What is your chosen Self Defense ammo

[Jamie Jackson]

25 minutes ago, Omega said:

One of the very reasons I started looking into casting my own.  All these restrictions on legal ammo irritate me, if the round itself is legal, why is it higher priced for civilians (contracts and bulk purchases not withstanding), if the ammo is over the counter, there should be no qty restrictions whatsoever.

I agree on concept Omega. But a free market (more or less) will drive this. The manufacturers are contractually bound to the Law Enforcement organizations, but from what I read see an opportunity to sell ammo to civilians (I do know cops are civilians LOL) at twice the price. I won't pay that and I do "roll my own" for carry time to time. My carry handloads are primarily wadcutters for my .38 spl handguns. I have some Gold Dot, XTP, and Golden Saber bullets I could load and may well consider that down the road. I have no issue with doing so for SD for the same reasons previously mentioned.

 

@Gotthegoods I hadn't seen that article my friend. Heck that'll drive the buying market right there!

I still have a couple of 50 rd boxes of Black Hills 124 gr +P I purchased as a 1000 lot back when they loaded using 124 gr Gold Dots. My RMR'd 17 loves 'em.

@Ronald_55 Sorry buddy, got my shipping notice today. 

[Garufa]

Apparently this no more 50 rounds boxes of the good stuff for us peasants foolishness started recently, like last week.

[peejman]

I used a variety of rounds, mostly its what was available and worked when I was "qualifying" that particular pistol. I've got Gold Dots in one, Federal somethingorother in another, and a coupe versions of Hornady in others.  I'm less concerned with bullet terminal performance than I am with reliable function and accuracy (which is me, not the gun). 

[Jamie Jackson]

31 minutes ago, peejman said:

 I'm less concerned with bullet terminal performance than I am with reliable function and accuracy (which is me, not the gun). 

Excellent point peejman!

I don't chamber the same round more than twice, 3 times at most, because of the potential of bullet setback or nose damage that potentially occurs when chambering. I just toss that/those round(s) in a ziplock back for later range use. As I shoot/practice/train with my Glocks or Shield that yields me about at least 100 rounds per year. I make it a habit to shoot empty my carry mag at least once a year to ensure fresh functional ammo in the mag. I also I use these "recycled" rounds to ensure POA = POI and reliable functioning in my carry guns. This is the primary reason I've purchased the 50 round boxes, and generally multiples in the same lot, in the past.

Doubling the price, as with restricting the 50 round box sales is gonna hurt...

[bersaguy]

18 minutes ago, prag said:

Excellent point peejman!

I don't chamber the same round more than twice, 3 times at most, because of the potential of bullet setback or nose damage that potentially occurs when chambering. I just toss that/those round(s) in a ziplock back for later range use. As I shoot/practice/train with my Glocks or Shield that yields me about at least 100 rounds per year. I make it a habit to shoot empty my carry mag at least once a year to ensure fresh functional ammo in the mag. I also I use these "recycled" rounds to ensure POA = POI and reliable functioning in my carry guns. This is the primary reason I've purchased the 50 round boxes, and generally multiples in the same lot, in the past.

Doubling the price, as with restricting the 50 round box sales is gonna hurt...

I also never chamber a round more than twice before it goes to range bag. I'm glad I bought enough ammo back years ago that I don't have to go looking for any more. Only having 2 different calibers to buy for I bought enough back before the ammo prices went way up. I do wish I would have bought more Hornaday Critical defense than I did but I think I have enough to get by and I do have other great self defense ammo's I can fall back on if I need to.

[TN357mag]

45 ACP ... 230gr Golden Saber

45 ACP +P  ....230gr Underwood Nosler

40 S&W ...180gr Federal HST

9mm ........124gr Federal HST

10mm.......180gr Underwood Gold Dot

357 Sig.....125gr Underwood Gold Dot 

45 GAP.....200gr Gold Dot 

380acp.... 90gr Underwood XTP

38 Spl..... 130gr Federal HST 

357 Mag...125gr Hornady FTX

44 Spl...... 200gr Underwood LWC

 

[DaveTN]

Federal HST or Hydra-Shok. I order 50 round boxes online.

