Hollow point bullets are better for shoot to kill and self – defense situations. In this article we will be looking at some of the best 9mm self-defense loads around today and the ideas behind them. I can go on all day. When I was given this assignment, I resolved to test each loading not only for reliability and accuracy, but wound potential as well. 1. As I stated, water and gelatin testing are very close to one another, usually within 10 percent in penetration and expansion results. Reliability is good. Not saying that wheelguns are worse than semi-autos, if anything I feel safer knowing that, But if pushed to it, comparing single stack semi-autos, a, The perfect self defense load for handguns, regardless of the caliber, must provide penetration depths of 12 inches minimum and 18 inches maximum. var notice = document.getElementById("cptch_time_limit_notice_77"); Posted: 5/17/2015 1:39:49 PM EST Quote History. Recoil was the greatest of any load tested. You will find choices that are good handguns for beginners, the best handgun for self defense and the best 9mm pistol for home defense use. Best 9mm Ammo for Self-Defense. With all the 9mm ammo choices on the market though, we’re presented with another problem. Short of training with more expensive ammo, this round is the best way to acquaint yourself with the one that might one day save your life. I don’t buy into the whole .45 acp vs. 9mm debate, because I don’t see the point. The bullet houses a soft center metal like lead, surrounded by a harder metal, usually copper. Note: These are some of the most powerful 9mm loads on the market. Gun type goes a long way in determining the preferable load. BANNED: An Overview of Restricted Guns, Ammo and Parts in Each State. Typical small frame revolvers can only hold five rounds, medium frame revolvers can only hold six to seven, and large frame revolvers can only hold up to eight. Posted by: ... as do the +P versions in any given bullet weight. These are actual velocity figures when bullets are fired from a 4-inch barrel — not the velocity figures printed on the box of each of the brands. I like hammer-fired handguns better than striker-fired ones, I like handguns with an all-steel frame better than those with a polymer or an alloy frame, and I like. Verdict: Best 9mm Ammo. When looking for the best 9mm ammo for self-defense, check out this list of defensive carry loads from our Customers. I tested many loads, but ended up with five that I feel fill the most important niche roles of the 9mm Luger. While there are a number of great ammo manufacturers making defensive ammo that’s worth a look, these are the best of the best. The 115-grain Fiocchi Extrema isn’t loaded too hot or too light, it is just right! On the other hand, my work is easily double-checked. My agency in Florida Citrus county- tried frangible but just for training. The search was on for five good 9mm defensive loads. What about its downsides? Folklore, legend, casual recommendation and tradition influence a shooter’s choice of caliber far more often than analysis of testing data. It cannot do the work of larger calibers, but it certainly outclasses smaller calibers. By. Older shooters may also feel a need for lower recoil. BREAKING: NFA Registration To Be Required for Pistol Braces? These defensive carry loads have the perfect blend of reliability, performance, and are priced for any budget. Heavy bullets work the same in shorter barrels. Underwood 9mm Xtreme Defender +P+ is the second fastest, while Corbon PowRbal +P is the third. I wanted to test a heavyweight 9mm. Originally Posted By buckshot_jim: I carry 124 +P Gold Dots. Hollow Points (HP) Hollow points relate mostly to self-defense and home protection. I also like Federal Hydroshock JHP, XTP 147g. Verdict: Best 9mm Ammo. Despite its widespread popularity, both among law enforcement and the general public, there are plenty of opinions out there that the 9mm isn’t really an adequate self-defense cartridge. When looking for the best 9mm ammo for self-defense, check out this list of defensive carry loads from our Customers. 10mm, .460 Rowland), I have a soft spot for both the .45 acpand the .357 magnum — which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone because like I said, I love 1911s and magnum revolvers. This is why the heaviest 9mm bullets only weigh 147 grains. The main issue we see is that because ammo is marketed as “hollow point” or “self-defense” ammunition, people believe that it's the best thing to have. This would be incorrect. The 9mm has the advantage of higher capacity without enlarging a firearm's grip. This ammunition was not developed for police or FBI, but for personal protection. And the Mozambique drill is very frowned upon these days ( John Wick is not real-sorry). It is up to you to know your pistol and whether it will actually shoot a heavier round. Concealed carry is a vital aspect of protecting yourself and your loved ones. Member Joined Apr 2003; Posts 13678; EE Offline; AZ, USA. All this technical info is really good, thanks for sharing. But we’ll add a few more metrics of our own: muzzle energy, wounding capability (the bigger the permanent and temporary wound cavities, the better) and pricing. Powder burns at a constant rate, so if you have 2x as much powder, it takes 2x as long to burn up. Takiyya - Tawriya - Kitman - Muruna - Google these. We’ve gathered info on some of the most popular 9mm self defense loads available online. The Critical Defense