Tubby45

I'd be more worried about too LITTLE penetration. I think overpenetration is a myth just like overkill. Either you penetrate it or you don't. Either you kill it or you don't.

I am more worried about a missed shot hitting an innocent bystander rather than a bullet that travels approx 30 feet through air, a couple layers of clothes, breaks a rib or two, penetrates through 6-8" of fat, muscle, and other bodily tissue, breaks ribs on the other side, penetrates through the backskin, through another couple layers of clothes and travels beyond that to penetrate yet another couple layers of clothes..yada, yada, yada enough to do damage to an innocent bystander.

Sorry, maybe with a hardcast bullet, but so far in my research of penetration of certain bullets on actual live animals actually breaking bones and such and getting a through and through with a SD bullet out of a handgun inside of 25y, the bullet that penetrates the farthest with any consistency has been the 200gr Hornady XTP out of a 10mm at 1250fps that penetrated a measured 20" actual animal body before coming to a rest. This was a frontal shot on a feral dog, hit in the brestbone and the bullet traveled 20" and stopped just before the genitals of the dog. That bullet is tough.

I don't understand the desire to switch rounds for different weather. If it makes you confident, go right ahead. I prefer to carry one round that will do the job 365 days a year no matter the weather.

That being said, I carry the 180gr XTP @ 1375fps out of my 5" 10mm, courtesy of Double Tap ammo. I am not worried about overpenetration. Oh since the OP posted his fpe, if you like ft-lbs, that is 755.85 ft-lbs of muzzle energy times 19 rounds in the gun. So we're looking at a little over 14,000 ft-lbs of muzzle energy plus one reload.

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Freedz

In the winter I carry corbon powrball in my .40 p229, summer time I usually carry a lighter gun with premium hollowpoints of whatever flavor works reliably in it. By the way get some powrball ammo - its some serious stuff and feeds in anything.

KC135

Same guns, same ammo winter or summer.

The ammo in your gun is perhaps 10% of the solution at most.

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Keep the shotgun handy!!

David III

Why?
Absolutely no offense meant at all, really trying to learn. I spent a fair amount of time considering what ammo to carry. If it's not that important, then I will just go back to FMJ and not worry about it.

Freedz

First of all dont go back to fmj ammo for defense, almost a definite overpenatration problem there. I think what he's getting at is that any hollowpoint that functions %100 of the time in your gun is adequate for summer or winter carry. I can agree with that, I just find that anytime I find a different brand of ammo I just have to give it a try. Just about any of the premium hollowpoint ammo out there performs fairly close to the competition. Peoples preference is based on what works in their gun, some are based on hype, some like whatever expands best or penetrates deepest. You can pick apart the differences in ammo all day long but the bottom line is that for the most part all of this ammo (except fmj) performs very similar. Find whatever works in your gun and carry it year round.

kikr

I have found the Hydrashok round to be about the best compromise for me in regards to penetration, expansion, and weight retention. They also has the added benefits of low muzzle flash, and low recoil. No I dont change ammo, I want to reduce the amount of surprises I get in a fight. I've fired enough rounds to know how the rounds going to function. Yes I do worry about overpenetration. If I'm going to shoot its going to be because my family is in trouble and I dont want to place my child or wife in any more danger than they already would be in.

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KC135

Lethal threat management is a huge subject.

First, we do everything we can to avoid. Next we do our best to escape.

Now we also need to train, dry fire, live fire, shoot and move, move and shoot, learn our firearms, learn use of cover, concealment, learn how to handle the adrenalin hit, etc, etc, etc.

Suggest a read of In Gravest Extreme, Principles of Personal Defense, as a beginning.

Any quality ammunition in .38, 357, 9MM, 40, 44, 45 will do the job if you do yours. No magic bullets.

As an old friend wrote many years ago and I paraphrase 'lower your expectations of your ammunition and gun, and raise your expectations of tactics and marksmanship'.

Instead of chasing magic guns and ammo, chase training. :))

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Keep the shotgun handy!!

sm

KC135,

Great Posts and I agree 110% !!

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Use Enough Gun

sm

Something else -
Marketing is great - sometimes.
Creative Marketing IMO is negative for most folks in this serious business of CCW.

Find a gun that fits YOU,, meaning you can reach and operate all controls and get quick accurate hits.
The ammo is reliable 200 rds Including all Mags in testing.
Then check Ammo shoots POA/POI
I suggest having more than one Brand / Ammo choice in the event the store is out of, quits carrying, or you out of town and need more - having already checked a variety of ammo as mentioned about YOU know for YOUR gun.

FWIW, I also believe in having at least 3 of same CCW and prefer 4.
One is primary, one is backup, one in case one needs repair/taken in as evidence and one off-site somewhere.

Some guns I use are over 20 years old still using the same loads year round I tested back when. If it ain't broke - don't fix it.

Borrowing from Another Discipline :

Shooting is 90% Mental , the other 10% is Physical .

Physical include the gun, the loadings...
Find a gun that fits, the loads are reliable, then quit messing with it! You have taken care of the Physical....

Now you can better use all of the 90% of the Mental to focus on mindset, targets,...

Good shooters are made - not born...

Practice, become one with the gun until it is an extension of you, practice until the Physical is natural, freeing up the Mental - and never stealing from the 90% Mental Aspect toward Physical...

-Fred Misseldine.

For you young folks, Champion at Skeet, Trap and hunting -
"If he could see it - he could fell it".

Simplify!

I prefer to focus on mindset and mental, the physical was taken care of a long time ago. For ME.


Steve

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Tom357

Same gun, same load, year round. Yes, I worry about over-penetration, so I focus on shot placement.

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