I have both of these in 9mm. My Hydra-Shok are Federal 124 gr and my JHP are Hornady XTP 124 gr. The Hydra-Shok are in my G17 and the Hornady are in my 5906.
Do you prefer one over the other, or, would use both of them for home defense? Below is a ballistics gel video comparing the (2), that I find very interesting.

Hydra-Shock vs Hollow Point in HD 720p 60FPS - YouTube

Both XTPs and Hydra-Shoks are Jacketed Hollow Points. Both are also older bullet designs that do not perform as well as more recent designs. It's not something to panic about, but you should consider upgrading.

Before asking "What ammo should I use?" you should ask "What should ammo do, what shouldn't it do, and how is it tested?" I recommend the following:
Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness from the Firearms Training Unit of the FBI
Basic Wound Ballistic Terminal Performance Facts by Dr. Roberts (DocGKR)
Ordnance gelatin test assessment for rifle and pistol calibers by Dr. Roberts (DocGKR)
What's Wrong With The Wound Ballistics Literature And Why by Dr. Fackler

For specific recommendations I start here:
Service Caliber Handgun Duty and Self-Defense Ammo by Dr. Roberts (DocGKR)
Then here (for 9mm and 380):
9mm Ammo Quest on Youtube by ShootingTheBull410

Agreed, both are older designs.

Speer Gold Dot, Winchester Ranger SXT, and Hornady Critical Duty all seem to consistently do well in tests.

Buy some federal hst and don't look back

I know it's kinda generic, but whatever shoots best. Are there better defensive rounds out there? Yes. If you're buying new, stick with Speer Gold Dots, Federal HST, or Hornady Critical Duty (or Critial Defense in a pinch). Are the Hydra-Shoks and XTP still lethal? If you do your part, yes. Find out whichever shoots best out of your guns, that you can afford and easily find, and keep them loaded with that. Check out SGAmmo.com for some good deals on defensive rounds. Good luck!!

Since I shoot a .45, I carry 165 gr. Hydra Shoks. I feel quite comfortable that they will punch a large enough hole to get the job done.

The most important issues are reliability and your ability to hit what you are aiming at.

Your ammo should always work in YOUR gun, not my gun or anyone else's gun. That means running at least 100
Rounds through YOUR gun with no issues.

Your ability to reliably hit what you are aiming at quickly is of paramount importance.

If you can do that and your ammo works every time in YOUR
Gun, there is no practical difference between the various ammo.

A

RPG is right. It doesn't make a tinkers d--m what's in your gun if it doesn't hit what you are aiming at. 1 hit with a 22 dead center is much better than an arm hit with a 357 at 1500 fps. I've seen a fair number of people shot. The quickest kill I saw in 25 years with the exception of a 12ga was with a 22 rifle. Girl friend shot him with a 22 rifle at 28ft. Had just "tuned her up". Had a cigarette in one hand, matches in the other and a smile on his face. DOF. ( dead on floor) Never knew what hit him. Accuracy beats big.

IMO either of the bullets you have chosen should work fine as a self defense load. Of the two I would feel better about using the Hydra-Shok. The Hydra-Shok is an older bullet design that has the advantage of having a good reputation as a man stopper both statistically and anecdotally which is why it is still sold for civilian self defense and police service ammunition.

Hornady XTP's are a later design than the Hydra-Shok. Because they haven't captured a large following from law enforcement there isn't any readily available statistical comparison of their effectiveness nor much anecdotal information as to how effective they are in real shootings. They are a quality bullet though and show good results in tests run by amateurs on YouTube that indicates they should do well in actual shootings.

There are several other "newer" ammunition choices available now but IMO it's unlikely they provide any significant advantage that would make it imperative to swap your ammunition out. You may want to go to one of these later when you need replacement ammo.

IMO and only my opinion, there is way too much stock put into "the best bullet" and the FBI protocol. As citizens we are not the FBI and if you hit what you shoot at most any bullet will do it's job.

Go with ammo that is 100% reliable in your gun, is accurate in your gun and is available. All the rest will take care of itself.

Besides, hopefully you will never find out how well the bullet will stop the bad guy. Statistics say you won't.

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