McNick
Member
I'm a new pistol owner. I recently purchased the M&P 9mm & the .22, I am real happy with both of them but I'm not sure what kind of ammo and grain I should have for home defense. Please advise which and why? Thank you
Ammo Grain
- Thread starter McNick
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There is no magic bullet
Any weight of premium ammunition from the major manufacturers, that is reliable in your firearm will do just fine.
Remember to buy enough of what you end up choosing to test fire it in your pistol
Any weight of premium ammunition from the major manufacturers, that is reliable in your firearm will do just fine.
Remember to buy enough of what you end up choosing to test fire it in your pistol
32_d3gr33s
Member
I use Hornady Critical Defense in all my weapons
bp231986
Member
I used to think grains was the amount of powder in the brass.....lol so much have i learned. If you dont understand something is better to ask. I use Gold Dots 124 grain +P on my 9's. Best of luck.
danysw
Member
Federal HST 147 Gr, Federal HST 124 Gr +P, Speer Gold Dot 124 Gr +P, Winchester Ranger 147 Gr. In that order this is what I use in 9mm
Rastoff
US Veteran
We all have to start somewhere. Still, the powder is measured in grains usually, but they don't put that on the box.
As for what you should use for self defense, 230gr of course!
Oh yeah, this is for a 9mm. Seriously, my wife and I have been using 147gr bullets in her Browning Hi Power and we both like them.
When it comes to self defense, bigger really is better.
DigiRebel
Member
As a more generic answer, grains is the weight of the bullet itself. The more grains the heavier the projectile coming out of the barrel.
For stopping people you generally want hollow points, and when it comes to pistols larger bullets (the higher the grains) usually the better (there is less space in the barrel for the bullet to get up to speed, so more powder in the charge usually means less than having a more massive bullet that can actually use all of the powder to reach its best velocity).
I really recommend checking out youtube for the kinds of ammo you're considering. There are usually tons of reviews with ballistics gel and all on there where you can learn all about the bullets you're considering.
The big thing is to practice with your guns! Your ammo choice won't matter if you can't hit the bad guy.
For stopping people you generally want hollow points, and when it comes to pistols larger bullets (the higher the grains) usually the better (there is less space in the barrel for the bullet to get up to speed, so more powder in the charge usually means less than having a more massive bullet that can actually use all of the powder to reach its best velocity).
I really recommend checking out youtube for the kinds of ammo you're considering. There are usually tons of reviews with ballistics gel and all on there where you can learn all about the bullets you're considering.
The big thing is to practice with your guns! Your ammo choice won't matter if you can't hit the bad guy.
Personally, I don't think you should give as much emphasis to bullet weight as to type.
A 115 or 124 Gr FMJ or target round will have about the same characteristics if used for home defense. Good penetration but no expansion.
Most people would agree that hollow points or JHP rounds are suitable for this application.
There are terabytes of info on the net about 9mm hollow point loads that tell the story of penetration and expansion.
But, I recommend trying a box of popular hollow point ammo from a couple of different mfgs and trying it at the range. Then load whatever works best in your pistol. The 'ideal' load does you no good if it won't cycle in your pistol.
I have Federal personal defense 115 hollow points loaded in mine.
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A 115 or 124 Gr FMJ or target round will have about the same characteristics if used for home defense. Good penetration but no expansion.
Most people would agree that hollow points or JHP rounds are suitable for this application.
There are terabytes of info on the net about 9mm hollow point loads that tell the story of penetration and expansion.
But, I recommend trying a box of popular hollow point ammo from a couple of different mfgs and trying it at the range. Then load whatever works best in your pistol. The 'ideal' load does you no good if it won't cycle in your pistol.
I have Federal personal defense 115 hollow points loaded in mine.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
I like Hornady Critical Defense 115gr in 9mm and use it for my concealed carry firearm. Other good brands are Speer Gold Dot, Winchester Ranger, Winchester PDX1, Federal Hydra Shock, and Hornady Critical Duty. In addition to online videos, I recommend you read some of Massad Ayoob's books like "In the Gravest Extreme", and his Gun Digest books. Those are full of good information on self defense, including caliber choice and bullet weight choice.
