Hi,

What is the Best personal defense Ammo for shield 9mm?

How is Hornady Critical Defense?

Thanks
Jack

I can say that the 115gn Critical Defense runs nicely in my PC Shield and mimics my 115 practice ammo at least up to 10 yds (my range's limit) for hits on the target.

I'm sure others would have more technical data on how that round compares to others on the market, just noting it's worked well for me so far in range use/practice.

Same here Ranger. Critical defense is available everywhere and, while not cheap, mimics the 115 gr FMJ that is cheap.

Adequate for the job and cheap to maintain proficiency. As long as your firearm runs well with them as mine have.

digiroc

I use Speer Gold Dot LE 124 GHP's. They run great in my Shield 9.

Federal HST LE 9mm Luger Ammo 124 Grain Jacketed Hollow Point

I have done extensive ballistic gel testing with 9mm Shield and Glock 43.
The Federal HST 124 gr standard pressure has been stellar. 18" penetration with average of .622 expansion (or close to that number) I have tested over 25 rounds of HST 124
The other great round is the Corbon DPX 115+P...Penetrates to 16" with .685" expansion
No other rounds were as consistent as these two in regards to expansion and penetration. 4 Tests were done consisting of bare gel, 4 layers of denim, one layer of 5.3oz cotton and winter wear of nylon outer shell and medium weight insulation, 200gr polartec fleece and one 5.3oz cotton tshirt
I carry Federal HST 124 standard pressure. It performed well in every barrel length...G43, G19 and Glock 17

Critical Defense is a great choice for defense in a Shield 9mm, and I carry it in mine. Others include Federal HST, Gold Dot and Winchester D. You can't go wrong with any of them.

__________________
Stay protected my friends.

Thanks for the input.

Jack

Federal HST 147gr is well regarded, and available in 50rd boxes.

50 Round Box - 9mm Luger Federal HST 147 Grain Hollow Point LE Ammo P9HST2 | SGAmmo.com

Here is a link for ballistic test through gelatin for 115gr Hornady Critical Defense:


digiroc

As mentioned already, nearly any one of several modern,popular brands (including Hornady) will suffice just fine.
The critical thing is that it cycles properly in your weapon, and there's only one way to determine that (and it ain't by asking strangers on the internet ).
These days, Federal's HST's are pretty widely considered the best-of-the-very-best, but the top-of-the-line stuff from Winchester,Hornady,Remington,Speer, and others, are very reliable and solid performers.
Personally, I'd go with whichever one was most readily available to you, and that you could most easily afford to shoot a box or two of, and then put a few boxes away. Hornady and Remignton Golder Sabres often seem to be more economical than the others, but the HST's can sometimes be found reasonably.

They are all good choices. I chose this. available at walmart nationwide.

Attached Images

pdx1 9mm.jpg (148.9 KB, 404 views)

__________________
S&W BG380, S&W 915 9mm

I have always carried Critical Defense (carrying 1 year). I like the red tip and how it prevents anything from gettiing into the cavity of the bullet which can prevent the bullet from expanding. Just got my shield today and bought a 115gr box.

I do also plan on buying critical duty (135gr) and want to try RIP (have so far seen 1 bad review though)

The guy at my shop didnt really like the idea of heavier rounds, said it isnt necessary. Is alternating 115gr with 135gr in the same magazine a bad idea? I will test it out unless someone tells me not to do it.

I use Corbon DPX in my .40 S&W carry guns (4040PD & 411) and like the all copper hollow points. I will consider moving to them in 9mm & .45 if they can be found at a reasonable price.


Ballistic performance is great to have, but as always, shot placement is what determines the outcome of gunplay.

digiroc

If anyone hasn't seen this yet, it's a well done comparison: http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self...llistic-tests/

The Lucky Gunner testing is really interesting and well done. I recommend everyone take a look. Intersting that the top ammo is often not available online or in local stores when you look. I was suprised how the +p performed in the shorter barrles. looks like very little need in the Shield and in some cases with the larger barrels and shorter ranges it doesnt expand properly.

federal 124 hst standard preasure is by far the most consistent in jel 15 inches in bare jel and 15"in 4 lkayers of denum thru 2 layers and rib bone ull get 14. thats the best performance ive ever seen outta 3" barrel all i need to know

Federal HST 124 gr. Can't beat it! Watch Shootingthebull's youtube video on the HSTs and you'll be sold.