 

[tnhawk]

I've used Critical Defense and Golden Saber but have been getting Sig Sauer V-Crown recently.

[pop pop]

Corbon 125 Gr DPX in 357 caliber. 

[Oh Shoot]

All the years of off and on illegally possessing, just used whatever hollow point I saw first. Did some research when I first got permit and went with Golden Sabre, also 'cause local cops used it. Built up a stash over time so have just stayed with it, don't shoot it up often.

I'm sure it will still be adequate if I do my part.

- OS

[pop pop]

OS, New York's Police used Remington G S for years and may still do. They liked it fine and it worked well when they hit someone with it. 

[chrisw670]

In my 9mm....Federal 147 gr HST.  357 revolver.....Hornady 125 gr. FTX critical defense.  44 Special revolver......Underwood 200 gr. w/ Speer Bonded Jacketed hollow points.  

[ReeferMac]

124 gr 9mm Gold Dots or Federal HST.

The 124 gr shoots well in my pistol, and I perform well with it. Based on my reading of the big ballistics test Lucky Gunner did w/ the gel blocks, I like the HST's and Gold Dots.

 

- K
 

[mike243]

solid nose for the 380 in the winter, hollow point in the summer 

[bersaguy]

Quote

 

I began doing some thinking after reading some of the posts about 380 Calibers and since I have at lease 4 Magazines for my Bersa Thunder I have loaded 2 of them with Hornady CD and 2 Magazines with Fiocchi FMJ. That way if I am going to be out and the weather is cold I will load the FMJ magazine in so if I need to use it I won't have ss much problem with perp wearing a lot of clothes as I would with Hollow Points. In warm weather I will put the Hornady Mags in. I can do the same thing with the Model 85 Bersa. Load 1 Mag with Hornaday Hollow points and one mag with FMJ's. I think options are a good idea and glad I read the posts on that situation.......

[Ray Z]

On 2/23/2019 at 1:01 PM, bersaguy said:

I began doing some thinking after reading some of the posts about 380 Calibers and since I have at lease 4 Magazines for my Bersa Thunder I have loaded 2 of them with Hornady CD and 2 Magazines with Fiocchi FMJ. That way if I am going to be out and the weather is cold I will load the FMJ magazine in so if I need to use it I won't have ss much problem with perp wearing a lot of clothes as I would with Hollow Points. In warm weather I will put the Hornady Mags in. I can do the same thing with the Model 85 Bersa. Load 1 Mag with Hornaday Hollow points and one mag with FMJ's. I think options are a good idea and glad I read the posts on that situation.......

Way too much like work. Hornady works for me year round. I stuffed them in my little Ruger and that in my pocket. The little thingees in the front of the hollow point will work whatever the perp is wearing. That's what they are made for.

[Ray Z]

BTW, I use factory ammo for carry. Not that I don't trust my reloaded ammo. I just read too much about reloaded hollow points being questioned if I ever had to use my gun for protection. And a buck a shot won't break me but it would take a nick out of my wallet. Only thing that I do do is run them through my taper crimp die so the mouth of the case is crimped a little more, stops setback.

[Cruel Hand Luke]

On 10/27/2018 at 12:58 PM, Omega said:

I call BS on the lawyer, if it is a true self defense shooting, the ammo will not matter unless you have mercury tips or something.  There are thousands reloading their own, and haven't, as of yet, heard anyone get prosecuted over an SD with reloads.  If it's a bad shoot, sure they can throw anything against the wall, but I highly doubt they can show a reload is any more or less lethal.  If that were the case, they could argue that shooting someone with anything bigger than 9mm is overkill. 

