Ccw ammo choice

[CB3]

Many SD rounds do a good job with terminal performance in only two of the three critical areas: expansion, penetration, and barrier penetration. Bonded bullets do OK in all three, but any time bullet deformation includes weight loss and asymmetrical expansion, performance is retarded. Only the monolithic bullets perform consistently at the higher levels, and no one else has quite matched Barnes' 25 years of experience designing and manufacturing such bullets.

However, I absolutely agree there is a lot of SD ammo out there that performs well and costs less.

[DanTana]

There is a user on YouTube who does gel tests on quite a few different types/calibers of ammunition. Here is one on the PDX1 147gr. 9mm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBIDnzDDx6Q

[The Faux King]

I personally carry Gold Dot 115 grain 9mm as that's what I shoot best with out of both my Glock 26 & CZ P-01. Depending on which variety of SD ammo that you shoot best is the one I would say you should choose.

[Shooter xix]

I agree with garyb barnes is to expensive I have a few boxes I got to test but I shoot my carry load and can't see spending the money (with shipping 40 bucks for 20 rounds from midway) wen I can get 50 rounds for the same price. I also have a few boxes of 147 gold dots and 124+p gold dots to try out. I've tested the 147 gd's some already but wana see how the 124+p stacks up to them.

[muggsy]

Just to add to your confusion try viewing the ballistic tests on this website. It was created by one of our own and is a good source of information.Tell 'em Muggsy sent ya.

http://mousegunaddict.blogspot.com/p/ammo-tests.html

[Shooter xix]

I have been doing some more tests and seeing which one I like and my gun likes too had to cool off a bit do to Christmas costs but plan on picking back up on it soon. I did shoot some 115 critical defense and 124 hst standard pressure into jugs of water covered with a old thick jacket and a 1in board to show some what bone. Now I know bone and wood are not the same but I don't have any bone laying around lol so oak had to do. Hst did not open at all and the cd opened picture perfect and went 3 full jugs. Plan on doin more tests like this soon and some clear gel test this summer.

[booger switch]

Hi everyone I am new to this forum and this is my first post so I hope I do it right. I have a cw9 that I've been carrying for some time now and carry 124gr hst standard pressure. My question is I shoot the 124 and 147 poa and have put 200 rounds of both in the gun with no issues at all but what does everyone else think? Stay with 124 or go with 147gr?

Flip a coin, can't go wrong with either. If your particul gun shoots one better than the other, then go with the one it shoots best.

[ParrotHead]

Hollow point/ round nose.....whatever. Just use whatever you are most comfortable with and can put down range most accurately.

[CB3]

Hollow point/ round nose.....whatever. Just use whatever you are most comfortable with and can put down range most accurately.

Silly advice when you consider how underpowered handgun rounds are and the advantages to an expanding hollow point bullet as long as it penetrates deeply enough.

The 9MM defensive expanding rounds all penetrate enough; ball typically passes through with less terminal damage. That's why hollow points were invented and are now used by every agency that can.

At normal self defense ranges (<7 yards, more like <3 yards) from a small gun with the defendant moving, "accuracy" of one round over another is not much of a consideration. An inch-and-half difference in static target shooting at 21' does not translate into a meaningful differentiator for self defense ammo decisions. Reliable ignition, reliable feeding and extraction and the best terminal performance possible make the top of most people's criteria.

I am not arguing that ball is ineffective. Three FMJ rounds with good placement may be terminal. However, expanding bullets, given the same placement, will have better terminal effects more often.

When you start off handicapping yourself for terminal effect by using a handgun, and one that is fairly small and difficult to shoot well under stress, you need every advantage you can get. Round nose ammo is not an advantage unless it is the only type of ammo that feeds in your gun. The solution then is to get a different gun.