Best 9mm carry round

[adamsgeneral]

winchester ranger is a great round, if you can find it.replaced the talon series, i found a bunch of old black talon ammo, functions great.

[Deputy]

winchester ranger is a great round, if you can find it.replaced the talon series, i found a bunch of old black talon ammo, functions great.

Quite true, but you have to be careful about the Ranger ammo you buy. The stuff that's the same as Black Talon is called the "T-Series". It says it on the box (SXT). They aso make Ranger ammo that is just ordinary hollowpoint or FMJ ammo. Here is T-series Ranger ammo:

[tv_racin_fan]

FIRST the Winchester Ranger SXT are not the same as the Black Talon, they resemble them but are not the same.

SECOND I have fired a 357 magnum while inside an auto and neither me or my daughter who was present had our eardrums blown out or ruptured. The ringing was horrid and I never ever want to do that again. HOWEVER I have every confidence that my Federal HST rounds would be just fine in that situation should I be forced to fire from inside an auto. I will however avoid that as much as is humanely possible.

[500KV]

I've had these original Black Talons for over 10 years.
Chronographed some a while back at 1262 fps out of a G19.
Winchester voluntarily discontinued sales of Black Talon SXT to the general public in late 1993/early 1994 due to intense negative media and political pressure.

Ranger 9mm HP ammo.

RA9SXT 147 Ranger SXT (discontinued in 1999)
RA9SXTP 127+p+ Ranger SXT (discontinued in 1999)
RA9115HP 115HP
RA9115HP+ 115+P+
RA91P 124 Partition Gold (discontinued in 2005)
RA9T 147 T-Series
RA9TA 127+P+ T-Series
RA9B 147 Bonded hp
RA9BA 124+P Bonded hp

[PaiN]

I had a chance to get large amount of the Winchester +P+ SXT ammo, but I oped out, they seemed like over kill for my needs.
Generally my carry ammo is plain old Winchester 115g Silvertip HP. They've run reliably in every 9mm I've run them through and are always accurate(although I could never really tell from my Keltec PF9....)
I do want to try some of the Speer 9mm 124g "short barrel" rounds through the P9 if I can find some.

[yamabushi]

Critical Defense Ammo

It looks sexy in their ads, but it's junk. Whatever primer they use it doesn't like to go bang in most guns. I've had problems shooting it in Kahrs and Sigs. Don't trust your life to it. Buffalo Bore (500 ft/lbs)!

Jim

[wyntrout]

PaiN, I wanted some of that +P GD, too, but Cabela's was out of THAT one, so I went with the CorBon 125gr +P. That was my 4th use of the $20 off $100 or more purchases, completed about 15 minutes before that deal ended. I got some really good deals on ammo with that coupon use, AND a couple of those UpLula magazine loaders -- fantastic finger savers!
I got a bunch of Buffalo Bore for my P380-to-be, too. My first .380 ACP acquisition was Critical Defense 90gr. at Sportsmans Guide. I had wanted Fed HS, but none available. I chose ammo based on the magazine reviews for accuracy and reliability. I'll have to wait and see what works for me. At least I have a PM9 now, so I'm not quite as anxious about the P380. I have a holster and extra mags for the P380 already, but I need to get everything for the PM9. I understand that +P ammo can help make up for velocity loss with a short-barreled gun like the PM9, hence the +P CorBon.
Wynn

[Gottabkiddin]

I used to carry the 124gr +p GD, now I use the 147gr Remington Golden Saber for better penetration.

[wyntrout]

I tried to do some research online when looking for ammo choices, though it's often a case of what I can get and what I'm willing to pay for it.
Stopping Power
and here's one that you may take issue with... the 9mm part, anyhow.
Ammunition For The Self-Defense Firearm
anatomical considerations here: Best Choices for Self Defense Ammo .
For your consideration.
Wynn

[Wasabi]

Federal HST 147g +P is what I carry in my PM9.

[wyntrout]

Best 9mm Ammo, etc. (?)

