What is your carry ammo and range ammo and why?

[RogerB]

I have to ask since I'm a new gun owner. I know I don't want to use range ammo for personal protection or waste good ammo at the range. Looking forward to some good feedback on brands and the why's and why not's. All opinions welcome.

RogerB

 

[pmpmstrb]

I'm currently considering switching over to Winchester Ranger Talons or Federal HST.

 

[RogerB]

I'm currently considering switching over to Winchester Ranger Talons or Federal HST.

Why ?

 

[pmpmstrb]

I'm currently carrying Golden Sabers and just think it is time for a change. I've been comparing tests and reviews between the three and Sabers seem to be coming in third between them all. Pricing with the Rangers and HSTs are pretty good as well. Around $20 for a box of 50.

 

[IronHorseman]

I carry Winchester Silvertip. I handload my range ammo.

 

[RogerB]

I carry Winchester Silvertip. I handload my range ammo.

I may have to start considering loading my own range ammo. The 100 pack of range/target 9mm at Walmart has gone up $3 in the last week. (WWB) :rolleyesedit:

 

[Dave]

oh man

I may have to start considering loading my own range ammo. The 100 pack of range/target 9mm at Walmart has gone up $3 in the last week. (WWB) :rolleyesedit:

 

[PistolPete]

Yeah the Winchester 9 MM Range 100 rounds is now $18.42 at Walmart.

 

[zerowolf]

Carry:
Cor-bon 230 45 apc
Golden Saber 230 45 apc
Cor-bon 62 .223 DPX
Reason: Performance and reliability

Range:
AE 230 45 apc
LC 5.56 M855
Reason:
I have huge quantities of both.

 

[TraderJack]

Carry - Federal 230 gr HST
Range - WWB or Rem UMC

 

[Fenway]

9mm

Carry Speer Gold Dots


Range Winchester White box or the Remington UMC that goes on sale at Dicks some times

 

[Lars]

I'll be carrying 230gr Winchester White Box FMJ.
Cheap, and I'm not convinced that the .45 moves fast enough to "always expand"

I read a great quote.... "A 9mm might expand, but a .45 will never shrink."

Once I get some hands on time with the USP Tactical, I might run a box or two of Hornady 45 ACP+P 230 GR TAP - FPD through the pistol. If it runs like it should, I'll carry those.

 

[hemicharger]

I have had good luck with georgia arms ammo. 2k rounds and not one misfire. They also handload their self defense rounds with gold dots.

 

[BeeRian]

230gr FMJ for 45 acp or 155 gr plated for 40 S&W (reloads)-because I have picked up a TON of brass for them

230gr Golden Saber for 45's, 165gr GS or 155gr Rem JHP (the 155s are also reloads-1200fps +/- 5fps from my G23) for .40's

 

[quicksdraw]

Carry: .45acp CorBon 165gr +P JHP
Range: .45acp Winchester USA 230gr FMJ

 

[TomN]

Carry ammo is .45 ACP 230gr Gold Dot and range ammo is whatever ball ammo is cheapest at the time.

Only own the .45 at the moment, but when I had a 9mm I used 124gr HST, and in .40 the 180gr Gold Dot.

 

[Panama]

I carry a 45 and I found this short article and "I" think it has good information in it.
Bottom line is, the range is a good place to find out what your carry gun likes, so shoot everything you can afford to at the range, then whatever is the most reliable for carry, NO MATTER if it is ball or fmj or hp, shoot what your gun will run!

