Another thing to consider is the accuracy of the self-defense rounds that you carry. My carry gun is an M&P 40 compact. I have conducted accuracy tests with several brands of self-defense ammo, firing a minimum of 50 rounds of each at a standard target at 20 yards. I found some striking differences in accuracy, so I thought I'd pass along my findings. Below are the rounds I tested. All were 180 grains:
Federal HST
Remington Golden Saber Black Belt
Remington Golden Saber HPJ
Speer Gold Dot
Winchester Ranger
Winchester Ranger "T"

I fired all rounds using a two-handed modified Weaver stance. All rounds functioned perfectly. Accuracy was determined by the percentage of my shots that hit within two inches of the bullseye.

The clear winner was the Gold Dot round. I was able to place 52% of these within 2" of the bullseye. Here are all of the results, in order of finish:
Speer Gold Dot, 52%
Remington Goden Saber HPJ, 47%
Winchester Ranger, 42%
Winchester Ranger "T", 40%
Federal HST, 33%
Remington Golden Saber Black Belt, 25%

I also tested Winchester PDX1 rounds, but I could find only 30 to test, so the results are not as statistically reliable. However, it did achieve an accuracy score of 47%, which would have tied it for second place had I been able to fire at least 50 rounds.

Note the considerable difference in accuracy scores. The Gold Dots were more than twice as accurate as the Black Belts. The Black Belts were being sold at a giveaway price by SG Ammo, and now I know why. They are horribly inaccurate -- don't buy them! The highly touted HSTs were no great shakes either. I couldn't believe how poorly they performed, so I shot 90 of them just to be sure. However, I was never able to get them to improve their performance during the extended testing.

The usual caveats apply. These findings are likely unique to me and my M&P 40 compact. If you have a different .40 cal. pistol and a different technique for shooting it, you may not get the same results. I recommend that you conduct your own tests with various rounds to find what works best for you.

The findings for me are certainly clear-cut: No HSTs for my M&P 40c, nothing but Gold Dots or Golden Saber HPJs.

I hope this helps!

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