federal 9mm 135gr hydrashok any good?

[OldVet]

"When I think of all the men killed quite handily with a black powder 36 cal round ball, it makes this issue almost laughable. "

Yes, it's such a moot argument about what's "best." The "best" debates are usually laughable.

A miss with anything is never as good as a hit with something, short of using nukes. Is a .44 Magnum more effective, thus better, than a .380? Not if you miss it isn't. What's best for one may not be best for another. I usually add my caveat to use whatever you're comfortable with, be it the make/model/caliber and capacity of weapon, the type ammo used, the number of extra mags carried, whatever. There's seldom a "best" answer for anything. Only I have to account for the gun/ammo/# of mags carried. No one else need to. They can utilize whatever they wish and are comfortable with--but that does not make it "best."

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[chuckusaret]

I use it in all my SD handguns(.38+P, 9MM, .40, .45 cal) and have done so for many years.

[glockman10mm]

Swords worked for a long time too.

Why not carry the best you can? It's nice having so many good choices.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

Nothing at all wrong with buying what one perceives as the best. But one reason to go with an older style could be a matter of availability vs economy. In a case like that, it may make alot of sense to go with the Hydrashok over the HST.

On the other hand, if one can acquire the HST cheaper, than it would be worth it. But I dont think there is any big difference in terminal performance.

My G22 is still loaded with 155 weight Hydrashoks, as per my agency policy. I have no doubt they will do a fine job if called upon.

[gregcheck]

Thanks for the insight all, so it seems I,ve made a decent choice from the get go. Do you think if I did to change up the ammo for something like the hst, would it benifit me to go with a +P version of the hst? I also have one last question about the bullet weight, I'm torn between the 124gr weight vs the 147gr weight bullets, would you consider one ballistically superior to the other?

[gasmitty]

Yep, you did fine with your initial choice.

In a rugged, full-size gun like your G17, my preference would be for a +P in 9mm. They can get snappy in smaller and lighter guns, but +P is very manageable in the full-sized guns.

124 vs 147 grain weight in a 9 is a subject of continued debate, and I can't shed any light on it, but I'll save you a step. Take a look here: Settling the 9mm "124 gr. vs 147 gr." Debate

[OldVet]

I wouldn't choose a 9mm less than 124 grains. That and heavier should be effective if properly placed.

[Fisher10]

Some misunderstand what I'm saying. Why choose to carry an obsolete bullet that is outperformed by modern bullets? It isn't for the terminal performance... It isn't for cost savings... Is it the "cool" factor?
I'll use a car analogy. The HST is a new 2005 Mustang GT. The Hydra-shok is a new 1987 Ford Thunderbird. They're both going to get down the road but blatant stubbornness or favoritism aside, one will be a superior performer in all categories. Let's pretend they both cost $5,000. Which would you choose? If you're a Chevy guy I can write another analogy at your request.

50rd - 9mm Federal Hydra Shok 147 GR Hollow point P9HS2G1 | SGAmmo.com 50 rounds of Hydra-shok = $28.
50rds - 9mm Federal HST 147gr HP hollow point LE ammo P9HST2 | SGAmmo.com 50 rounds of HSTs = $26.
One reason the HST is cheaper, is probably because they are easier to manufacture. There's no goofy lead post in the middle of the HP.
Also, HST is an acronym for Hi-Shok Two. It is the second generation of the classic Hi-Shok bullet.

The 124gr HST is also a fine performer. I prefer the greater expansion of the 147gr version.

Concerning +P... +P isn't going to make your assailant do back-flips when shot. It adds a small amount of velocity to your bullet at the expense recoil manageability and it will likely add a miniscule amount of increased wear on your firearm. If you choose +P from a full size handgun, understand you will probably have more 'energy', but slightly LESS penetration than a standard pressure version of the round. This is because the added velocity causes the bullet to expand wider when it hits flesh. Bullet design ultimately controls expansion too. +P in a full size handgun will be more pleasant to shoot than +P from a sub-compact.

I chose 147+P HSTs for my 3.5" Ruger SR9c. The main reason is because that was what was available at the time, not that I really wanted or needed +P at the time. Recoil is stout, and feels closer to .40 from a full size, but quick follow up shots are very do-able. An advantage with +P out of a shorter barrel is now my velocities will be on par with a 4-4.5" barrel shooting standard pressure.

[Rob99VMI04]

Federal makes a 135 grain hydrashok in a 9mm? Well i guess it doesnt matter to me as after 15 years I'm hanging up my G19s and switching to a G21 gen4.

