Choosing Carry ammo for 9mm... help!

[SC Tiger]

well, I'm getting close to the point where I need to decide what I'm actually going to carry for ammunition.

I (will, waiting on permit) carry an HK P2000SK in 9mm, and will be carrying it IWB...

how much of that is relevant? not sure, but what are my best choices for carry ammunition, and as it relates to that, I've noticed a lot of 124gr +P loads and 147gr NOT +P.... I can't seem to find ballistics info on most of them though, so comparing "dead bad-guy" effects is kinda tough...


thanks for any/all guidance on this!

Don't get caught up in the ballistics as much as whether it will reliably function in your gun. Choose a self defense round from a respected manufacturer (Hornaday, Speer, Remington, Federal, or Winchester among others) and try them out. Once you find one your gun likes (which it will likely feed several types reliably) stick with it. I will caution you to make sure the round is a hollow point (laws permitting) or other self-defense design (Glaser, Pow'rball, etc) to reduce overpenetration risk and have more terminal effect. As far as self defense round A vs self defense round B, reliability is much more important than terminal effect IMO.

I've tested out a few different .380 loads for my LCP. Right now I carry Hornaday XTP but have some Critical Defense I am going to test out, if for no other reason then to determine my options as .380 ammo is still a little scarce.

[jimmyjohn]

well, I'm getting close to the point where I need to decide what I'm actually going to carry for ammunition.

I (will, waiting on permit) carry an HK P2000SK in 9mm, and will be carrying it IWB...

how much of that is relevant? not sure, but what are my best choices for carry ammunition, and as it relates to that, I've noticed a lot of 124gr +P loads and 147gr NOT +P.... I can't seem to find ballistics info on most of them though, so comparing "dead bad-guy" effects is kinda tough...


thanks for any/all guidance on this!

I would recommend the Speer Gold Dot short barrel 124gr JHP+P for your gun. It gives excellent performance from guns with 3"+ barrel lengths. The penetration is amazing, the muzzle velocity is excellent and the bullet performance is superb. Hints: Shoot at least two boxes slow and fast to check function in your gun. When loading for carry always load the first round through the ejection port directly into the chamber and seat it. With the gun point at a safe surface i.e something that you could destroy if you had a slam fire, drop the slide, safety the weapon check to make sure the ejector has latched the cartridge rim and the slide is fully closed. Insert magazine and holster weapon. This is to prevent bullet set back from repeatedly slamming into the feed ramp and you can use the same chamber round next time you load your handgun keeping the magazine rounds clear of rim nicks and being assured the first round is safe and will fire.

[DannyBear71]

I'm personally skeptical of using ballistics gel testing alone as the basis of choosing a defense ammo, and even more so the weight some people put to a particular ammo when it comes to winning a gun fight.

While I agree it does provide a fairly accurate means of comparing ammo performance I think it has one major flaw. It isn't the human body.

The human body is not a solid mass of tissue with one consistent density. Which is really what ballistics gel is able to simulate. Skin, fat, muscle, organs, cartilage, and bone all vary in density from each other as well as among their individual variants. Add to this the fact that a round may also pass through voids and fluid masses as it travels through the body and you start to see a very different picture from what a ballistics gel test alone provides.

Any caliber, weight, velocity, and round design (ie... Ball or JHP) can incapacitate or kill a would be attacker if it strikes the right organ or severs the right artery. And any of the above can fail to do so if it does not.

When choosing an ammo type I agree what works with your weapon is just as important if not more so than how well it scored in a ballistics gel test. If your weapon jams having the best performing ammo isn't going to matter much.

What matters in a gun fight isn't solely dependent on what ammo you use. And anyone who says differently hasn't read many autopsy reports of gun shot victims or officer involved shooting reports.

True effective ammo can improve your chances of stopping an attacker, but so can choosing the right weapon for you. And let's not forget if you aren't proficient with said weapon how likely do you think it is that you will strike that organ or sever that artery that will bring your attacker down?

Situation, training, weapon, and ammo all can effect whether or not you survive a gun fight. Just ask any officer or carry holder who has survived. It can be enlightening reading.

Just keep in mind, while the ammo you choose is important, don't assume that just because you're using the "best" ammo on the market for personal defense or ammo that scored "best" in ballistic testing it's the only thing you need to consider.

[BowhuntnHoosier]

Right now my Glock 19 is loaded with 15+1 Remington 147gr Golden Sabres(flying ashtrays). I think those will do the job just fine.

[G50AE]

I would recommend the Speer Gold Dot short barrel 124gr JHP+P for your gun.

That would be my recomendation as well. I have always been a big fan of the Gold Dot design.