This is an excerpt from my earlier post here. Check the whole article, but here is the 9mm portion. When he lists pistols and classes there are no Kahrs and this was updated in 2006, I believe. For your consideration:
The link (good .380 ACP info, too) Ammunition For The Self-Defense Firearm

9mm Parabellum (9mm Luger,9x19mm, 9mm NATO, or simply "9mm")

This is unquestionably the world's most popular pistol round. For this reason it has been the subject of a lot of experimentation, because 9mm ball - used by every army in the Western world - is a mediocre manstopper. Jacketed hollowpoints are a must if one wishes to rely on the 9mm as a defense round. Use ball ammo for practice only.

9mm ammunition is available in two pressure levels: standard and "+P." The latter should only be used in newer guns (made since 1985 or so), and is best used sparingly. I will deal here with only commercially available ammunition: there are specialized loads available only to law enforcement personnel. Civilians should not worry, as there are commercial loads as good or better than anything restricted to law enforcement usage.

I will now tell you the best 9mm Luger load for self-defense: it is the Cor-Bon 9mm 115 grain +P Jacketed Hollowpoint. This is the most powerful and street-proven manstopper available in this caliber. It is a high velocity (1340 fps) and high pressure round, and more effective than any load restricted to law enforcement use (such as the Federal 9BPLE).

Unfortunately, it is also likely to jam many older guns. For this reason I add a table at the end of the 9mm section discussing round suitability for different guns. Modern hollowpoints may either (a) jam, or (b) be too powerful for some older guns. This load is suitable only for First Class pistols (see table).

The best standard pressure 9mm load is the Federal 115 grain JHP (9BP). Its effectiveness and accuracy make it the world standard. Buy several boxes. Other excellent standard pressure 9mm loads are the Winchester Silvertip 115 grain (X9MMSHP), and Federal 124 grain Hydra-shok (P9HS1).

For guns that may jam with the Cor-Bon or Federal 115 grain hollow-points, the Remington 115 grain +P JHP is a good choice (R9MM6). For older guns I would use the Remington standard pressure 115 gr. JHP (R9MM1).

Now it is time to impart some crucial information: NEVER use 147 grain ammo in a 9mm pistol! There was a stupid fad for 147 grain hollowpoints a few years ago, and many were suckered into buying these weak, worthless and malfunction-prone rounds. I don't care what you've heard: never use any 9mm hollowpoint heavier than 125 grains. 147 grain hollowpoints often jam in many popular 9mm guns like the Browning Hi-Power, SIG, Beretta 92, S&W and Glock. Ignore the gun magazine hype and stick to what works. If you want to gamble, go to Reno. Don't gamble with your life. 147 grain ammo sucks.

Bad 9mm Loads to avoid (and certainly NEVER carry). Numbers given:

Federal Gold Medal 9mm 147 grain JHP (9MS)
Federal Hydra-Shok 9mm 147 grain JHP (P9HS2)
Winchester 147 grain 9mm Silvertip Subsonic JHP (X9MMST147)
Winchester 147 grain 9mm Super-X Subsonic (XSUB9MM)
Remington 147 grain 9mm JHP (R9MM8)
Remington 147 grain 9mm Golden Saber JHP (GS9MMC)
Remington 140 grain 9mm JHP (R9MM7)
Remington 88 grain 9mm JHP (R9MM5) This bullet is far too light.
CCI Lawman 147 grain 9mm PHP "Plated Hollow Point" (3619)

This isn't my opinion. I am shooting up my Fed 135 gr HS and getting CorBon 125 gr +P for CCW. I practice with 124gr Truncated FMJ and 124gr FMJ. Check the article for credentials and "reasoning". And, hey! Don't shoot the messenger! :86:
Wynn

[wyntrout]

Here's the .380 ACP info from the same article:

.380 ACP (9mm Short, 9x17mm, 9mm Kurz)

Now we're getting into some decent stopping power. The three or four best .380 JHP rounds have better stopping power than ANY bullet fired out of 2" barrel .38 Special snub-nose. All of the Big Five make good hollowpoints for this caliber. The Remington 88 grain JHP is the most reliably-feeding hollowpoint but slightly less effective than the Hydra-shok or Cor-Bon. Reliability is crucial, and thus you must test the rounds before carrying.

