What ammo can I count on

[H.J.]

I have the 9mm M&P Shield and I've been using Remington UMC 9mm Luger 115 Grain Jacketed Hollow Point Case.

As you know ammo is becoming more difficult to get and I realize other than Remington and Winchester, I don't know the other ammo manufacturers.

What ammo can I count on that are in the same class as the above?

One other question please... What places can you recommend to buy ammo that you can depend on?

Thanks

 

[colt_saa]

I have the 9mm M&P Shield and I've been using Remington UMC 9mm Luger 115 Grain Jacketed Hollow Point Case.

As you know ammo is becoming more difficult to get and I realize other than Remington and Winchester, I don't know the other ammo manufacturers.

What ammo can I count on that are in the same class as the above?

One other question please... What places can you recommend to buy ammo that you can depend on?

Thanks

Ammunition is getting much easier to get here in Flroida or over the Internet. Not too sure what is going on in your State.

The older, larger, original US Manufacturers are Winchester, Federal, Hornady, CCI, Speer, Remington and UMC. I might have forgotten one or two.

Over the years several of those names have merged and some companies offer different lines. For example UMC is Remington's bargain ammo

 

[Arik]

Any ammo with 9x19. Guns like some ammo more than others so test what you buy. If your gun doesn't like it, don't buy it. Personally I buy everything under the sun. For carry I use Speer Gold Dots 124gr or Winchester Ranger, HST, XTP.

For online sales I mainly use Aim Surplus and SGAMMO.

 

[Inusuit]

I like Hornaday Critical Defense 124 grain.

 

[V0OBWxZS16]

If you're asking about defensive ammunition:

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 by 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:
9mm Ammo Quest on Youtube by ShootingTheBull410

I chose Federal HST in 147 grain standard pressure (P9HST2), but it can be difficult to find.

To get the HST I mentioned I went to a number of vendors and signed up for the "email me when back in stock" and jumped on some when it came up.

 

[bigwheelzip]

The best brick-and-mortar shopping opportunities (in order) here in the upstate SC area (Greenville), Cabela's, Academy Sports, and Palmetto State Armory, have selection and reasonable price. ammospy.net is an aggregator of on-line ammo retail sales.

 

[murphydog]

9 mm and certain other types of ammo seems to be getting more, rather than less available. 115 and 124 gr FMJ is for sale in large quantities, and expanding rounds also. I like Target Sports USA, who recently had Speer Gold Dot and Federal 9BP for sale.

 

[JohnK]

Federal 9BP has a long record, consistent, and reliable,

It's my carry stuff in the micro nines, that are too snappy with +P.

Glocks get Federal 9BPLE, a great round, at a bargain price.

 

[hoc9sw]

I had been buying the Remington UMC 115 JHP in 100 round boxes as range and backup ammo. It went up $3+ a box early this week.

My thought was - since it was not much more than FMJ, just use it in all my mags, should I ever have to use something from the safe for HD. I'll not be doing that much now with the price increase.

BUT, my serious personal CC ammo is 124g Golden Saber, Federal HST, Speer Gold Dot, or other LE accepted JHP (I shop at a store that supplies the local departments). I would not plan to use the Remington 115 JHP as CC ammo on a daily basis.

 

[H.J.]

Looking at many places selling ammo they all seem to have one thing in common and that's they're out of stock. I especially noticed there are very few listings of 115 Luger hollow point.

 

[TX-Dennis]

I've used pretty much anything available for range ammo. UMC, Federal, Winchester (as a last resort as it has feeding issues with some of my guns), MagTech, PPU, Aguila, Academy's store brand Monarch, Blazer, Blazer Brass, Wolf steel case, and commercial reloads. The only issues I've had have been with the Winchester white box. I buy in case lots online and get whatever is least expensive for range use. Steel case is a last resort. It is more difficult to load into the magazines due to the rougher texture of the cases. It fires fine through all my 9s, but I dislike the extra effort when loading magazines.

For defensive use I use Speer Gold Dot 124gr. It can usually be found online in the 50 round LE boxes at a much lower cost per round than the smaller boxes more commonly sold to the public.

 

[elvisimprsntr]

What ammo can I count on that are in the same class as the above?

One other question please... What places can you recommend to buy ammo that you can depend on?

Thanks

Any ammo you have reliably run thru it.

Cheap Ammo For Sale | In Stock Ammunition For Sale

 

[noscivic]

Any ammo you have reliably run thru it.

Cheap Ammo For Sale | In Stock Ammunition For Sale

Lucky gunner is probably one of the worst places for ammo. Probably the reason its in stock is because their prices are so high, IMHO. I buy almost all my ammo from S&G Ammo, they have reasonable prices and just about any self defense round you could want in a 50 round box, not the 20-25 round boxes that most places sell. They also sell police and government overruns.

GAry

 

[elvisimprsntr]

Double post

 

[elvisimprsntr]

Lucky gunner is probably one of the worst places for ammo. Probably the reason its in stock is because their prices are so high, IMHO. I buy almost all my ammo from S&G Ammo, they have reasonable prices and just about any self defense round you could want in a 50 round box, not the 20-25 round boxes that most places sell. They also sell police and government overruns.

GAry

Thanks for the lead. 1-2 cents per round when buying bulk adds up quickly.

 

[H.J.]

I just bought 9mm - 115 gr JHP - Federal - 50 Rounds for $19.75 per box from Lucky Gunner yesterday and its shipping today. I don't know if thats necessarily high or not? All I know is they have the product I wanted where others didn't. I first ordered from Midway USA and they were talking early January and couldn't guarantee that and I cancelled my order. I've found once you specify hollow point your selections go down significantly.