McNick:
For Target I shoot the cheapest stuff I can find and in todays ammo market cheap 9 mm (Walmart Federal Champion pre Sandy Hook $20 per 100) is $35 - $40 per 100.
I got real excited I got a catelog in the mail for ammo and they had 50 rounds of Remington for $11.49. Only down side shipping was UPS rate + $3.99 handling.
I miss the days (just a few months back) when I ordered a case of S&B 115 fmj for $199 with free shipping.
If this crisis ever ends and ammo prices get back to .20 per round 9mm I am going to buy 3,000 rounds and 22 LR if back down to $20 a brick I will buy up a lifetime supply which will be a lot.
I am so sick of 22 LR out of stock everywhere. Who would have dreamed the plinker stuff would be the hardest to find.
On bright note, 40 and 45 is not moving at my local Walmart which tells me the panic buying may be slowing.
I believe when the anti gun ban dies in congress which it will from what I ahve read this madness will end until the next mass shooting wich is why I am loading up on 9 mm and 22 LR.
Next to food storage and no debt ammo is right there for needs when things get difficult as we are all witnessing.
Getting back to your question:
I pack Gold Dot 124 Grain JHP +P short barrel.
Short barrel is packed with fast burning powder which is ideal for short barrels.
Russ
Generally I find 124gr. to work well in most pistols. A lot depends where you want your bullet to strike. Heavier bullets will generally hit a bit higher than a lighter one. I have found lighter wt. bullets can cause a few more malfunctions in newer firearms that heavier ones. Hence, my preference for the 124gr. versions.
Just so you'll know the basis of the terminology, in the firearms context "grains" is a unit of weight. There are 7000 grains in a pound. Bullet weight and (for reloaders) powder charge weight is expressed in grain weight. A bullet that weighs 125 grains weighs about .285 ounce. In 9mm, bullets range from 115-147 gr. The .22s typically run from 32-40 gr.
This link, noted above, has good recommendations for you to consider.
Best Choices for Self Defense Ammo
For .22, I like the CCI Velocitor or Stinger.
This link, noted above, has good recommendations for you to consider.
Best Choices for Self Defense Ammo
For .22, I like the CCI Velocitor or Stinger.
There's a lot of info out there if you care to look, but I find it really easy to call the local PD or Sheriff and ask what they are using. Let them do the research, and if you ever did shoot someone you'd do it with the same stuff the law is using.
As for bullet weight and barrel length.... Decide for yourself. Ballistics is a science. Heavy bullets take more power to move quickly, so a short barreled gun may exceed its pressure limit if it fired a heavy bullet at the same speed as a long barreled gun. So typically we see slowed speeds from shorter barrels.
Can we make a 1400fps 124g 9mm in a 3" barrel? Sure! The gun may blow up, but we have the powder!
And a final consideration, as you shoot these rounds, you may find that the recoil feels different. This is because of bullet weight and powder charge. Some you may enjoy shooting more, and some less. Some may hit higher on the target and some lower. This has everything to do with the way you shoot a particular load and nothing to do with physics (many say a heavier bullet shoots higher).
As for bullet weight and barrel length.... Decide for yourself. Ballistics is a science. Heavy bullets take more power to move quickly, so a short barreled gun may exceed its pressure limit if it fired a heavy bullet at the same speed as a long barreled gun. So typically we see slowed speeds from shorter barrels.
Can we make a 1400fps 124g 9mm in a 3" barrel? Sure! The gun may blow up, but we have the powder!
And a final consideration, as you shoot these rounds, you may find that the recoil feels different. This is because of bullet weight and powder charge. Some you may enjoy shooting more, and some less. Some may hit higher on the target and some lower. This has everything to do with the way you shoot a particular load and nothing to do with physics (many say a heavier bullet shoots higher).
Rastoff
US Veteran
I find it interesting that people are quick to say they like this ammo or that, but don't have any real experience with it. For example, a person might say, "I like Bobs Big Boolits", but they never say why. Plus this is about self defense. So, how do you know one bullet is better than another unless you've actually used it successfully?
This is why I use the round I use: "Sure, a 9mm JHP might expand, but a .45ACP won't get smaller." -Col Jeff Cooper
This is why I use the round I use: "Sure, a 9mm JHP might expand, but a .45ACP won't get smaller." -Col Jeff Cooper
