45 ACP for SD

[ShadeAngel]

I will add another option, I happen to be a big fan of the 185gr +P Corbon DPX.

Corbon

But that's just me.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[ferretray]

I use WWB FMJ at the range and load up with WWB JHP for CCW.
Both run 100% in my Colt Commander and are less expensive than the latest whiz bang, dinosaur killin' rhino-rollers.
A defense round has to be proven to feed reliably in my pistol, requiring a pretty good investment in time and money.I don't believe there will be enough difference, in .45 ACP, to warrant the additional expense.

[bluesteel]

I use WWB FMJ at the range and load up with WWB JHP for CCW.
Both run 100% in my Colt Commander and are less expensive than the latest whiz bang, dinosaur killin' rhino-rollers.
A defense round has to be proven to feed reliably in my pistol, requiring a pretty good investment in time and money.I don't believe there will be enough difference, in .45 ACP, to warrant the additional expense.

I agree, and have been carrying with .45 hardball for years. Ask any combat vet who has used a .45 for real against a fanatical opponent, and they will tell you how effective the FMJ .45acp works. I would rather have a reliable weapon with FMJ then a useless one with a JHP stuck in its throat.

[dmorris68]

I agree, and have been carrying with .45 hardball for years. Ask any combat vet who has used a .45 for real against a fanatical opponent, and they will tell you how effective the FMJ .45acp works. I would rather have a reliable weapon with FMJ then a useless one with a JHP stuck in its throat.

Not to bring up another dead horse parade, but battlefield conditions are entirely different than street conditions. FMJ works best for the military due to the varying types of targets they'll tend to be up against -- particularly with NATO 9mm ammo. It is not NEARLY as effective in street use though. If I'm carrying on the street, I want a round that is optimized for those conditions. If I'm on a battlefield, it will be something different.

Having been in both a combat zone and Cold War border guard duty staring commies in the face just across the fence, I've known troops who would load their sidearms with alternating FMJ & JHP rounds, just to cover all possibilities.

The military chooses weapons platforms for very specific reasons, many of which don't apply to civilian use, and not even everybody in the military agrees with them. The choice of the M9 is an excellent example -- nearly all of the troops in my cavalry unit rejected the M9 and carried 1911's. By now there probably aren't many 1911's left in service anymore, unfortunately. Some troops in the hot zones now are authorized to carry their own personal sidearms as long as they can pass qualification with them, I wish they would expand that policy to all troops if they haven't already.

[sniper58]

I use Federal Hydra-Shock 230 grain in primary & mag #2. My third mag is loaded with 230 FMJ and mag #4 has MagTech Guardian Gold 185 +P JHP.

[Supertac45]

230 grain, either Federal HydraShok or Remington Golden Sabers.

[ADK]

Another vote for Winchester RA45T...can't wait until the newer "Enhanced" Talon ammunition is available.

[Delucas]

Here are some I've tested.
The test was in milk jugs filled w/ water and back to back against each other in row.

all rounds.jpg
(click for larger view)

From Left to right are .45ACP: Corbon DPX 185gr +p, Speer Gold Dot (personal protection) 230gr, Remington Golden Saber brass jacketed HP 230 gr.
These were shot shot from a Taurus PT745 3" barrel.

The Corbon penetrated 2 jugs and came to rest in the 3rd (2 1/2jugs), Speer; 2 jugs and the remington; 3 1/2 jugs

The next 2 are 40 S&W and a .32 ACP. from, obviously, different pistols. The last one is a 2nd Speer test. See how it looks a little different than the first?

If I had my choice of these 3, I'd use the Corbon because i like the way it expanded over the others. It's shape was perfect (no distortion like the others), and the flanged felt sharp as a knife. I think that's good for scrambling up the innards of a BG.
But I can't get reliablity from the Corbon. So I use the Speer and Remington; alternating each in the mag.

[Cuda66]

My "bump in the night" pistol (Glock 21) is currently loaded with Hornady TAP/FPD 230+P. I've found that they feed reliably, shoot to point of aim, have a fairly low flash (living in a rural area where you can crank off a couple rounds after dark is a good thing) and are currently carried by my local gun shops.

I'm also a fan of Speer +P Gold Dots. Also a great load. I carry the 200+P's in my G30 & 36.

[kitsapcharly]

45 ACP has used 230 grain round nose since 1911 and since this is the basic ammo all makers design their guns around it. For the most reliable function this is what to use. In any auto design I favor the "regular" weight in the "regular" shape because it should feed the best. 25, 45, anything. FMJ in the round nose loads my gun.

[vodekz]

You guys get overworked with HST. I like 230 Hydra Shocks, because they feed and shoot very well in EB Carry 45. HST does NOT match the same accuracy as Hydra Shock in my gun.
HST is a great new bullet but HS ruled the street for 20 years. Dead is dead, it is another gimmick to sell. Does it kill 1 second faster the HS!!!!!!! Trust what shoots and feed well in your gun, it is more important then anything else. The best HST if does not feed well will be no use.
Chill out please.
Vodek

[FHBrumb]

One second matters if the BG is shooting back.

[dmorris68]

You guys get overworked with HST. I like 230 Hydra Shocks, because they feed and shoot very well in EB Carry 45. HST does NOT match the same accuracy as Hydra Shock in my gun.
HST is a great new bullet but HS ruled the street for 20 years. Dead is dead, it is another gimmick to sell. Does it kill 1 second faster the HS!!!!!!! Trust what shoots and feed well in your gun, it is more important then anything else. The best HST if does not feed well will be no use.
Chill out please.
Vodek

Overworked? There's nothing to "chill out" about. Nobody is advocating using ammo that doesn't feed well in someone's gun. That would be stupid.

OTOH, most of us aim to use the most effective round we can, and when diligent studies and tests show the increase in effectiveness with HST compared to HS, I'm certainly going to try it. It runs smooth as butter in every auto I've fired it in, and is every bit as accurate as HS. HS was great, I carried it for 10 years. But things can be improved upon, and a heckuva lot of people see HST as such an improvement over HS. It costs the same (actually cheaper in some places), feeds as well and is just as accurate in my guns, therefore HST is a no-brainer for me.

Everyone needs to shoot what they feel confident with, plain and simple. There are a lot of people who feel that only .45ACP hardball is worth of SD carry. More power to them (and you), but I'm going to carry the best that money can buy for the purpose intended, provided it shoots well in my guns. When I was on a battlefield, that was hardball. On the street, give me HST or something similarly advanced and effective in that environment.

And yeah, one second can mean the difference between life or death.

[Dieselnut]

When does a +P rating matter? For instance, TDS has the Winchester Ranger SXT in .45 230grn in stock, but not the +P version. In a realistic SD scenario, what would be the benefits and downsides of a +P load?

Also, don't manufacturers recommend against +P ammo for frequent usage? Since practicing with SD ammo is important in my book, I'd hate to destroy my brand new Sig. I have some Federal HST +P on the way, but I'm wondering if I should have ordered the non-+P version.

Thoughts?

[FHBrumb]

Some manufacturers warn against consistent use in some guns. Not all.

+P gains a little more energy on impact. A little more velocity should help a JHP open up better That's the only perks. +P recoils more, and generally flashes more. +P also makes the bullet have a flatter trajectory, so your POI can shift a hint. That's all I can come up with for negatives.

My XD-45 is good with DT 185gr GDHP at true +P levels. POI is fine and consistent. REcoil is managable. I like 600ft lbs of energy on a GDHP that expands well. Certainly, it's bang for the buck, by any definition.