[mwink822]

What's everyone's favorite defensive round. I like the Federal Hydra Shok, but I just tried out the Corbon DPX and I like it as well, only problem is it's a rather pricey round ($25/20 rounds), but on the other hand after the test box, it's not a round that's going to be sent down the firing range every time. The DPX was sent through the Kimber, the XD has Corbon JHP's.

 

[Adler]

On Box o Truth several Hydra Shocks did not expand as they should have. I have been a fan of the Powerball by Corbon and Speer Gold Dots for some time.

 

[fatcat]

Mixed mag of Winchester Ranger's 40 cal and Glassers

Black talons 45ACP

and TAP rounds 556, 308 and 9mm

 

[The Ghoul]

Baby skull seeking bullets. (Whitest Kids U Know)

 

[DaButtKraken]

Gold dots for me as well.

 

[The Ghoul]

SGDHP and TAPs work just fine.

 

[Adler]

Might I also add that if your gun hates JHP ammo that Federals Expanding Full Metal Jacket seems to work quite well and it worth a try.

 

[Gun-Nut]

Another one with Speer Gold Dots.

 

[mwink822]

The Kimber is the only pistol that I have that's fussy with ammo. It feeds the Hydra Shoks well, it does well with the Corbon Power Ball, and did well with the DXP, the only ammo that it's seemed not to feed is Remington UMC (FMJ and JHP) and the semi-wad cutter Fiochi rounds. The XD has thus far digested everything that's gone through it and the Glock 23 that I had a while back did well with everything except for the WOLF FMJ, but I'm told that's to be expected.

 

[Adler]

A glock should eat about anything. Hell I shot 500 rounds of that through my Steyr M9 with no issues.

 

[MrMcCrackin]

can i get another Gold Dots?

 

[jamz]

Well last night I re-confirmed that I pretty much hate a 125 grain Speer gold dot in .357 mag out of my lightweight snubby.

The 135 grain bullet is much less punishing. The 125 feels like I slapped my hand hard down on a counter.

 

[mwink822]

185 gr. .45 ACP+P JHP

 

[Adler]

Well last night I re-confirmed that I pretty much hate a 125 grain Speer gold dot in .357 mag out of my lightweight snubby.

The 135 grain bullet is much less punishing. The 125 feels like I slapped my hand hard down on a counter.

Well in any 357 snubby you don't get much out of a 357 mag cartridge other than punishment and flash. I dont think I would use anything but 38 Special +p in one or some uber mild hand loads.

 

[Janq]

Well in any 357 snubby you don't get much out of a 357 mag cartridge other than punishment and flash. I dont think I would use anything but 38 Special +p in one or some uber mild hand loads.

The instructor at S&W Academy stated the exact same thing.
He indicated that 357 is a waste of ammo training dollars as most people use it for carry out of a 4" or less and it's not enough travel distance for it to build up to max. velocity.
He suggested to the revolver types in class to go with .38 and to invest in the best quality defensive ammunition available and to run through at least a box of it to test not just for function but point of impact too.
Further he went on to tell us about his own rig, a S&W baby .38, and that he prefers right now Federal Gold Dot.

He's been shot at alot and has shot a fair amount of persons while on the job and he's got a hard on for not having the biggest round or hardest hitting round (in theory), but to be quickest ont he draw to bring to bear leathal force, pulling the trigger with a minimum of two rounds hitting on target in the kill zone, and those two rounds being as closed spaced in impact timing as individually possible.
We drilled this over and over and over and over to the point that it was like okay man we got it...ZAP ZAP!!

He also stated that he prefers .38 Special to 9MM and from what he's seen of shootings the .38 tends to stop people deader and colder and quicker, on the street.
His feeling toward ammo was the following in order of operator capability to meet the above noted shoot capability requirements;

.45 > .40 > .38 > 9MM > Extremely sharp never used for nothing else but cutting humans knife > ...

- Janq

 

[BrokenArrow]

Defensive ammo - my personal favorites:

9mm - Cor-Bon 115 gr JHP +P
.40 S&W - Buffalo Bore 155 gr PHP (Heavy Load), Cor-Bon 135 gr JHP +P
.357 SIG - Buffalo Bore 125 gr PHP +P, and Cor-Bon 125 gr JHP
.357 Magnum - 125 gr JHP Federal, Remington, or Buffalo Bore
.44 Magnum - Federal 180 gr JHP
.45 ACP - COr-BOn, Buffalo Bore, Federal : 230 gr JHP +P

 

[jamz]

Well in any 357 snubby you don't get much out of a 357 mag cartridge other than punishment and flash. I dont think I would use anything but 38 Special +p in one or some uber mild hand loads.

Adler and Janq,

I had read about this too but like all my gun info I take it with a grain of salt till I can prove it for myself.

Right after I got the gun I tested various .38 +p and .357 mag loads by shooting them through a chronometer. I shot around 10 rounds per set, and averaged the speeds. There was a considerable difference between +p and full .357, even out of a 1 7/8 inc barrel. After doing the appropriate math regarding bullet weights, in once case, the .357 had TWICE the energy the same weight .38 +p had. I'll try to dig up the actual numbers, but it was well enough to convince me that the only drawback to .357 out of a short barrel was recovery time.

Edit: Found the data!

These were done with the folowing ammo types:
Winchester .38 +p Personal Protection (125gr)
Speer GD .38 +p (125gr)
Speer GD .357 (125 gr)

Check out the velocities:

Winchester +p : 749.6 feet per second
Speer 38 +p: 826.1 feet per second
Speer .357: 1090.3 feet per second

Which means as far as energy delivered to target: (velocity X bullet mass)

Winchester +p: 155.92 ft-lbs
Speer +p: 189.37 ft-lbs
Speer .357: 329.87

Check it, While Speer +p I think is a great balance between power and recovery time, the .357 is clearly more powerful.

Sure, I'm positive it doesn't reach it's potential, but then again the question isn't how fast can you get .357 to go, but how fast can you get a bullet out of the tiny barrel that I'm carrying. With proper grips, .357 is quite manageable, if not as fast as +p to get back on target.


Janq, your instructor was right on to say that followup time was King though. That's why right now I'm carrying the +p ammo in my snubby.