9mm Defense Round

[Marshal Tom]

I tend to favor heavy for caliber so I go with the 147gr HST and carry it in my 9mm guns all the time. Many PD's seem to like it but almost any of the good quality HP ammo listed above is just fine and will do the job.

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

Find the latest version of Doc Roberts' list and pick one that you can get consistently and in quantities of 500+. Test it for function and the like in your platforms.

This is probably the best post yet.

My own preference leads toward 147 Ranger or HST, depending on whether my agency or I am buying. Either one of these are fine.

 

[pasound]

I preferred the 147gr types, Ranger, HST, and Hydra-Shok. All shot a bit low. Then I discovered the 115gr Winchester M1152 Active Duty. Shoots very near POA in all of my 9mm's, and I believe the gel block and chrono tests shows it very effective, even through barriers.

 

[Biggfoot44]

To echo the theme ; any of the current Duty loads , and most of the Self Defense loads from mainstream mfgs are fine . Likewise the better of "classic " loads if you're not obsessed about shooting thru car windshields .

For micro pistols a couple more variables , chiefly control , in a few instances reduced velocity .

I have a stack of 124 HST , primarily because of good price for a bulk deal at the time .

FWIW , my preference is 124 and 115 , and avoid 147 , but that's me .

 

[chief38]

From the informal testing, chronographing and research on this subject, my choice is Federal HST 124 grain standard velocity. That is what is in my P365. The Speer Gold Dot 124 grain is also very good, however I feel the HST has a slight edge.

+P's will give you greater velocity but my feeling is that the faster bullet will actually expand too fast and not penetrate as far. I am splitting hairs here because the two are not that far apart, but the standard velocity loads (at least as far as the HST is concerned) seems to have a slight edge in short barreled pistols.


[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lGqdMdbir0[/ame]

 

[Rocky629]

Federal Hst 147 gr.

 

[Smokester653]

Before you choose....

Poor over the research on your own and only use our "opinions" as just that our opinion. There are many different loads out there and what works for me and my weapon(s) may not necessarily work for you and your weapon(s). My choice which I won't name was chosen after I looked at data , bought some different manufacturers then went to the range for function tests as well as how I managed the recoil. I feel as confident as I can with the choice I made.

 

[Old cop]

My former agency issues the Federal Premium LE 147 grain HST. Every retiree gets a free box of 50 at LEOSA certification. While the city does go low budget on most things our duty ammo is the exception.

 

[Bald1]

Lately I've been shooting/carrying Norma NXD 65gr penetrators. I've never chronographed but it's listed at 1730fps. I assume that's a 5" barrel. It's funny because when my P365 has 11 rds in it , it is noticeably lighter than with traditional 115gr. They have functioned perfectly and are very accurate shooting to POA. There are some discussions and videos of it online actually defeating some lower level body armor. You know the cheap stuff the bad guys wear.

 

[Nevada Ed]

There are LOTS of good SD ammo out there for the 9mm.

Plus lots of test to show how the ammo does plus, expand and penetrate.

Even though it is a winner, in our family, it all comes down to, how well
the shooter and gun do with a certain ammo and if it can "Do the job", if needed.

We use everything from a little 115 gr all the way up to the large 147 gr bullets
and what you feel comfortable with.

 

[murphydog]

To summarize the above :

Every gun is different, so testing several loads may be needed.
The load has to be 100% reliable with the gun and magazines.
All other factors being equal, an expanding bullet load is a better choice for defensive purposes.
If it is reliable, the load used by your local PD or sheriff's office will be a good choice.

Good luck in your decision.

 

[JJEH]

I'm sticking with Buffalo Bore and they work extra hard to keep stuff in stock.

 

[sigp220.45]

I've started carrying my 6906. 115 and 124 grain loads shoot about 4" low at 20 yards. 147 grain loads shoot almost to point of aim.

So now I have 147 grain Sig V-Crowns in it.

If something else shot to the sights I'd carry that.

 

[GaryS]

All of my 3rd Gens shoot to point of aim with 147gr. They are pretty close, just a touch low with 124gr. 115gr just shoots too low for my likes.

My CS9 shoots well enough with 124gr that I feed it Federal HST JHP, while my 3913s get 147gr Federal HST JHP.

My occasionally carried Mossberg MC1sc also gets 124gr Federal.

I just picked up a couple of boxes of Federal 9MS 147gr for a pretty reasonable $20.00/Box of 50. It's subsonic, but gets pretty good reviews.

I'm not sure what I'll do with that, but the price was good. At least I thought so.

 

[stansdds]

I've started carrying my 6906. 115 and 124 grain loads shoot about 4" low at 20 yards. 147 grain loads shoot almost to point of aim.

So now I have 147 grain Sig V-Crowns in it.

If something else shot to the sights I'd carry that.

I had the experience with my 6946 shooting 115 and 124 grain loads hitting well below point of aim, but 147's hit point of aim at 25 yards.

 

[ChillyDog]

I run Federal 124 Hi-Shok with zero problems at all!

 

[URIT]

I've been using Federal 124gr HST for a few years, but I'm going to buy Norma's NXD or MHP ammo after reading an article in the September 2022 Gun & Ammo magazine.

I'm leaning toward their non-expanding NXD round rather than their pre-stressed MHP round.

 

[cda322]

Depends on the barrel length. Anything 3.5" or longer and I carry 147 Federal HST or Win Bonded Ranger or Ranger T. In every gel test I've seen they're the most consistent for good expansion and penetration. HST is easy to find - Rangers are a little harder, but they're out there.

I carry 124gr (not +p) HST in my Hi Powers because they seem to be the most accurate and the recoil is marginally better. In my 365 I carry Federal Micro HST 150gr.

Overall, 147gr is the most consistent performer across all barrel lengths because it's not as velocity sensitive and heavier weights in any caliber penetrate better. Lighter bullets perform worse the shorter the barrel because they dump energy quicker and were designed to expand at higher velocities. 124gr is a good compromise if you're really worried about over-penetration, especially from shorter barrels.

 

[cda322]

From the informal testing, chronographing and research on this subject, my choice is Federal HST 124 grain standard velocity. That is what is in my P365. The Speer Gold Dot 124 grain is also very good, however I feel the HST has a slight edge.

+P's will give you greater velocity but my feeling is that the faster bullet will actually expand too fast and not penetrate as far. I am splitting hairs here because the two are not that far apart, but the standard velocity loads (at least as far as the HST is concerned) seems to have a slight edge in short barreled pistols.


Ammo Quest 9mm: Federal HST 124 grain tested in ballistic gelatin test review - YouTube

I would tend to agree, but the Speer 124 +p Gold Dot has a heck of a record. I just don't see a clear benefit to +p over standard pressure in newer designs.

 

[Oldsalt66]

I prefer Federal 147 grain HST for self defense.

These days, there are many good loadings from the various manufacturers like Federal, Winchester, Speer, SIG, and so forth; without very much to distinguish between them.

In the unfortunate event that someone needs to defend themselves with their handgun, I don't believe which bona-fide hollow point service load is in the gun will be a determining factor in the outcome.