treycann10
Member
I'm looking for 9mm 147gr JHP with a velocity of around 1000fps. what brand should i be looking at?
good self defense ammo?
- Thread starter treycann10
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That is the standard fps for that weight bullet , only problem
is finding ammo .........
Good luck.
is finding ammo .........
Good luck.
Waywatcher
Member
Protected One
Member
Federal HSP is great ammo, but my choice would be Hornady Critical Defense. Why? because I've seen ballistic test of HSP in which the bullet failed to expand, but NEVER have I seen Hornady fail to expand. The plastic tip in the cavity is the reason.
Even better would be Hornady Critical Duty (for barrier penetration). That's what I carry.
See for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6qFwl02W4Q
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OP
treycann10
Member
so in yalls opinion of what to get...
1) hornady 135gr +p critical duty. 50rd box for 43 shipped
2) federal 147gr premium tactical HST. 50rd box for 41 shipped
which is the better value?
1) hornady 135gr +p critical duty. 50rd box for 43 shipped
2) federal 147gr premium tactical HST. 50rd box for 41 shipped
which is the better value?
Waywatcher
Member
#2, without a doubt--it fulfills your original request, is cheaper, and is the more proven load. Also, consider the following--shipping rates don't really go up all that much when ordering small quantities of ammo, such as 1 to 4 boxes.
1 box ~ $0.82 per round after shipping
2 boxes ~ $0.71 per round after shipping.
3 boxes ~ $0.67 per round after shipping.
4 boxes ~ $0.66 per round after shipping.
As you can see, ordering at least a couple boxes makes the cost per round much more affordable. You should also run at least 100 rounds through your gun to verify functionality and point of impact. This being the case, I think 3 boxes of Federal HST is the way to go. Fire off 100 to make sure the bullets hit where the sights point and make sure the pistol doesn't malfunction. Then save the other box of 50 for defense.
P.S. I have no idea what an HSP round is that Protected One is talking about. HST ammo routinely performs magnificently. For what it's worth, I don't carry either of these rounds as I don't carry a 9mm, so I consider myself to "not have a horse in this race."
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Protected One
Member
Contact the manufacturer of your chosen gun and ask them how many rounds do they recommend you put through it to determine if it feeds a particular brand of ammo. They, and any certified firearm instructor will tell you a number MUCH less than 100. If you want to shoot that many rounds it's your choice, but with todays ammo it is not necessary to determine feedablity.
Federal HST has been around longer, but Critical Defense/Duty was designed "specifically" to address the open cavity issue that ALL other jacketed hollow-point rounds have, which SOMETIMES leads to the cavity getting plugged by denem - and thus not expanding. Hornady has NEVER failed to expand. As I said, both are good rounds, but I give the edge to Hornady for that reason.
I believe that as time goes by we will see Hornady overtake Federal HST as the more popular round, just as Glock overtook other manufacturers as the weapon of choice by most law enforcement agencies. I have a friend who is Chief of Police of a city of over 600 thousand. I asked him what he carries and recommends and he said the same.
My suggestion? Buy (1) box of your choice (Federal HST or Hornandy), shoot 15 rounds to make sure it feeds well, load a carry mag and a back-up mag with the rest. You are unlikelly to need any more defensive rounds than that. If you do, you can buy more later. Save your money for PRACTICE rounds!!
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OP
treycann10
Member
Now lets talk expansion.. I watched a test on both of these rounda and the hornady had an average expansion of .5ish and the federal was .71ish. Is that a big consideration to look at when seletcing carry ammo?
And i only planned tobuy 1 box. Fill my mags with 14 each then shoot off the rest to get a feel for the ammo and to see where they hit, etc
And i only planned tobuy 1 box. Fill my mags with 14 each then shoot off the rest to get a feel for the ammo and to see where they hit, etc
Waywatcher
Member
A bigger consideration is whether or not the ammo functions in the gun and hits where the sights point, which is why I sincerely recommend testing at least 100 rounds in your gun.
The Federal HST 147 is top notch ammo, but make sure it works in your gun and hits where the sights point, because a fancy hollow point means nothing if the gun malfunctions or doesn't shoot to point-of-aim.
OP
treycann10
Member
assuming it functions in my gun and hits where i aim.. then is it a big consideration
Waywatcher
Member
I'd put it fourth:
#1 reliability/functionality (99.9% reliability, or 1/1000 failure rate)
#2 poa/poi (bullets hit where sights look)
#3 adequate penetration (at least 12")
#4 expansion
The 147 HST is superior to the critical defense.
checkmyswag
Member
I've been a Gold Dot guy and still like them, but HST is supposed to be great stuff and is very popular.
Been buying more HST lately.
Been buying more HST lately.
Protected One
Member
In total agreement with these points, and the order in which they are placed. Disagree with the conclusion though.
Don't think you will have any problems with penetration with either round as both routinely exceed the FBI standard of 12". With proper shot placement either round will serve you well. The worst that could happen is that if an HST round fails to expand it will behave as a fmj round and possibly "pass thru" the bg, potentially injuring someone beyond your target.
windypoint
Member
Try this:
DoubleTap Ammunition
DoubleTap Ammunition
Protected One
Member
to find.
No thanks. DT has been showed to be inconsistent from one lot to the next and sometimes the same box. Besides the cost has risen dramatically and just because you can push a bullet faster doesn't mean it's better. Engineers who are a lot smarter than me designed these bullets to only go so fast. More velocity does not necessarily mean more expansion or penetration.
I would stick with the intermediate 9MM loads 124 or 127 +P/+P+ by Speer, Federal, or Winchester. The only lightweight 9MM load I would consider would be Corbon DPX 115 +P.
I'll be the odd man out and recommend Winchester's Ranger-T loading over Federal HST by virtue of it being a proven design with a longer track record that tends to penetrate more deeply and is typically a robust expander through intermediate barriers despite running about 900-950 FPS in the "real world."
Of course, the "best" choice is any proven performer that works well in your particular launching platform and also which you can achieve consistent results with.
Of course, the "best" choice is any proven performer that works well in your particular launching platform and also which you can achieve consistent results with.