uses a polymer plug to instigate expansion. We reserve the right to edit as appropriate, delete profane, harassing, abusive and spam comments or posts, and block repeat offenders. Is 9mm FMJ OK for self defense? WHY THE 9×19 PARABELLUM IS A GREAT OPTION. You can save copy of the article by holding down the left mouse button to highlight what you want then hit the right button on the mouse and select copy (or CTRL + C then paste it to your words or notepad then save as. I load a 147 gr Remington match bullet in front of VV 3N37 powder which results in a MV of 1,000 fps. We probably would not use this one in a sub-compact pistol. I[m sure that was just a graphic way of explaining it to me, but actual shootings demonstrated to them what didn’t work and a reason to switch. Yes, I would like to receive offers and newsletters from Cheaper Than Dirt. The Hornady Critical Defense load is loaded to 1151 fps. Buffalo Bore also offers fast-stepping 9mm loads in 115 and 124-grain weight. 9mm Bullets The HP pistol was built to fire the 125 gr bullet as stated and probably handles that weight as well as any. It would be interesting to know all of the different rounds tested and not just the top 5 pick. suited for self defense Many thugs are ourt wearing home made armor (heavy clothing) and light weight higher velosity rounds don’t cut it. The +P in the P365 is stout, but not unmanageable. A heavier bullet penetrates barriers better, and when it hits a bone in the body, causes the bone to fracture and splinter. Although self-defense ammo seems to be all the rage these days, the American Eagle Syntech Action Pistol ammunition series is built as a practice-type weapon for a long day at the range and large volume competition shooting. My fav has been MagTech First Defense 92.6 Super light recoil, wicked fast, near perfect penetration in gel. The Underwood loading clocks 1302 fps average. A handgun with a shorter barrel may be expected to produce less velocity, while a longer-barrel handgun will exhibit greater velocity. And if you are ever going to shoot someone : 2 in the heart, 1in the forehead, your target will go down and not get up. For testing, I used a GLOCK 19 9mm handgun. We have tried to vary these choices in terms of specification, best situational use, and price. Jay Chambers For decades the FBI claimed the .40 Smith & Wesson was the optimal personal defense round. Tennessee Highway Patrol switched a few years ago from the ammunition they had been using to a different brand because, in the words of one of the officers in charge of firearms training “it was getting too many of our officers killed”. The 9mm is not quite as good as some of its fans think, but it is a better cartridge than most of its detractors would have you believe. You are talking cavity, and depth. If you see my link above, a variety of bullets weights have been vetted as adequate self-defense rounds. ); I use and carry the Glock 19. (John Wick ). The best 9mm bullet weight is well known, it is the one that is in your carry gun when you need it. Both fly along at around 1170 fps which also happens to work well with several of my 9mm pistols. Self Defense. ASUsax. Five of the contenders, Federal Premium HST JHP, Speer Gold Dot +P “Short Barrel” JHP, Hornady XTP +P JHP, Winchester PDX1 Defender +P and Buffalo Bore +P+ JHP all weigh 124 grains. The gas is what pushes the bullet. Well, there are 9mm ammo extreme pressures loads (i.e. I am looking to end any threat. Let us also clarify that we are discussing the merits of heavier or lighter grain weights for the same caliber, such as 115 gr vs 147 gr 9mm. So the 9mm trumps both my preferred handgun calibers in the ammo capacity department. It’s a no-brainer that a higher muzzle energy equates to better performance. This will help create a level playing field for comparing the various rounds, and 147 gr. Likewise for handgun calibers, not counting rounds I consider obscure but slowly gaining popularity (e.g. When choosing bullet weight for reloading 9mm cartridges, your primary focus is reliability. Gelatin is great and has been used by manufacturers to test their hunting and personal defense loads for years. The Mission of Cheaper Than Dirt! I use the 115grn critical defense in subcompact/BUG, and for my EDC i load 124grn XTP at 1250fps from the G19. As a PA State Constable I carry these rounds and trust my life with them. A number of very experienced shooters choose the 9mm based on excellent control, good practical accuracy and a good reserve of ammunition. Required fields are marked *, (function( timeout ) { eight We want you, our readers, to be able to make informed decisions. I use my HP for an occasional IDPA match where my primary concern is to drop steel targets. The issue is that the 9mm bullets have been carefully designed to expand at velocities out of a handgun and may expand to early, readily, or energetically when the velocity is increased. Winchester 147 grain T-Series. I wish you had a single “button” which would allow us to save a user friendly copy of an article. Some of these loads penetrate up to 20 inches in a lot of cases that will go through the human body. In addition, heavier bullets tend to have more felt recoil. The sweet spot of penetration, expansion, and velocity. While these will have no problem breaking bones, these bullets will be significantly slower compared to the lighter and faster options like the PolyCase ARX Inceptor +P and the Underwood 9mm Xtreme