t is my advice along with what is loaded in my g17 and g26 as we speak. the ranger t series is a continuance of the good 'ol black talon as per winchester data. i have water jug tested some of this stuff and it reliably went thru 5 water filled plastic 1 gallon milk jugs. it expanded beautifully with 6 "talons" opening up.
My understanding is similar... the SXT (aka Ranger T Series) is basically a Black Talon without the black coating. The newer PDX1 is basically a bonded Ranger T.
If I was picking a new defensive round for a new 9mm handgun this is what I would do:
1) Shoot lots of practice ammo.
2) buy 50 rounds each of Speer Gold Dots, Winchester PDX1 or Ranger T, Hornady Critical Defense or Critical Duty, Federal HST or Hydra-Shok, and Remington Golden Saber or HD.
3) Shoot all the ammo above.
4) Pick the round(s) that performed the best based on reliability.
5) If two or more rounds are equally reliable, pick the reliable round that performed the best based on accuracy.
I've found that one of my handguns loves Winchester ammunition, while another hates it. One shoots well with Hornady, the other won't cycle it reliably. There is only one way to find out what your gun likes... shoot it.
winchester ra9t is my advice along with what is loaded in my g17 and g26 as we speak. the ranger t series is a continuance of the good 'ol black talon as per winchester data. i have water jug tested some of this stuff and it reliably went thru 5 water filled plastic 1 gallon milk jugs. it expanded beautifully with 6 "talons" opening up.
My understanding is similar... the SXT (aka Ranger T Series) is basically a Black Talon without the black coating. The newer PDX1 is basically a bonded Ranger T.
If I was picking a new defensive round for a new 9mm handgun this is what I would do:
1) Shoot lots of practice ammo.
2) buy 50 rounds each of Speer Gold Dots, Winchester PDX1 or Ranger T, Hornady Critical Defense or Critical Duty, Federal HST or Hydra-Shok, and Remington Golden Saber or HD.
3) Shoot all the ammo above.
4) Pick the round(s) that performed the best based on reliability.
5) If two or more rounds are equally reliable, pick the reliable round that performed the best based on accuracy.
I've found that one of my handguns loves Winchester ammunition, while another hates it. One shoots well with Hornady, the other won't cycle it reliably. There is only one way to find out what your gun likes... shoot it.
speer gold dot hands down.
People get so caught up in ammo choices. It's so simple. Find Dr. Roberts' duty ammo recommendation list. Pick out your caliber. Pick a weight you like. If you have a fav brand pick that. If not flip a coin. See if you can get a case or two at a reasonable price. If you can't go to the next round. Buy and shoot a few hundred rounds to make sure all is well. Done.
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The hydra shoks didn't fair very well in my departments tests. They got clogged very easy with heavy clothing and didnt expand consistantly. We ended up going with the speer gold-dot in our .40 glocks.
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