Your choice for personal defense load

[thndrchiken]

Recently bought an SD9 and was wondering what others would consider carrying for a p/d load. Don't want to break the bank but want a quality load. My thoughts are these, not necessarily in this order.
Speer 115 gr Gold Dot
PMC Starfire 124 gr hp
Magtech 115 gr hp +p

If you guys have other suggestions by all means let's hear it, I know, I know don't trust your life to economy ammo but I'm not made of money.

 

[bitstream]

Federal HST Look into it; opens into the biggest, prettiest petals you've ever seen every time.

 

[Kanewpadle]

Of those you listed, I would go with Speer.

Other good loads in addition to the mentioned HST are;

Corbon DPX
Winchester Ranger T 127 +P+
Remington Golden Saber

 

[photoman]

Try a bunch of different ones and use the one that you and the gun shoot best.

 

[HotRoderX]

In my G17 I pefer

9mm Luger Winchester Supreme Elite 124gr +P Bonded PDX Ammo

its what the FBI uses and at 18bucks a box It dont break the bank.

 

[Badkarma 1]

I'm rather partial to the Speer 124gr Gold Dot +P. Dale

 

[seagill]

I'm rather partial to the Speer 124gr Gold Dot +P. Dale

My choice as well. It's my understanding that a lot of LEO's who still carry 9mm use these.

 

[R1_Demon]

Federal HST Look into it; opens into the biggest, prettiest petals you've ever seen every time.

+1 on this...I'd definitely look into the HST...the ballistics testings will back it up as well. Not that the other rounds you have mentioned (or anyone else have mentioned) are bad, but the HST is pretty much at the top of the list.

Plus, unless you are planning on carrying a bunch of mags with you and such, you shouldn't need more than one or two boxes and shouldn't be replacing those boxes all that often, unless you are using these rounds as your practice ammo as well.

 

[carter357]

i carry Winchester SXZ... and Federal Hydrashok

 

[Macerate]

Hydrashok's for sure.

 

[russp1]

I like Hornady Critical Defense FTX; 115 gr for my 9mm and 110 gr for .38 Special. Decided on this because it caused the least kick in the wife and mine's J Frame Airweights of the the different brands I tried.

 

[russp1]

Recently bought an SD9 and was wondering what others would consider carrying for a p/d load. Don't want to break the bank but want a quality load. My thoughts are these, not necessarily in this order.
Speer 115 gr Gold Dot
PMC Starfire 124 gr hp
Magtech 115 gr hp +p

If you guys have other suggestions by all means let's hear it, I know, I know don't trust your life to economy ammo but I'm not made of money.

For your range ammo that you'll shoot a lot I understand cheap ammo but for defense that you'll only occaisionally fire at the range and hopefully never really need on the street, go with the good stuff.

 

[cmort666]

Winchester White Box 147gr. JHP.

It's accurate and reliable out of my Browning Hi Power and Glock 19, and reasonably priced at Walmart.

 

[J.P.60]

220 gr. copper plated flat tip .45acp loaded to a 875fps velocity. In an area like Detroit, where a great many homicides are perpetrated from drive-bys or heavy, fat, winter-clothed punks, I prefer penetration guarantee to expansion and total retention of bullet weight. I also prefer not to practice with one round and defend with a different round, altogether.

Just mt way...

 

[ContinentalOp]

I'm rather partial to the Speer 124gr Gold Dot +P. Dale

This is what I'd pick if I were carrying a 9mm. I'd also add Speer's Lawman version for a practice load.

 

[thndrchiken]

I hear you all about quality ammo. This is my first 9mm so I am looking for input on what others are carrying. I use the 165 gr Hydro shock in my SA 1911 UC, and 125 gr Golden Sabre's in my 357 for factory ammo. My handloads for the 45 are 230 gr SXT's and 125 gr XTP's for the 357.

 

[Hook686]

I use Buffalo Bore 147 grain +P+

 

[The Sarge]

Federal HST 147gr is what I carry in 9mm. I also like the Speer Gold dot 124+P. Bill

 

[novalty]

I use 124gr Remington Golden Sabers in my 5906, and they feed & function without issues--great expansion too.

 

[hotmerc]

I use 125gr Golden Saber .357 mag. in my Colt Magnum Carry 2".