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

We used Hornady CDs in our Shield and M&P 9 FS' for years. Recently switched to Federal HST 147 gr. and haven't looked back. My wife likes it in her Shield. Recoil is better (different) than 124s. Check out the Luckygunner test on HST 147 gr, awesome results. Plus, great price at Bone Frog Ammo, 50 rds for what you'd pay for 25 of CD. Win Win.

__________________
SC
30yrs. EMS & Emerg. Mgmt.

I have HST 147 for both my Shield 9 and FS 9, no problems noted with either.

If you like the HST 147gr you will like their new 150gr round even more! It has noticeably less recoil and less muzzle flash but achieves the same penetration and expansion profile.
I bought several boxes at Walmart for less than the 124gr or 147gr cost.

__________________
Stay protected my friends.

I run 147 HST through my shield no issues.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Anything that comes out of the barrel and cycles the next round when you pull the trigger will be fine . . .

__________________
Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

If I had a nutshell, ^^that^^ would be in it.

__________________
Music/Sports/Beer fan

How does the Federal HST 124 +p vs the standard pressure 124 gr loading compare in the performance center shield?

Pretty sure they both make your heart explode in a direct hit . . .

__________________
Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

In my extensive gel testing the 124 performs better in regards to penetration and expansion combined. 124 penetrates to 18" and .622 average expansion. The +P penetrated to 15" and expanded .628-.632.

Just was curious if the +p does better in ported model with the velocity that is lost thru the porting, but sounds like the standard loading is the way to go.

For a carry round... uh, no bad advice.

I thought that too but not the case.

^^This^^

While all of the penetration and expansion info you've received is important, the above info from Muss is the most important.

My Shield 9 is unusually picky about ammo, so to insure that whatever SD ammo I carried would load, fire, and eject, I subjected several highly regarded rounds to reliability tests. My goal was to find a round that would fire at least 100 consecutive times without a failure. At the time of testing, my Shield had fired over 3000 rounds, so it was thoroughly broken in, and it had clean magazines and a new, properly functioning RSA.
Here are the results:

The clear winner was Hornady Critical Duty 135g +P. It (so far) has fired 174 rounds without a single failure of any kind. It is the only SD round I've tried that has had zero failures.

In second is Speer Gold Dot 124g +P. After three FTEs which occurred early in my Shield's history, the Gold Dots have since fired 147 times with no failures.

Virtually tied for second is Remington Golden Saber 147g. The Goldern Sabers had one early FTE, then fired 227 times before a second FTE. They are also the most accurate of the top three rounds.

What about the vaunted HSTs? I tried Federal HST 124g +P rounds, and in a word, they were wretched. They had three failures to feed in 31 rounds. They would hang up on the bottom of my feed ramp. They were clearly not suitable for my Shield, so I quit testing them, and donated the remainder to my SIG P320. I could not find HST 147g rounds at the time, so I haven't tested them.

I hope you find this info useful, but don't just take my word for it (or anyone else's either). Do your own testing, and find what works reliably for you and your Shield. And if firing a few hundred SD rounds to make that determination seems expensive, ask yourself what your life is worth. Ammunition is always cheap in comparison.

__________________
What, me worry?

Of all the shields I've owned none have been fincky with ammo. I'm just wandering if there is something out of spec with your shield to cause those feeding/ejection issues.

This, or, Hornady 135 gr Critical DUTY (which is my personal defense round).

I have two Shields - a standard and a PC. Both have eaten whatever I have fed them with no hiccups. I am not saying that some Shields are not ammo sensitive, but mine certainly aren't. I have tried HST, Liberty, Gold Dot, Critical Duty, Critical Defense. No issues with any of them

I sent it back to the factory once to check on a slightly loose ejector. They returned it saying everything was within spec. It now is mostly a safe queen, since I decided that my EDC would be my much more reliable (and potent) M&P 40 compact. To be fair, my Shield has improved since I did the SD ammo testing, going 1000 rounds before its most recent FTE. However, my 40c has had only four FTEs/FTFs in 8500 rounds, as opposed to my Shield's 28 FTEs/FTFs in 4800 rounds.

