9mm round for carry pistol

[steeleywhopper]

I may or may not have purchased a new 9mm pistol. I am wondering what round would be a good one for every day carry?
I have never owned a 9mm so not quite up to speed on that round.

[CP]

I've carried Cor-Bon 115 grain +P JHP for years.  Never needed to use them, hopefully never will.

[jasnt]

I love the hornady 147gr xtp

[ghosthunter]

Does it really matter?

If you have to shoot in self defense and you can hit your target. Does it really matter?

I got to think a couple 9 mm holes in a bad guys chest is going to fix the problem regardless of load.

 

[Stein]

Lots of stories from Vietnam about putting multiple 9mm holes in people and them not going down, FMJ stuff. 

I've carried CorBon and now carry Winchester Ranger. 

Plenty of good options, I would go with something where there is a bunch of data of actual police use rather than something that looks good on paper or into gelatin.

[salt n sage90]

I thought it was best to have a hollow point/expanding bullet due to the fact that if you shoot indoors full metal jackets could go through a wall and into another room and possibly your wife or child. 

I have Winchester 115gr Silver Buller and Winchester Ranger (LEO) 147gr. Never had to use them.

[thinkingman]

I thought it was best to have a hollow point/expanding bullet due to the fact that if you shoot indoors full metal jackets could go through a wall and into another room and possibly your wife or child...So ya it is important I would say. 

I have Winchester 115gr Silver Buller and Winchester Ranger (LEO) 147gr. Never had to use them.

Hollow points are going through drywall just as fast.
I load Hornady XTP 124gr in my Sig P365 for urban carry.
Hornady 147gr XTP in my AR9 business magazine.
I just found Buffalo Bore 147gr +P hardcast lead flatnose and now have a mag for outdoor adventures.

[salt n sage90]

I thought it was best to have a hollow point/expanding bullet due to the fact that if you shoot indoors full metal jackets could go through a wall and into another room and possibly your wife or child...So ya it is important I would say. 

I have Winchester 115gr Silver Buller and Winchester Ranger (LEO) 147gr. Never had to use them.

Hollow points are going through drywall just as fast.
I load Hornady XTP 124gr in my Sig P365 for urban carry.
Hornady 147gr XTP in my AR9 business magazine.
I just found Buffalo Bore 147gr +P hardcast lead flatnose and now have a mag for outdoor adventures.

I sorta thought the same thing, But I imagine FMJ could go through a lot more stuff (including bad guy) and hurt someone.

[thinkingman]

I thought it was best to have a hollow point/expanding bullet due to the fact that if you shoot indoors full metal jackets could go through a wall and into another room and possibly your wife or child...So ya it is important I would say. 

I have Winchester 115gr Silver Buller and Winchester Ranger (LEO) 147gr. Never had to use them.

Hollow points are going through drywall just as fast.
I load Hornady XTP 124gr in my Sig P365 for urban carry.
Hornady 147gr XTP in my AR9 business magazine.
I just found Buffalo Bore 147gr +P hardcast lead flatnose and now have a mag for outdoor adventures.

Full disclosure: I have not shot a 147gr +P out of a compact 9mm.
That's probably not going to be enjoyable.

[Fidelk]

Hornady Critical Duty.

[crabcreekhunter]

I use 124 grain speer gold dot, functions well in my gun.  Honestly couldn't tell you if it's better than any other jhp though.

[Badhabit]

Here is a site that tested multiple calibers and ammo. Great stuff.

https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/

[MeepDog]

I heard that whatever ammo you carry, you don't want one with a scary sounding name in case of legal trouble. A jury isn't going to like that you used zombie 3000 ultra death loads.

I use Winchester white box hollow points because they cycle.

[Moccasin_Mountain]

I heard that whatever ammo you carry, you don't want one with a scary sounding name in case of legal trouble. A jury isn't going to like that you used zombie 3000 ultra death loads.

I use Winchester white box hollow points because they cycle.

That's good advice. Also be careful of using handloads for self defense- in case of legal trouble, they can say that you intentionally loaded those rounds to be lethal. Stupid but this is the world we live in 

[Fidelk]

I heard that whatever ammo you carry, you don't want one with a scary sounding name in case of legal trouble. A jury isn't going to like that you used zombie 3000 ultra death loads.

I use Winchester white box hollow points because they cycle.

So, Black Talon not a good idea?

[fowl smacker]

I use 124gr Speer Gold Dot that I hand load for carry purposes.  Haven't had to put them into anybody yet, so can't speak on their effectiveness first hand, but they shoot nice out of all my 9mm pistols.

[ghosthunter]

Wow you guys are way more into what self defense loads you Carry  than I am. Everything I have is less than five years old. I couldn’t tell you what is in my gun right now. It could be anyone of several  brands I  have bought. I take them out of the box and dump them into a ammo box all together.

My only criteria is they function in my gun and hit the target.


I guess a lot depends on your own situation. I live in my own house with only my wife and all my walls are 1x 3 fir with sheet rock over that including the ceilings.

But I think you should do what makes you happy .   Carry on.

[mountainman]

Typically carry Liberty lightweights in my carry 9’s

[spin05]

I like the Federal 150g micro HST or the Winchester Ranger T-series 147g .  The later Ranger t-series i believe are still  law enforcement or military only thou.    My info is based off the lucky gunner test found here.    https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/#9mm

[steeleywhopper]

Thanks everyone. It looks like there’s lots of good options out there and I will have to go see what she likes and go from there.

[Stein]

One final thought is to buy extra and run them through your gun and magazines to make sure they feed without problems.  I shoot 2-3 mags as fast as I can pull the trigger with fairly loose grip which seems to be worst case as far as reliability goes.

The shape and length of some hollow points can cause feeeding issues in some gun/magazines.

[JJB11B]

I used to run 115's, I now run 147Gr Jhp from Sig. They shoot extremely well out of a Sig P365XL. I ran 100 of them through mine when I got it. flawless performance

[HawkCreek]

I only carry Speer Gold Dot for concealed carry. Used to be 230 grain when I carried a .45, now its 124 grain for my 9mm. There are newer options but the GD has a proven record of working well.

[Caseyd]

Winchester defender

[hookr88]

Personally, I think if you go with any quality ammo it’s the Ford, Chevy, Dodge argument. To me the two most important factors are shot placement and does your gun cycle the ammo, think follow up shots. As a first responder I have seen what various calibers do to the human body. Really, it’s about shot placement. If the first one doesn’t drop them you need follow ups. Fine motor skills go out the door in SHTF situations, so really multiple shots are highly likely.

[C-Money]

I enjoy watching Paul Harrell. He is a great resource. Every video is packed with valuable info. His meat target breakdowns are excellent and eye opening. You be the judge...

[Dan-o]

I enjoy watching Paul Harrell. He is a great resource. Every video is packed with valuable info. His meat target breakdowns are excellent and eye opening. You be the judge...

Thanks for posting.

I haven't watched this one yet, but I will now.

I appreciate his no nonsense videos.