Ammo

[LaVaism]

What brand of ammo do you carry and why did you choose that?

Me; I carry .45 Speer Gold Dot 230 Grain
I chose this because the ballistic test I saw with denim looked really good.  The round expanded out consistently and had good penetration.  The transfer of energy looked to be pretty solid.  I talked to a LEO and he said that is what they carry because when shooting through a windshield the round did not change course as much as other rounds did.  

I buy one box a year, so once a year I will go to the range and shoot off my carry ammo and then use a fresh box.  I do this because the constant unloading and reloading of my weapon it can cause the primers to fail.  Police departments were having issues of rounds not being fired when needed because of this problem.

[mark996]

One box a year?  I'm assuming 50 rounds a year at the range?  Not adequate trigger time at all.

I'll refrain from posting my ammo or why I carry it for the sake of these forums being subpoenaed in the event I have to use it.

[LaVaism]

Oh no I shoot a lot more than that! Just the speciality ammo I only shoot once a year since it cost so much.  

I am not too worried about if people know what I carry, you can look at the bullet and determine what type it is even after it has been fired.

[GarryLaxton]

Hornady Critical Defense in both 380 and 40S&W.  

I chose this because of uniformly positive reviews in all the gun rags that I read.  That, and the design philosophy makes a lot of sense.

[Tazer]

I get a big kick out of reading posts of this nature.  I also like to see test results on you tube using the different methods of penetration.  I like to watch gel tests that compare the different manufacturers. As they say , a well placed 9mm is better than a miss with 45acp.  I won't go crazy trying to replace what I have, such as the Hornady Critical Defense for my 9mm's and I'm still up about what bonded ammo to go to for future purchases.  My choice for 45acp is Speer Gold Dot 230grn and for the 40 S&W I use Winchester PDX-1 165grn, both are bonded ammo.

[TroyArnoldSr]

I don't have any perticuler reason for shooting what I do; it just happens to be what my guns like.....

Hornady Critical Defense, 40S&W, 165gr
Hornady, LeverEvolution, 357mag, 140gr (works great in revolvers)
CCI, Mini Mag,  22LR, 36gr
CCI, Maxi Mag, 22MAG, 40gr

[rctactical]

wow nice thread thanks for sharing that info with us
tactical supply, tactical accessories

[yabu]

I'll refrain from posting my ammo or why I carry it for the sake of these forums being subpoenaed in the event I have to use it.

I have often thought about this myself.  Things we say on these forums could come back to haunt us should we ever find ourselves in court.  It definitely puts a damper on my comments.  Seems nothing on the internet is really secure - especially when it involves the courts.

[MIO]

I carry 2 different loads. One doesn't penetrate as much and is less likely for over penetration in my ccw. That's real important to me in crowded public places.
The other load is for my full size that penetrates more as its more likely to be used on heavier animals, thicker skin and bone as well as thicker clothing. It also helps on barricade items and tough things like windshields.  
I carry a quality expansion bullet more for energy transfer and penetration issues. Shot placement is way more important when finishing it. I avoid things with evil or cool names because its easier to say I used a Remington hollow point they sell at walmart than the ninja cutter XP1000 to the soccer mom jury.

[EdO]

What MIO said.   In self defence situations,  you don't want to over penetrate and endanger any inocent bystanders.  One of the reasons I use a shotgun for home defence.  If you buy a youth model and put a recoil pad on it,  it will fit about right and be as short as legal.  A good dose of 12 ga 6's at bedroom distance will do the job about 3 times over and won't endanger your neighbors.  Try it on a wooden box at 15 to 20 feet.  It's a demonstration I used on my girls to demonstrate the effectiveness of firearms.  Put a round from a .44 Mag through the box and that's pretty much what you get, a .44 diameter hole.  The 12 ga at 20 ft and the box is splinters scattered all over the place.

Back in the 70's and early 80's the border patrol went to .357's with 125 grn HP's.

I think the FBI is currently issuing Win HP's of some variety for their agents that carry .40's.

There's a lesson there someplace.

[CongoHarry]

"When you care enough to send your very best..." make it .45 ACP in 230 grs.  HP, +P, FMJ...any configuration will get the job done.  That's the beauty of .45 ACP (the "Flying Ashtray").