Decided to finally "invest" in some good carry ammo for my KelTec PF-9 now that it's with me all the time. Right now it just has some 147gr Winchester White Box hollow points. Figured it was better than ball and was slightly surprised to see it sitting on the shelf at Walmart.

Stopped at Sportsman's Warehouse and looked around. Figured nothing +P.

They had 115gr Hornady Critical Defense, Remington 147gr Golden Sabre, and Winchester 147gr Supreme Elite. Couple other spaces but nothing on the shelf.

Any of this better for short barrels? Anything else better to look for?

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Caretaker of a small herd.

I tried a box of these Gold Dot just for function at a range recently. Might check this out and read the reviews. Supose to be designed for short barrels.

Ammunition To Go : 20rds - 9mm Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 124gr. +P HP Ammo [23611] - $23.95, Reviews

I'm in no way advocating you use these rounds, but I load my PF9 with Federal 9bple +P+ 115 gr. HP. They function and shoot to the sights, but the little Kel-Tec kicks like hell !! I won't feed it a lot of them, but for carry.......

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Big Fred

You will no doubt find a WARNING in your manual regarding the use of +P ammo not to mention +p+!

I could also show you the scar from my +P+ experience that bulged the barrel, bulged the slide and blew the trigger guard and the front of the frame ahead of the trigger guard completely off.

This all happended in the less than 5 rounds. Slow fire, checking sights for acccuracy. First 3 rounds OK, number 4 took her apart. No bullet lodged in the barrel. Factory ammo.

I had been firing +P+ in S&W autos for years with absolutely no problem. KelTecs are not S&Ws.
I now read the manual FIRST!

DON'T BE ME.

124/125/127gr +p would be best bet. though kel-tec recommends limited diet of +p ammo.

147gr bullets can tumble in flight out of some 9mm's. So if you go with them make sure they are not tumbling. my p11 tumbled 147gr imagine not much difference from p11 to pf9 except ones single stack the other double.

147 gr. loads work well,in fact very well,from 3 1/2 inch barrels. The Winchester RA9T,Federal HST,and Rem.Golden Sabre in this weight are all good with good penetration and expansion in my own testing in a Glock 26.

Velocity loss going from a 4 inch gun to a 3 1/2 inch is so minimal as to be insignificant as far as terminal ballistic performance. I personally like the Rangers(RA9T) and the standard pressure HST's over any of the rest.
With the 147gr. bullets the dwell time in the barrel is slightly longer allowing more of the powder to be burned inside the barrel, which in turn reduces muzzle flash.
I have not tested anything in a three inch barrel of any of the smaller nines,but I would still go with one of the good 147's if it is accurate in that particular pistol.
Excellant performance,less blast,less flash,and less recoil compared to a +P or +P+.
I am currently carrying a Robar customed G26 since the weather got warm, loaded with the 147 gr. HST's.
The 147 Gold Dot is also an extremely consistent load but I found the expansion to be slightly less than with the others.
Penetration,however,was fine.

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Blessed be the Lord,my Rock

My round of choice in my side arm is the federal 147 hst. Check it out
on the Internet for expansion video.

I love the Hornady out of my PM9 (smaller than your PF9). Shoots smooth and accurate.

The BEST ammo for short fixed sight guns is the one that shoots to point of aim.

Pick a couple of different weights and try them.

According to Doc Roberts and what I've found:

124 gr Nyclads, Corbon DPX's and Gold Dot Short Barrel are the three I would consider. They are the ones that performed through 4 layers of clothing.

Here's a link with some good info:

Best Choices for Self Defense Ammo

I'm into Hornady Critical Defense in all of my arms right now. I first picked up a box when I couldn't find Gold Dots locally. They are extremely accurate out of my 9c. I'm also a standard pressure guy myself. All +P seems to get me is a bigger group / more difficult follow-up shots. Not sure why I felt the need to say that but, there you go.

As an added bonus, I like that there's 25 rounds in a box of 9mm Critical Defense, you get just 20 from Speer's offering. And it's even a few beans less expensive, in my area anyway.

I don't want to call myself a former Gold Dot user just yet, but I'm shooting these Hornady loads really well.

I was really disappointed with the terminal performance of the Golden Sabre ammunition. It comes apart like a cheap watch, with little penetration.
I am currently shooting a Ruger LC9. It is around 3" barrel length, and it handles 147 gr pretty well. But I find the 124gr. more to its' liking.
The defense ammo I have used- and I do mean USED so far has been Federal Hydra Shok, and Speer lawman. The Federal was 147 gr. and the Speer was 124 gr. I am currently running Speer 124 in the LC9. It flies straight, and accurate. And, FWIW, I have seen it work, and it does its' job well.
Since I am shooting a pistol a lot, I stick to standard ammo, and do not use +p stuff. I feel the performance of good quality standard ammo is sufficient unless your target has a ballistic barrier. If so, +p in a 9mm or .38spl. will NOT make that critical difference. Shot placement will be the key, as will your repeat shot speed. I read 2K7's post, and I thought to myself, 'That is a real bummer. But imagine had it been at a critical protection moment??!!'
Black Talons were really good, I have not used them in a long time- the Speer ammo cost a bit less, and I am on a budget!!

As mentioned above,,, avoid +p rounds . Not good for the firearm & recoil is not good for the shooter of such a small gun. I use a P-11 & do not use +p in it, either.

It's been my experience that virtually everything functions well in a Glock 26. However, when using my Kahr P9, 147 grain Federals sometimes stumble a bit on the feed ramp when loading from a full magazine although I can fire it without stoppages. Yet, that stumble makes me a bit concerned. I'm going to try Hornady Critical Defense as I believe its narrower nose or meplat is less likely to stumble on the feed ramp. I also plan to polish the ramp next time I break down the pistol.

I am using the Speer Gold Dot 147gr. as my carry round in everything in 9mm. I have ran this round in a Kahr PM9 & K9...Glock 19 and my 17L 6"....S&W 3954 and a CS9 and my HK P7M8 with no problems at all. I also like the Winchester.... Ranger SXT 147gr. (Bonded)

I gave the SB 124gr.+P from speer a chance...But the 147gr. GD
were the easiest shooting and most accurate in everything!!!!

I have been carrying 12 rds of Fed 124 gr HST in my 6906 for a very long time. Feeds like ball, powerful without excessive flash, more accurate than I can aim. I would not want to be on the receiving end. We are all seeking that "magic-one-shot-dead-stop" round but there ain't one. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

I carry 147 grain Remington Golden Saber in my Glock 26. I do this for several reasons: Penetration, subsonic so it cuts down on the report quite a bit, a slower round loses less velocity percentage-wise out of short barrel and I've seen some great test results with it. The Golden Saber has been out a long time and while no longer considered a premium or cutting edge round, it works and you can buy it in quantity fairly cheap so you can afford to practice with your carry load. Oh yes and Golden Sabers are known for reliable feeding even in older guns.

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Loyalty Above All.. but Honor

This is also my carry round in all my 9mm. They will kick a bit more in a kel tec but it shouldn't be that bad.

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Don't look, reload and shoot!

My Glock 26 is loaded with Corbon DPX +P's.
Expensive? Yes. But what's your life worth?

When I carry my Glock 26 it is loaded with 124 gr ball. I have a quantity of older Geco that is a bit warm, very reliable and shoots to
point of aim in my 26. What's not to like?