I recommend the following two cartridges above all others:

-Federal 90 gr. Hydra-shok (P380HS1 H) - the best standard-pressure .380 JHP load, period.
-Cor-Bon 90 gr. JHP - the most powerful .380 hollowpoint, bar none.

These are the two best .380 loads, and I recommend them for these guns:
SIG/Sauer P230, Beretta 84/85, Browning BDA, CZ-83, H&K P7K3, Walther PPK and PPK/s. The Russian, East German, Chinese and Bulgarian Makarov pistols are apparently perfectly reliable with the hot Cor-Bon, and the strong all-steel construction of these guns should stand up to an infinite amount of these potent rounds. I have heard that the Colt does also well with the hot Cor-Bon JHP, which you should definitely look into if you own a Colt .380. You have better stopping power than any .38 snub-nose revolver (the long-time favorite concealment sidearm) when you load your .380 with these two rounds.

Other good .380 ACP jacketed hollowpoints:

- Remington 102 gr. Golden Saber BJHP (GS380M) - Another excellent .380 load (the BJHP stands for "Brass Jacketed Hollow Point"), the heaviest one available. I prefer the Cor-Bon and Hydra-shok, but many (including Sanow) like this new Remington round for its deeper penetration. I'll stick with the Cor-Bon and Hydra-shok, but the choice is yours.
- CCI-Speer 90 gr. Gold Dot JHP A good all-around hollowpoint.
- Remington 88 gr. JHP (R380AI): A good high-velocity hollowpoint that feeds well in: Colt Government Model .380, H&K HK4, Taurus PT-58, older PP and PPK, Bersa .380, Beretta 70s, Makarov and Hungarian FEG. These are all good guns that might choke on other hollowpoints but they will probably feed the Remington fine. This hollowpoint was redesigned in 1993 and gives excellent performance while retaining its rounded shape for positive feeding. If your .380 chokes on other JHP loads, try fifty rounds of the Remington 88 gr. through your gun and see if it improves.

.380 ACP hollowpoints to avoid:

-Winchester 85 gr Silvertip (X380ASHP) I really cannot recommend this weak and jam-prone round. It works reliably in a few modern European guns (e.g. SIG 230, Beretta 84F), but every load named above offers better performance. The Silvertip will likely jam in any American-made .380 automatic. Russian .380 Makarovs and PPK series guns may jam with the Silvertip, as well. The .380 Silvertip was once state-of-the-art, but has since been superceded by superior designs. It is also quite expensive. Look elsewhere.
- PMC-Eldorado Starfire 95 gr. JHP This round is similarly weak and jam-prone.
- Federal 90 gr. JHP (380BP) (see below)
- Hornady 90 gr. XTP-HP (9010) Both the Federal 380BP and the Hornady XTP-HP never expand and may jam many guns due to their truncated-cone bullet nose profiles. Pass by these two.

95 gr ball:

Davis P-380, Accu-Tek, EAA .380, Tanarmi, AMT/OMC/TDE "Back-Up," Heritage, FIE, Jennings, Bryco, Lorcin, Llama, or "other." Hollowpoints should never be used in these low-priced guns.

[swampman]

best 9mm

thanks wyntrout.

[wyntrout]

Hey, you're welcome. I like to pass stuff along -- the good and the bad. I just posted a notice about the upcoming "Baby" UpLula -- maglula Ltd. - The world's #1 magazine loaders and unloaders ! -- .22 through .380. Coming in March! This should take the pain out of loading .22 ammo like my TPH magazines.
Wynn

PS: This article was updated in 2006 and there was no mention of Kahrs???

[Kevin in Texas]

I carry Federal HST's 124g +P in my CW9. Have fed reliably in it for the 2 years I've carried them.