__________________
What, me worry?

I have a PC Shield and a regular Shield barrel. It/they have been flawless with over 9-10 different JHP and all fmj. Something is clearly amiss with yours being so finicky

My Shield has had zero function issues with either Glod Dot G2 or Winchester Ranger bonded, both in 147 grain weights. In the real world, the 9mm loads that have been used by law enforcement agencies, including the Ranger series, Gold Dot, and HST get high marks for street performance in other loadings besides 147s. In my area, the Critical Defense loads are easier to find than the others, however.

+1.........

Speer Gold Dot LE is very common for police agency's in Georgia. The state troopers went from .45 gap to 9mm and spent a lot of time testing ammo brands. Also tested on a windshield. I don't have time or money for that level of testing. So I just trust what they use.

Traditional SD ammo is not always tested in 3 inch barrels and many do not reach full velocity needed to properly expand. Several companies make ammo designed for short barrels, faster burning powder. Just cause it cycles in your gun does not mean it's effective SD ammo. Gold Dots for instance do not expand from a short barrel, despite being a favorite of many, including me out of a 5 inch barrel. I use Remington designed for 3 inch. barrels. I think it's called micro?

I found some 150g Federal HST micro rounds this wekend at Cabela's. Based on testing, rvfiews and forum feedback, they appear to be a top choice. I plan to hit the range this week and try them out. I only have about 250 rounds through my Sheild, but is has yet to have eny hiccups feding ammo. It is currently loaded with Hornaday Critical Defense 115g, shoots well, feeds great and it is wasy to find.

Out of my Glock 43 Critical defense penetrated to 11 1/2" and expanded to .485". In comparison the Federal HST 124gr standard pressure penetrated to 18" and expanded to .622

That's a terrible result for the critical defense.

I agree! I will not carry that round. It was through winter wear.
Weather 42*, Humidity 86%, Pressure 29.8inHg
Winter wear with one layer of medium weight insulated polyester fill and nylon outer shell, one layer of polartec 200gr and one layer of T-shirt Hanes cotton. Best penetration was 11 1/2" for the critical defense

Best choice. I'm privileged to be involved in FBI protocol ballistic shoots so I get to see a lot of terminal performance results of the latest, greatest 9mm ammo. I usually recommend Gold Dot if you plan on shooting at folks behind cover or in cars. (not many outside of LE will have to do that). GD is a bonded bullet and performs very well, but HST for soft targets is hard to beat. It gets bigger than GD, even out of short barreled pistols and stays together very well. Penetration is consistent, (16-18 inches) even from short barreled pistols, but it doesn't get generally get as big as HST. HST generally comes out of the "jello" at .800 to .900. In full size pistols the 147 grain is still the best, but the 124 grain is awesome out of the little pistols.

Retired LEO, Range Master and Armorer. Got to attend a lot of good training over the years. From all that including shooting into and out of vehicles, I carry 124+P HST in all my 9mm carry guns. Will take 124+P Gold Dot without issue. I try to buy cases at a time so I tend to not have one load for the Shield and one for the rest. I liked what I saw with the 147 load but had a bad experience with 147 back in the 90's that just haunts me. Its mental on my part but confidence wins. YMMV.

This man speaks the truth. Exactly the same findings when I did extensive ballistic gel testing. 124 gr standard HST in all my 9mm pistols except for full size which 147 Standard pressure is the best

If you watched ALL his testing of rounds for short barreled 9mm you will see that he ultimately chose Winchester D as the "best performer".

__________________
Stay protected my friends.

I shot the new 150gr "Micro" 9mm a few months ago. Noticeably less recoil than any other round fired. I like it, and it's my new edc round.

__________________
Stay protected my friends.

Both my Shield 9mm and full sized M&P 9mm always have magazines loaded with Hornady Critical Defense. The only time they don't is when at the range or when cleaning.