Personal Defense Ammo (Hollow Points)

[armalitesheepdog]

I received several hundred Hornady XTP bullets with their promotion. They are accurate and expand perfectly. Could I bring myself to buy any at $30 per hundred? I don't know

19.99@ Bobcat in Shelbyville (if he still has em. Did last week

 

[Opie]

HST for most handgun rounds, but also use Golden Saber in .357 magnum.

Lots of good options out there!

 

[Elcardo]

Anyone running those "reverse hollow point" ? I think that was what they were called, 95grn ...kinda looks like fins on the bullet

 

[WanderingSol07]

Speer Gold Dot for my S & W MP 2.0 9mm. Because I took it to the range and test fired 50 without issues and when shot into a line of gallon milk jugs filled with water and rags draped over the first one the bullet stopped in the third jug with excellent expansion.

 

[yote hunter]

Hornady Critical Duty +P 135 gr

+1 or Hornady Critical Defense

 

[Opie]

Hornady Critical Duty +P 135 gr

9mm +P Critical Duty is a good barrier blind load for sure. You may not get the .60-.70 expansion of HST, Gold Dot, or Winchester Ranger T, but they do expand consistently through all barriers. Not to mention the cost is much lower than a bonded barrier blind round.

The Critical Duty .40 S&W seems to be a flop. Not sure why.... The same bullet in 10mm seemed to do better, so it must be velocity.

We had malfunction issues in Glock 21's using Critical Duty .45acp+P, so I have avoided it. Might work fine in any other guns, but I can assure you that a large number of Glock 21SF's did not care for it.

 

[Jaybird1980]

In 380 I use Critical Defense.
38 special, I use JSP
All others are a mix of Critical Defense/Duty, HST,XTP,SXT. No loyalty but they are all reputable.

 

[STEEL CORE]

In .40 Winchester 180 PDX-1, or Federal 180 HST, Speer and Remington good to go too if you need them as well as Hornady Critical Duty.

 

[warren5421]

.32 ACP for Every day carry is 2.3 gr Red Dot with a 78 gr RNFP but if the 10 mm is carried it is 180 gr Gold Dot or Hornady XTP, .45 ACP is 230 gr GD or XTP, and 9 mm is 115gr GD or XTP. As I don’t shoot for money they are load to the max for best groups.

 

[Airtevron1]

Hornady Critical Defense too

 

[henry0reilly]

Hornady XTP

 

[thelefthand]

Remington Golden Saber, Federal HST, Hornady Critical Defense, or anything loaded with a Barnes DPX projectile.

Which one of these I prefer most depends on caliber and barrel length. For instance, in a short 45 ACP, I only use the DPX because my testing has shown that it expanded 100% of the time in ballistic gell (bare and 4 layers of denim), has amazing expansion (+3/4"), and good penetration. Critical Defense was the only other load that gave reliable expansion, but that expansion was no larger than their 9mm offering which negates any benefits that a 45 might offer.

For short barrel 9mm and 40, any of them will work. For "Duty" length barrels, I'd also add the Ranger SXT. The Golden Sabers are probably the least spectacular of the bunch, but for a load that's roughly 25 years old, it's pretty impressive and still out performs everything else on the market that's not on my list. Plus I have a bunch of them...

 

[Cheeki Breeki]

9mm

• Federal hydra shok 124gr JHP
• Federal HST 124gr JHP
• Remington green and white box / UMC 124gr JHP
• Remington golden saber/ black belt 124gr JHP/BBJHP
• Sig V-crown 115gr/124gr JHP​
• Speer 124gr GDHP​

.38 special (2”snub)

• Hornady critical defense 110gr FTX
• Buffalo Bore 158gr LSWCHP

.357 magnum

• Federal hydra shok 158gr JHP
• Remington green and white box 125gr SJHP

.45acp

• Winchester Ranger T 230gr BJHP
• Federal HST 230gr JHP

 

[looper]

Xtreme Defense, Lehigh ammo or Underwood ammo

 

[binkerton]

I prefer the Win Ranger T in the .40 180gr variety, and 130gr +P for my snub .38 special. For the .380 its Critical Defense.

 

[Emerson Dambiggins]

Federal HST for the 9's, Winchester Silver Tip for the 10's

 

[DMTJAGER]

Federal HST and Speer Gold Dot.
Why?
Never seen a properly done legit test of either test shot into multi layers of fabric then ballistic (per FBI test criteria) gel where either did less than exceptional.
Forgot to add I have a bunch of Winchester Ranger-T ammo but for no reason in particular never choose to use it.

 

[rb288]

I reload with 147gr HST and 147gr Gold Dots at about 1050 fps, for 9mm and 230gr HST and 230gr Gold Dots at about 975 fps for 45ACP.
They are easy to load, shoot true, and expand like crazy.
The HST seem to expand just a bit more than the Gold Dots, but, not enough to pick one over the other.
I need to find some more, someplace, the stash is getting a bit low.

 

[NKBJ]

Soft alloy and homemade lube.

 

[foszoe]

Anyone running those "reverse hollow point" ? I think that was what they were called, 95grn ...kinda looks like fins on the bullet

I think you're referring to the Lehigh defense Xtreme defense or Xtreme penetrator bullet. Different companies load them. I know Underwood does. I recently picked some up in 40 and 9 mm but I have yet to get a chance to shoot them