It is not the initial criminal case that they are warning about on the reloads so much as it is in case of a civil action wrongful death case. That is where the "he is so depraved that he felt factory ammo wasn't deadly enough" arguments normally come into play. The argument can be answered but if you use factory ammo it would never even possibly have to be answered. 

Edited February 25, 2019 by Cruel Hand Luke

[Cruel Hand Luke]

As to carry ammo? CCI Gold Dot 124+p . It can be found in most gun stores, it is IWBA/FBI Test Protocol compliant,  and works as well (or better) than anything else in the caliber in real world shootings. 

I also like Corbon DPX but it is far less readily available. 

Edited February 25, 2019 by Cruel Hand Luke

[Omega]

1 minute ago, Cruel Hand Luke said:

It is not the initial criminal case that they are warning about on the reloads so much as it is in case of a civil action. That is where the "he felt factory ammo wasn't deadly enough" arguments come into play. 

I'd challenge them to demonstrate how my reloads could possibly be more dangerous than commercially available ammunition. 

2 minutes ago, Cruel Hand Luke said:

As to carry ammo? CCI Gold Dot 124+p . It can be found in most gun stores, it is IWBA/FBI Test Protocol compliant,  and works as well (or better) than anything else in the caliber in real world shootings. 

I also like Corbon DPX but it is far less readily available. 

See, this here, IMO, could be used by a trial lawyer to demonstrate that you were seeking ammunition that would be of greater lethality than "standard" bullets.

BTW, I reload gold dots.

[Cruel Hand Luke]

25 minutes ago, Omega said:

I'd challenge them to demonstrate how my reloads could possibly be more dangerous than commercially available ammunition. 

See, this here, IMO, could be used by a trial lawyer to demonstrate that you were seeking ammunition that would be of greater lethality than "standard" bullets.

BTW, I reload gold dots.

The issue is that you would then HAVE to challenge them. 

No one is kicking anyone's pet goldfish . I'm merely stating WHY those attorney types who do this kind of thing for a living say that it CAN (not ALWAYS WILL , but CAN)  be an issue they would have to answer in a civil case. They are not saying NEVER DO IT...they are saying it is a real thing that may well be argued by opposing council and you should be aware and make your own informed decisions. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Be aware of the likely arguments and have a counter to them. It is all about how you articulate it.....

 If you want to use a flamethrower you are welcome to do it .....and in a "good shoot" the use of the flamethrower might not even matter ...but even if you don't get arrested and charged for the good shooting you might still get sued civilly and have to answer why you used a flamethrower. There is immunity from civil suit in TN but if you travel out of state and shoot someone that immunity does not travel with you. You are held to the laws of the state where the shooting occurs and even a good shoot can still lead to a civil case for injury or wrongful death if the other guy is never charged with (or convicted) of a crime. 

And as to use of a FACTORY +p loadings I already have the answer to any nitwit opposing council who would even be stupid enough to bring that up (that is assuming that line of questioning didn't already get quashed "in limine") ..... again to be forewarned is to be forearmed. 

Edited February 26, 2019 by Cruel Hand Luke

[chances R]

Plenty of quality, well-tested factory ammo out there.  Generally safest move is to use what local law enforcement uses.  Why even allow a crack in the door to allow any room to question the ammo used?  If it causes any question of your motive/intent/state-of-mind, don't take the chance.  Worse case, factory ammo allows standard ballistic testing records that may help your case.  Economics of reloaded ammo for SD is but a drop in the bucket compared to potential attorney fees. No use to re-invent the wheel here. 

As far as 'show me a case' where this is an issue; almost impossible as general testimony and its effect on the jury cannot be quantified.  This issue would only be part of documented case law through an appeal specifically related to this subject.  As far as I know and according to a leading SD attorney, no records of such an appeal.

[DaveTN]

Ammo is not going to be an issue in a criminal case if it is a justified self-defense shooting. It could be in a civil case. Everything could be a factor in a civil case. Why are you in civil court is more of an issue.

There is no shortage of off the shelf brands in proven self-defense calibers.