What is the best self defense 9 mm ammo out there?

[chente707]

Defense federal hst

 

[WilsonLover]

https://youtube.com/@tnoutdoors9?si=WeDVVxA_9yZLrY1p

This channel reviews all of the variations according to FBI Ballistics tests. Winchester Defender, Federal HST, and Speer Gold Dot stand far above the pack. HST consistently performs in ALL offerings and chamberings. Gold Dots are hit or miss depending on weight and velocity.

 

[Catifornia]

Less than 10 meters, DoubleTap Equalizer because two is better than one.

More than 10-50 meters, I'll just take some inexpensive yet manufactured with care 9mm factory ammo like Fiocchi FMJ. I know this will cause major gasps amongst some, but I don't really think it makes a big difference to have more expensive rounds, but they cost too much to extensively practice with, and I'd like to be sure my ammo is reliable and hits where I expect it to hit because I can practice with it a lot.

More than 50 meters, Atlanta Arms Elite Match Grade Ammo, for optimal accuracy. I think their JHP load is the most accurate per their website. I am nearly completely uninterested in the expansion characteristics of the round as I am very doubtful it will matter in the vast majority of cases.

I guess with an unlimited budget I would keep the Equalizers for home defense and the Atlanta Arms for carry.

But since I don't have an unlimited budget, ye olde Fiocchi FMJ is good enough. If lead round balls of approximately 9mm diameter and much less than 9mm energy levels were good enough for Wild Bill, then I think just about any 9mm round will be good enough for me.

 

[NATEWA]

The FBI uses Hornady Critical Duty 135gr +P based on the lessons learned from gunfights involving vehicles and the lessons learned since the 1986 Miami shootout.

9MM Luger +P 135 gr FlexLock® Critical Duty® - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc

Designed to meet the needs of those who demand superior barrier penetration and prefer a full-size handgun for their personal protection. Critical Duty® is loaded with the tough Hornady® FlexLock® bullet that delivers barrier blind performance when s...

www.hornady.com

They found that bullet construction makes more of a difference than caliber when similar pistol calibers are compared, and that the load described above performs well while being somewhat barrier blind through common barriers such as auto glass, car doors, and plywood, as well as edge case shots where a hit is made on a durable part of the body (large bones, large individuals) or when the opponent is in any other position than directly facing you presenting an ideal shot (arms extended holding a weapon, prone, angled).

Humans being emotional creatures, it was extremely difficult to overcome cultural biases and adopt a "smaller, less powerful round".

The Lucky Gunner tests are a great resource for like-for-like comparisons, but gel does not tell the whole story when it comes to a defensive round.

In my experience, I like the Barnes Tac-XTP 115gr if the slight snap that the +P or heavy rounds impart is difficult for the shooter to overcome, or if the firearm has trouble feeding the pointy, soft-tipped Hornady bullets.

Funny - saw that and picked up a few boxes. I’ve used Hornady and Federal and Speer over the years.

 

[five.five-six]

The best self defence ammo out there is the rounds you place on target. If you can manage that, ranger is probably the best commercially available cartridges.

 

[Catifornia]

Agreed. You gotta think about your personal use case. Best ammo choice kinda depends on where you are. At home if I couldn't grab a shotgun with #2 bird shot and had to grab a 9MM pistol I'd want ultra light weight & extreme velocity ammo like Liberty Civil Defense to avoid over-penetration collateral damage. In public, I'm carrying 357SIG Federal Tactical HST 125grain as a cop I know well said its worked well for him against human and canine targets which in my lifestyle is the most like use case for my EDC. Now he's required to carry 9MM he says he has yet to find an ammo with 357SIG HST power so, as I can carry 357SIG, I do so.

It depends on what your home is like too.

If you live in an apartment building a low penetration munition might be ideal, but if you live somewhat rural with no real neighbors then an M1 Garand with .30-06 AP Rounds is probably fine, aside from the length of the rifle which might not be too handy in close quarters. And the upside to it is that if they are shooting into your house from outside in their CyberTruck, it will have no problem defeating their bullet-resistant Tesla.

One problem with using low penetration rounds though is that they may be a lot less effective. Which is particularly a problem in California with the 10 round limit. In other states you could make up for the rounds being less effective by firing a lot more rounds. Police are not subject to the magazine capacity limitations of civilians, so I would be hesitant to adopt their doctrine which is often both influenced wrongly by politics and correctly by differences in the equipment they are authorized to carry, plus the fact that they seldom operate alone when they can help it.

I know a guy who reinforced the some of the walls of his home with Kevlar panels also so that his crossfire paths won't be able to shoot into his children's bedroom and at the front of his house so that in the case of a driveby bullets are less likely to penetrate into the the house (and likewise if there is an intruder, the rounds are less likely to penetrate out of the house).

 

[S4ndman]

Federal HST or Hornady Critical Duty

 

[DesertDepotArms]

My go to has always been Federal HST, then win ranger or speer gold dot.

 

[Deleted member 11316]

Federal HST simply because the police use it. No leverage for a bad faith DA in the case it ever had to get used for self defense.

 

[dishonestcoin]

I work in a shop. When people come in for defensive ammo, they're usually buying HSTs.