Defender +P+. They quickly gained a great reputation and are widely regarded as one of the best 9mm self-defense choices currently available. Misinformation is staggering. That is a lot of wound potential. This loading breaks 1047 fps average in the GLOCK 19. }. One example is the Liberty line. Using my browser to print a copy doesn’t really work well, it works but includes too much extraneous material. Recoil would be greater, and greater slide velocity may lead to malfunctions. In addition, heavier bullets tend to have more felt recoil. The load averaged 1160 fps. I’ll stick with either the Federal HST 124 grain +P which averages 18.3″ penetration and >.60″ expansion or the Remington Golden Saber 124 grain +P which has nearly identical performance at a lower price point. The bone fragments shooting in all directions in turn result in more tissue damage. notice.style.display = "block"; The 9mm uses a .355-inch bullet. Please be respectful of others. Criteria number three immediately disqualifies all the 147-grain JHP because from the XD-9 sub-compact’s 3.5-inch barrel, they won’t generate velocities higher than 875 fps (feet per second), hardly sufficient to expect more than marginal bullet expansion at best.  −  Hornady gunner 9mm +P 124g XTP 1175fps or get some Hornady 9mm 147g XTP 975fps. After that, the rest are either Golden Saber +P 124 gr bonded jhp, or whatever 124 gr jhp i can find/afford at the time. display: none !important; Federal HST 9mm 147 gr . I tested the loads without regard to advertised velocities or overstated claims. Most modern self-defense ammo is based on high velocity and lighter than standard bullets. The 9mm uses a .355-inch bullet. We talk a lot about ammunition on our website, but I'm not sure we've ever really discussed what I'd consider to be the best self-defense rounds out on the market, right now. In a self defense situation I would look more at wound potential. The industry standard for the 147-grain JHP seems to be 960 to 1000 fps. Space that would otherwise be taken up by powder. The Shooter's Log, is to provide information—not opinions—to our customers and the shooting community. Cut my teeth on the .38 Special/.357 Magnum 158 grain so I was used to managing recoil. I also keep 2 Winchester 124 gr nato FMJ loads as 1st 2 shots, which are great for penetration. David Ritter - February 26. Your email address will not be published. Unless you have had to shoot a bad guy and the ammo did it’s job your opinion is meaningless. If a projectile breaks apart upon impact to a target the loss of weight that occurs can result in a corresponding loss of power. Penetration was 20 inches and expansion was a reliable 0.56 inches. They are a little bit lighter than most 9mm ammunition, and that does slightly reduce their power, but it also cuts down on recoil. Likewise for handgun calibers, not counting rounds I consider obscure but slowly gaining popularity (e.g. Sub sonic, if you have to shoot inside, the noise will be significantly reduced. Many affordable handguns are chambered in 9mm as well. If you have the need for deep penetration against heavily-clothed attackers or feel that light cover is part of the likely scenario, this is a good choice. 2nd Generation Winchester Ranger T-Series (RA9T) is superior to all of these rounds. round from G 2 Research. Magtech Guardian Gold 9mm 115 gr. Now that we have learned about the calibers and have home defense considered, let’s delve into 45 ACP vs 9mm for self-defense. In addition, heavier bullets tend to have more felt recoil. A compact .40 S&W handgun or .38 Special small-frame revolver may be a bear to handle. three The .45 acp might be the slowest and heaviest of the “big three” semi-auto handgun calibers, but it makes the biggest holes in soft tissue targets when comparing FMJ vs. FMJ or JHP vs. JHP — its only downsides: terrible solid target penetration (slow and fat bullets have a hard time penetrating even entry level body armors) and lackluster ammo capacity in handguns chambered for it (the typical 1911 magazine can only fit seven to eight of these big fat cartridges). Be that as it may It would of been appreciated if at least ONE round would of been a ball/jacketed round as some states does not allow hollow point ammunition to be carried by a citizen (in a concealed mode). I use water for testing penetration and expansion because it is within 10 percent of gelatin results and much, much easier to work with. The 9mm needs good expansion to be effective, and all calibers must exhibit adequate penetration for good effect. And even so, standard 9mm bullet weights are 115, 124, and 147 grain, though the powder charge generally only weights somewhere around 5 grains. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. I load a 147 gr Remington match bullet in front of VV 3N37 powder which results in a MV of 1,000 fps. TOP 5 BEST 9MM AMMO FOR SELF DEFENSE 2020Are you looking for the best 9mm ammo for self defense for pistols of 2020? Typically, it's carried by police and word gets out that they're happy with it. The purported effectiveness of the .45 ACP among its fans is nothing short of mythical while the same people revile the 9mm, even today, as marginal or wimpy in comparison. However, the best, and most valid test is the incident reports from la enforcement agencies that have been involved with shootings. Make sense of the table above, we ’ ve created a few brands an... 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