The .45 ACP is a recognized manstopper, and there are many excellent loads in this caliber. Some of the best:
- Federal 230 grain Hydrashok JHP (P45HS1): a great load, and my #1 choice. It gives the most stopping power in this potent caliber.
- Federal 185 grain JHP (45C) another top-notch load from Federal. I would choose this round for a compact, short-barrelled .45 like the Colt Officer's ACP or the S&W 4516. It has lighter recoil than the Hydrashok or CCI 200 JHP, and its higher velocity makes it more likely to expand out of a short 3.5" barrel.
- Cor-Bon 185 grain Sierra JHP
- CCI Lawman 200 gr. JHP (3965). a.k.a. the "Inspector" or "Flying Ashtray."
- CCI Blazer 200 gr. JHP (3568). The "Flying Ashtray" in an economical aluminum case. Both of these CCI loads use a wide-mouth hollowpoint bullet that may jam some guns. It is 100% reliable in newer guns like the current production "enhanced" Colt 1911A1, the SIG/Sauer P220, Star M45 Firestar and Megastar, and all Smith & Wesson, Para-Ordnance, and Ruger .45 automatics and the Smith & Wesson Model 625 revolver. (Note well: if you are one of those knuckleheads who install light springs in your gun to get a lighter trigger pull you are asking for trouble. Never use CCI ammo in such a gun, as CCI uses especially hard primers and your hammer might not be able to detonate the round reliably, now that you have monkeyed with it.)
- Remington 185 grain JHP (R45AP2). This is the best choice for older guns that may jam with other hollow-points. I would select this load for the Heckler and Koch P9S, Browning BDA, Springfield Armory, AMT and Thompson M1911A1, Llama, Star PD, etc.
- Cor-Bon and Remington .45+P 185 grain JHP (R45AP6). These are very powerful and hard-kicking rounds best left to the experienced shooter. They are pretty hard on your gun, especially an aluminum-framed pistol like the SIG/Sauer P220 or Colt Lightweight Commander. If you are sufficiently expert to confidently carry the .45+P you certainly don't need my advice on load selection. That being said, these +P rounds are second only to the famed Hydra-shok in stopping power. They really sledgehammer the bad guys down.
Other good .45 ACP loads.
The Winchester Silvertip 185 grain JHP (X45ASHP2), CCI Gold Dot and Remington Golden Saber (GS45APB) are all good choices. If you like them, fine, but they have no edge over loads mentioned above. I say stick to the tried and true.
Ball.
Save the 230 grain ball (FMJ) loads for practice; carry FMJ ammo only if you must because your gun jams with hollowpoints. The Llama, Federal Ordnance, AMT, and Auto-Ordnance M1911A1 copies often jam with anything except 230 grain ball. Never compromise when it comes to reliability: if your gun only feeds ball, then ball is what you carry.

 

[cougar_guy04]

Carry ammo for the .45 is Winchester Ranger RA45T and RA45B (230 grain and 230 grain Bonded). Why? Read up on it, saw that it was a very highly regarded round by a lot of people who would know and when I bought it the price wasn't insane yet. I've got some Hydra-shok's, HST, and Hornady TAP laying around as well. I wouldn't want to get hit with any of them, but some discussion had come about that the Hydra-Shok was older technology and, while still good, there are better premium hollow-points on the market right now.

.45 Range ammo: Whatever 230 FMJ I can get cheapest. WWB and Blazer Brass most often. Yet to have any problems with either ammo in any of the .45's

9mm Range Ammo: Same as the .45 with the addition of some bunny fart reloads. Only time I've ever had problems with the reloads was when a .380 snuck into the cartridge feeder. Don't have any carry ammo in 9mm since my only 9mm is for shooting at cardboard silhouettes.

 

[sparkyfender]

I carry any quality JHP that will function well in the particular gun I carry. I picked up a couple of boxes of Golden Sabers today. Gold Dots or Hydra Shoks or Rangers or what have you would have thrilled me just the same.


For plinking and practice I use Winchester White Box FMJ. I am also not adverse to loading up some of their hollow point defensive ammo, either, and have been known to carry some of their FMJ hardball stuff when toting a .45acp.

 

[Lars]

Defensive Ammo: Hornady XTP 115gr 9mm JHP
Range Ammo: Usually Georgia Arms reloads, OR Winchester Whitebox.

Currently I'm finishing off the last of 900 reloads from Target Sports. I've had an unfortunately high number of failures in that ammo. The most recent and severe a Squib round.