[Brent2006]

I used Hydra Shock back in 2002 when I first started shooting. I no longer recommend it. I did testing and it is prone to plugging. The 135 grain Hydra Shock was tested by Shooting Magazine and with no clothing it only penetrated 9 inches. You can do much better than that with today's defensive offerings.

Stick with Gold Dot, Win Ranger T or Federal HST. I also encourage people to not buy the 20 round boxes at big box retailers. You can get the 50 round boxes of premium ammo for the same price from SG Ammo. It ships right to your door.

For example, I just purchased two boxes of the Gold Dot .38+P 135 grain short barrel from SG Ammo. It was $59.90 for two 50 round boxes.

Had I bought this at a gun store it would have been $129.95 for the same amount!

I believe the most popular 9mm round with a proven street record is the Speer Gold Dot 124 +P or the IL State Police Load that is115+p+. However, I don't use any +P+ because my gun is not built to handle that type of round.

Stick with Speer Gold Dot, Win Ranger T or Federal HST

[Brent2006]

Some misunderstand what I'm saying. Why choose to carry an obsolete bullet that is outperformed by modern bullets? It isn't for the terminal performance... It isn't for cost savings... Is it the "cool" factor?
I'll use a car analogy. The HST is a new 2005 Mustang GT. The Hydra-shok is a new 1987 Ford Thunderbird. They're both going to get down the road but blatant stubbornness or favoritism aside, one will be a superior performer in all categories. Let's pretend they both cost $5,000. Which would you choose? If you're a Chevy guy I can write another analogy at your request.

50rd - 9mm Federal Hydra Shok 147 GR Hollow point P9HS2G1 | SGAmmo.com 50 rounds of Hydra-shok = $28.
50rds - 9mm Federal HST 147gr HP hollow point LE ammo P9HST2 | SGAmmo.com 50 rounds of HSTs = $26.
One reason the HST is cheaper, is probably because they are easier to manufacture. There's no goofy lead post in the middle of the HP.
Also, HST is an acronym for Hi-Shok Two. It is the second generation of the classic Hi-Shok bullet.

The 124gr HST is also a fine performer. I prefer the greater expansion of the 147gr version.

Concerning +P... +P isn't going to make your assailant do back-flips when shot. It adds a small amount of velocity to your bullet at the expense recoil manageability and it will likely add a miniscule amount of increased wear on your firearm. If you choose +P from a full size handgun, understand you will probably have more 'energy', but slightly LESS penetration than a standard pressure version of the round. This is because the added velocity causes the bullet to expand wider when it hits flesh. Bullet design ultimately controls expansion too. +P in a full size handgun will be more pleasant to shoot than +P from a sub-compact.

I chose 147+P HSTs for my 3.5" Ruger SR9c. The main reason is because that was what was available at the time, not that I really wanted or needed +P at the time. Recoil is stout, and feels closer to .40 from a full size, but quick follow up shots are very do-able. An advantage with +P out of a shorter barrel is now my velocities will be on par with a 4-4.5" barrel shooting standard pressure.

Agree 100% with you! I stopped wasting my money on the 20 round boxes last year. SG Ammo has always been awesome and shipped fast. In fact I am expecting some today that I just ordered Thursday. Stick with rounds that have been used in the mean streets. I stick with Massad's advice to " Chose your ammo police style."

[Maximpactguns]

My cousin has taken a few BGs down with the Federal Premium HST Tactical LE .40 even tho we are talking about 9mm. My cousin swears by this stuff so for defensive purposes I stick with what I trust.

[StarPD45]

Interesting discussion, and timely for me since I've just gotten back into the 9MM club. (G19)
I've carried Hydroshok in 45 ACP for a number of years, so I'm not going to throw them out. I also have some boxes of 9MM Silvertips from years ago. Don't even know if they make those anymore. Again, I'm not going to throw them out either. Sounds like the newer HST is the "cat's meow" now. Sooo... I guess I'll start looking for these.

[bzdog]

Best Choices for Self Defense Ammo
Anything listed here is acceptable.

Note the list Fisher refers to was produced by testing done by Dr. Roberts who is a ballistics expert. It is a little hard to tell from Fisher's post if the HS comments are a Dr. Roberts quote, paraphrase, or personal perspective, but Dr. Roberts has made comments along those lines about the HS.

After many, many years of following discussions, I've come to believe that you should just pick something that is on that list that is reliable in your firearm, and be happy.

For those who are interested, m4carbine.net has a terminal ballistics sub-forum in which Dr. Roberts participates.

-john