Consider me as green a gourd. Consider too that I am aggravated and confused with all the data available on ballistics, gun platforms and situational ammo.

I come here with the following questions based on ownership of a SW9VE I have for home protection, CCDW and practice. I have no problems with the gun – I like it fine.

My questions are these:

What ammo is recommended for practice (routine 30 or so foot target practice)

What ammo is recommended for stopping power (self defense situations)

Reading (God, I have read) the reviews on various ammo for both situations all of which still leads me to the same questions. Over and over again.

I currently have Remington 9MM 115gr MC L9MM3 ammo for practice. Reviews for this ammo is all over the place. I also have, Winchester 115gr FMJ Target /Range. Again reviews for this ammo too, are all over the place.

Some reviews claim Remington is well known for poor QC. Further reading says the same for Winchester. Is there actually ammo out there that has good QC and a reputation for performance?

So, at this point, what does a greenhorn do for practice ammo?

Now, regarding self defense and home defense (using said pistol) what ammo is acceptable for this application? +p and +p+ is not recommended for this gun. Although some site members promote it. My first assumption would be a hollow point but what velocity and grain weight and brand? Specifically, what would YOU choose to use in said gun for defense purposes?

I know this has been asked over and over. And in most every situation I have read through, there is (some if not a lot of) conflicting information.

Somehow there has to be a not necessarily definitive answer but one that is at the least middle of the road in both cases.

Respectfully,

Craig

Consider me as green a gourd. Consider too that I am aggravated and confused with all the data available on ballistics, gun platforms and situational ammo.

I come here with the following questions based on ownership of a SW9VE I have for home protection, CCDW and practice. I have no problems with the gun – I like it fine.

My questions are these:

What ammo is recommended for practice (routine 30 or so foot target practice)

What ammo is recommended for stopping power (self defense situations)

Reading (God, I have read) the reviews on various ammo for both situations all of which still leads me to the same questions. Over and over again.

I currently have Remington 9MM 115gr MC L9MM3 ammo for practice. Reviews for this ammo is all over the place. I also have, Winchester 115gr FMJ Target /Range. Again reviews for this ammo too, are all over the place.

Some reviews claim Remington is well known for poor QC. Further reading says the same for Winchester. Is there actually ammo out there that has good QC and a reputation for performance?

So, at this point, what does a greenhorn do for practice ammo?

Now, regarding self defense and home defense (using said pistol) what ammo is acceptable for this application? +p and +p+ is not recommended for this gun. Although some site members promote it. My first assumption would be a hollow point but what velocity and grain weight and brand? Specifically, what would YOU choose to use in said gun for defense purposes?

I know this has been asked over and over. And in most every situation I have read through, there is (some if not a lot of) conflicting information.

Somehow there has to be a not necessarily definitive answer but one that is at the least middle of the road in both cases.

Respectfully,

Craig

If you are carrying for personal protection, then you should be using the same ammo at the range as you would normally carry. I carry a model 5946 with 124gr.hydra-shock jhp by Federal. It has all the stopping power that I need.

The FMJ practice ammo's you are using are just fine...

Try several types of JHP and see which you like best. They are too damned expensive to use for extended range shooting...

Use what works for you.

To reinforce what others have said above....
A stock 9mm Sigma will shoot +P just fine; that does not mean you HAVE to use it.

I've found Sigma's to be very tolerant of different types of ammunition, so it is unlikely you have to do much searching to find a defense load that shoots well. My personal choice in 9mm is 124gr Gold Dot, but there are several other defense loads that perform well.

Rather than shoot up much of the defense loads in practice, most people find a comparable range ammo that shoots to same point of aim. I do suggest finishing off practice sessions by shooting a few of the loads from your carry magazine, both to keep familiarity and to get rid of ammo that may have been chambered more than once.

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Science plus Art

For protection either hydra-shok or ranger t's. Practice wwb is just fine.

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SW99 9mm Sigma VE 40
M&P 15

There's a bunch of fine SD ammo out there. Gold Dot, HST, Corbon and several others are fine. I personally like the 115-124 gr weight. Pick one that functions well in your pistol and don't sweat it. We tend to get caught up in the mental masturbation of caliber and bullet wars when energy would be better spent at the range.

My two pennies.

Federal Hydra-shok 124 gr. should be fine for a 9mm defensive round. Just shoot a fair number of them to make sure they feed reliably. I carry 155 gr hydra-shoks in my .40. Winchester white box is a good affordable practice round.

In the simplist terms.. Use the cheaper (WWB for example) FMJ for target/range, and a quality JHP for self defense.. Shoot a few of the JHP's at the range to make sure the gun likes it and it hits poa, then practice with the FMJ.. Best of luck!

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Mick

Use what works for you and your pistol. Your practice ammo is fine. As long as it works in your pistol flawlessly and you can shoot it accurately, and comfortably then that's the "best" ammo. As far as defense loads go, same thing, it has to work flawlessly in your pistol and be controllable for you to shoot accurately and comfortably. Find what works for you. Personally, I like to carry Federal Hydra Shok 124 gr. +p rounds. Hornady TAP, CCI Gold Dot, Remington Golden Sabre and others too many to mention are also good rounds. Once again, find what works for you. Usually 115-124 gr. loads are the most common. Good Luck.

Exactally what I wanted to hear and needed ot know. I appreciate you folk's time and shairing your knowledge.

Best!

Craig

What you are using for practice is fine.Hydrashock and ranger sxt rounds are fine for defensive rounds.As a Pistol instructor I always advocate buying a extra box of carry rounds to shoot at the range because you don't want the carry ammo to be a suprise when the fertiziler hits the ventilator......God Bless...Mike BTW Never shoot +P+ in a smith because you more then likely will blow it up.+P rounds are fine......

You're overthinking it. Find a decent hollowpoint that is reliable and accurate in your pistol -- just about all of them are decent now. Buy inexpensive generic ball ammo of the same bullet weight to practice with. Then, PRACTICE. Hitting what you're aiming at is about 1000% more important than what you hit with.

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Pisgah

Use any reputable 9mm for practice. Buy cheap and shoot alot.

As far as SD ammo goes - who told you your 9VE should not be used with +P? It will do fine with +P.

Try Federal 9BPLE, if you can get it. If not, use any of the premium 9mm ammo designed for self-defense. If you must use standard pressure, use Federal 9BP or the Winchester 115 grain JHP in the USA line - check out the velocity - they have quietly increased the velocity to a point just under the +P+ without excess pressure, a result of Winchester's work with the new powder blends developed for their short case rifle cartridges.

Winchester's new PDX line has a 124 grain JHP that looks very promising. It is a +P, but your 9VE will do fine with +P.

Range: Blazer Brass 115gr FMJ. Around $9/50rds.

Self Defense: Speer Gold Dot 124gr +P JHP. Around $22/20rds.