What brand is the best self defence ammo?

[tshort]

Ive been using hornady critical duty 40sw

 

[THard6]

I personally didn't know there was a BEST.
Everything i've ever shot will put a hole in someone..

 

[KW730]

Personal preference. I have been carrying Critical Duty 135gr +p in 9mm.

 

[nicktw25]

Ive been using hornady critical duty 40sw

Ditto... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjrenK4N_qY

 

[9mmfan]

What ever modern hollow point your gun likes and you shoot well.

 

[shooter521]

What ever modern hollow point your gun likes and you shoot well.

This. Critical D is good stuff, assuming you are shooting a full-size pistol. Personally, I'm a Remington Golden Saber guy, and have been for years. At the end of the day, there's not enough difference among the modern HP designs to even worry about, IMO.

 

[g00n24]

Go Here: Thoughts on Service Pistols, along with Duty and Self-Defense Ammo Recommendations - M4Carbine.net Forums

Read it. Written by Dr. Roberts, a well known ballistician (I guess that's what you call them??) and surgeon. Look at all of his stickies at M4C and you will learn quite a bit.

 

[88E30M50]

I use Critical Defense in 9mm and 380 in my pocket guns and my wife's gun. In my CZs, I like the Critical Duty in 135g +P. My 45s seem to work well with the 230g Speed Gold Dots. In 10mm, I use Hornady 180g XTPs for my Delta Elite and 180g Underwood Gold Dots in a G20sf.

I have no data to say that these choices are the best, but I have read enough to give me confidence in all of them. I've run enough of all of them through the guns I use them for to know for a fact that the guns like that ammo.

My opinion is that just about any top shelf SD ammo will do what it's supposed to do, so it's really just a matter of finding one that works in your gun. Right now, I'm liking the Underwood 10mm ammo for a couple of reasons. First, it's loaded more towards the true 10mm spec instead of being like a hot .40. Second, it is high quality ammo that is cheap enough to be able to run a bunch through the gun before carrying it. I've paid $30 for a box of 20 SD rounds. That's about $300 to run a decent amount of ammo through a gun. The Underwood 10mm ran me $29 for 50. That's only $116 to put 200 rounds through a gun.

 

[whitetailbowhunter]

I've been wondering this same thing. I plan to try out the Hornady Critical Duty first as i have read a lot of great things about it. I'm still not sure what the main difference is between Critical Defense and Duty?

 

[Burnsy]

This is like asking what is the best handgun? There is no answer.

 

[addictedhealer]

I use Speer Gold Dot.

 

[LCSOSgt11]

I carry Speer +P Gold Dots in my duty .45, have a spare mag of Hornady Critical Defense. I just heard that Hornady came out with their Critical Duty in .45, may have to get some.

I carry Federal Hydra-Shok 165 gr. Personal Defense in my Officer's Model .45 for off duty.

I personally like Hornady, Speer, and Federal for defense ammo. You pay your money and take your choice.

 

[figley]

Here is a good resource, that may help you come to an informed decision:

Best Choices for Self Defense Ammo

 

[nicktw25]

I've been wondering this same thing. I plan to try out the Hornady Critical Duty first as i have read a lot of great things about it. I'm still not sure what the main difference is between Critical Defense and Duty?

Straight off of hornaday's website. The difference between Critical DUTY® & Critical DEFENSE® - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc

 

[cbseniour]

I guess I'm just a smart-A** today but the best defensive ammo is what ever is in your gun when you need it. They all are reliable and they will all kill.

 

[cosermann]

Here is a good resource, that may help you come to an informed decision:

Best Choices for Self Defense Ammo

+1

 

[addictedhealer]

I robbed this from another forum. Sorry.

A Word of Caution about Hornady’s Critical Defense Handgun Ammunition
- by Shawn Dodson

According to Steve Johnson, Hornady Marketing Communications Manager, the Critical Defense line of handgun ammunition:

"...is not designed to shoot through glass, is not designed to shoot through a car door, and is not designed to shoot through a wall. If you have to shoot through something like that in a personal defense situation you're probably going to jail."

-- NRA's American Guardian TV

Thus if you carry a concealed handgun for personal defense and need to shoot from the inside of your car, through glass or sheetmetal, then you cannot rely on Hornady Critical Defense handgun ammo to perform. If you're stopped at the side of the road changing a flat tire and you're attacked, you cannot rely on Hornady Critical Defense handgun ammo to shoot through glass and sheetmetal, if that's what it takes to stop the attack.

Laminated automotive windshield glass is an especially difficult barrier for handgun bullets.

Ironically at least one TV commercial for Hornady Critical Defense handgun ammo depicts a couple stopped on the side of a road, in a remote location, changing out a flat tire. In a scenario such as this you might have to shoot through a raised trunk lid, glass hatchback, raised engine hood, or through the sheetmetal of an open car door.

If you use Hornady Critical Defense handgun ammo for home defense you cannot rely on it to perform if you have shoot through concealment, such as the corner of a wall or through sheetrock and 2x4 studs near a door jam, to hit the center mass of a violent home intruder who's partially concealed, if that's what it takes to stop the attack.

Hornady Critical Defense handgun ammo is not designed to shoot through anything other than clothing. It's not tested against anything other than bare gelatin and clothing. Performance against commonly encountered light barrier materials is untested and unknown. Therefore if your self-defense requirements include the capability to shoot through commonly encountered light barrier materials then Hornady Critical Defense handgun ammo is not your best choice.

The human target presents the same challenges to private citizens as it does to law enforcement. Is a law enforcement officer more likely to have to shoot through glass, sheetmetal or the corner of a wall than a private citzen? Probably. But because the odds are probably greater for law enforcement to encounter these kinds of situations does not mean that the odds are zero for a private citizen.

Personal defense ammo designed especially for "private citizens" is a niche market. Perhaps it's somehow more morally/socially appealing for a private citizen to use handgun ammunition with less terminal performance capability compared to common law enforcement handgun ammunition?

If you're looking for specific advice about what handgun ammunition to choose for self-defense then I suggest you consider the loads that have been tested and found to provide outstanding terminal performance which are listed in the thread Service Pistol Duty and Self-Defense Loads posted by Dr. Gary K. Roberts ("DocGKR") at M4Carbine.net Forums

 

[whispers76]

I prefer hand loads, but use hornady bullets only

 

[NastyNate]

I carry Federal HST 230g in my XDm 45...but really most modern self defense ammo will do the job. Just run whatever you buy through your gun to make sure it will feed well and you should be good.

 

[Mattmh3]

This. Critical D is good stuff, assuming you are shooting a full-size pistol. Personally, I'm a Remington Golden Saber guy, and have been for years. At the end of the day, there's not enough difference among the modern HP designs to even worry about, IMO.

Are the Remington HD Ultimate Home Defense rounds basically Golden Saber in a different box with nickle plated cases? Trying to cash in on the self defense market maybe? I believe they cost more than the Golden Sabers too. Please correct me if I am wrong.