I also found Lucky Gunner has a very clean and easy to use website and shows exactly what they have in stock for every item. I don't see whats not like to like about them! They had what I wanted and bought 8 boxes. Are they they cheapest, I don't know, they just had what I wanted and seemed like a reasonable price to me... I'm only buying for personal protection, not target practice or hunting and maybe that makes a difference as well. Thats why I asked in my first post "what ammo manufacturers can you trust. I'll take no chance with ammo when a life is at stake.

Oh, one last question... Can I shoot "P" ammo through my M&P Shield? I looked on the S&W website but couldn't find it.

You guys are the best,

Thanks

H.j.

 

[Vulcan Bob]

Most any of the brand name ammo is good if your gun runs with it. However anything man made can and will have a few problems. It's a bit rare but always inspect your "save your butt" ammo, check to see if the primer is in right side up or is there any problems with the bullet seat and crimp and such.

 

[hoc9sw]

I've been using SGAmmo lately, and they have worked out well for me.

I don't shoot +P or +P+ through my Shield 9. No point in beating up the gun. I think I remember that +P is accepted (check the manual), but there is the typical warning about excess wear on the gun.

 

[CATI1835]

I just bought 9mm - 115 gr JHP - Federal - 50 Rounds for $19.75 per box from Lucky Gunner yesterday and its shipping today.

50 rounds or 20? A quick search on this round shows they are 20 round boxes for about $20. $20 per box for range/practice ammo is way too much. I can find all the 50 round boxes I care to buy for under $15, some about $12. 9MM ammo can be found everywhere here in abundance.

 

[H.J.]

They were 50 rounds per box and if you've found a lot of them, you've had betting luck than me on finding hollow points. The only brands I looked at were CCI, Federal, Hornedy, Remington, Speer, UMC, Winchester. Thats why I asked from the beginning about the brands you can count on. I'll be happy to pay extra for a top of the line ammo!

 

[Nevada Ed]

Almost ANY SD ammo will work in the 5 & 6" barrel in a 9mm.
The 4" is also a good barrel length to get high fps from your ammo.

One only needs to get picky about ammo when you get down to 3.5 and 3" barrels with a 9mm pistol.
FPS will fall of quite a bit and you will need to find ammo that will work under this handicap and still achieve good results.

You can't go strictly by the fps of the ammo, since the companies design their bullets to work for the "Makeup" and design of "Their " bullets, with the correct speed to perform correctly.

One reason you will see one 115gr JHP at 1040 fps and another at 1166 fps but they both mushroom and meet all requirements needed in a SD test.

Have fun.

 

[H.J.]

I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to ammo and hope I can prevail on you for another question. I just received the Federal 9mm Luger 115 JHP and compared it to my Remington 9mm Luger 115 JHP.

The Federal HP bullet is a tad longer than the Remington. Can you tell me why? I've fired the Remington's before but the Federal is new to me. Should I expect any difference between the two?

 

[JJEH]

When it comes to plinking and breaking in a firearm buy whatever you can get. Buy ammo with different type of bullets and different weights. This way you can see what your gun likes and what not (check with the manufacturer before you use steel case ammo).

But when it comes to self defense- and outdoor ammo I trust Buffalo Bore.

 

[IAM Rand]

Worry less about the ammo and more about placement. You will drive yourself crazy comparing weights, velocity, manufactures, etc. Any major ammo maker is good. Practice, practice, practice. Remember, just like real estate it is location, location, location.

 

[hoc9sw]

I just received the Federal 9mm Luger 115 JHP and compared it to my Remington 9mm Luger 115 JHP.

The Federal HP bullet is a tad longer than the Remington. Can you tell me why? I've fired the Remington's before but the Federal is new to me. Should I expect any difference between the two?

When you start selecting JHP for self defense, you'll want to test with what is available. I find that my weapons are very ammo-sensitive when you get to JHP. It will depend on the dynamics of the gun, and can have a lot to do with the feed ramp. I have SD ammo that works great in one gun, not so much in others.

Now, to that original question. Yes, they can and will be different. That is why they behave differently. I find the Remington UMC JHP 115 to feed great AFTER you polish the feed ramp, just as an example.

You have to find a combination that works for you, then keep watching for that ammo.

 

[H.J.]

Thanks guys, great help!

 

[gmiller0737]

I load all of My Range Ammo,CCW ammo is Federal in Most but Somw Winchester & Remington,.380 I haven't purchased Dies yet so Range Ammo is Winchester White Box mostly have also used PMC with no issues,I won't use any steel case ammo.

 

[W.E.G.]

Ammo availability can be hit-or-miss if you are only buying one box at a time at the discount store.

I am thankful that my situation allows me to employ a better strategy for ammo supply than having to stop at the store every time on the way to the range.

I like Federal HST for 9mm defensive ammo.
Google the videos, and decide for yourself.

 

[STORMINORMAN]

Two words: "FREEDOM MUNITIONS"

Buy some 115GR or 124GR hp (probably will be X-treme bullets) reloads for practice & some of their NEW ammo with the excellent Hornady XTP bullets for carry and/or home defense...

At least until you learn more about ammunition?

Cheers!

 

[UrbanResQ]

I use CorBon DPX 115 +p. Runs fine through my 9mm shield and compact. Speer Gold Dots work well also. For practice... Anything I can find these little guns will eat anything.