# Using range ammo (independence 9mm) make for an okay defensive round at home?



## TheLAGuy (Nov 28, 2012)

Hey guys as you well know 9mm is very hard to come by recently. You either cant find it, or paying $30 for a box of cheap ammo.

Anyhow, I found a box of 50, 9mm rounds at the local gun shop for $17 a box, which in my opinion is a great deal for these tough times.

Is this decent enough for home protection you think? Or do I need the expensive, fancy pantsy hollow points?

Thanks for the recommendations!


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## wilson396 (Jan 28, 2013)

For protection and home defense, I prefer something other than target practice ammo.


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## wilson396 (Jan 28, 2013)

I keep my nightstand pistols loaded with Federal hydra-shok hollow points.


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## TheLAGuy (Nov 28, 2012)

I see, so your saying that range ammo won't work if your in a pinch?


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## jeffreybehr (Feb 10, 2009)

TheLAGuy said:


> I see, so you're saying that range ammo won't work if you're in a pinch?


Well, if it goes 'bang' and cycles thru your pistol, it 'works', but shooing FMJ ammo in a home is as likely to wound a loved one as knock down the bad guy, since FMJ ammo is likely to go thru the badguy...and then drywall, hollow doors, etc. So buy name-brand hollowpoints like Speer Gold Dot, Federal HST or HydraShock, Winchester PDX1, Hornady Critical Defence, etc. The price of one box won't kill ya', but it may save a loved one's life.


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## TheLAGuy (Nov 28, 2012)

I see......

Do you think FMJ will go thru several walls?


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## TheLAGuy (Nov 28, 2012)

your saying that hollow point stop upon any impact?


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## hof8231 (Dec 19, 2012)

TheLAGuy said:


> your saying that hollow point stop upon any impact?


Since hollow points are designed to expand on impact, they lose a lot of energy once they make contact with something. This greatly reduces the chance of a hollow point passing through someone with enough force to injure someone else. Full metal jacket rounds tend to maintain their initial shape much better than hollow points when passing through one or more obstacles. I don't know if this analogy will help at all, but think of it like using a target arrow tip instead of a broadhead tip. The target tip is much slimmer and won't be slowed down as much by an obstacle. It will also create a much smaller wound, meaning accuracy will be even more crucial.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Range ammo will work just fine for home / self defense. 

Yes....you can buy the fancy pants ammo, but no one will flat out guarantee you it will work any better than the cheap stuff.


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## TheLAGuy (Nov 28, 2012)

paratrooper said:


> Range ammo will work just fine for home / self defense.
> 
> Yes....you can buy the fancy pants ammo, but no one will flat out guarantee you it will work any better than the cheap stuff.


Do you use cheap stuff at home? Sounds like you almost prefer the cheap stuff by the way you talk about it.


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## hof8231 (Dec 19, 2012)

paratrooper said:


> Range ammo will work just fine for home / self defense.
> 
> Yes....you can buy the fancy pants ammo, but no one will flat out guarantee you it will work any better than the cheap stuff.


Well I mean, while it will still make a hole in the bad guy, I'd prefer to trust a round specifically designed for use against a person if my life were in danger. It's all preference, though. It's not like FMJ rounds won't do the job with a well placed shot or 2, but I personally feel JHP rounds are worth the price if you're planning on defending yourself and loved ones.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

TheLAGuy said:


> Do you use cheap stuff at home? Sounds like you almost prefer the cheap stuff by the way you talk about it.


I don't have a budget that I have to live within, when it comes to ammo. But some obviously do. That's not to say that they are cheap, but rather, are on a budget and it must be considered.


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## wilson396 (Jan 28, 2013)

Look at it this way. A box of good premium home defense ammo will run you $30 or less. You spend it once and hopefully never have to use it, much like insurance. It shouldn't kill your budget to spend an extra $10 on something specifically made to stop a bad guy and potentially save your life. Especially with a smaller caliber like the 9mm, you want all the stopping power you can get.

Check out some ballistics testing on youtube the difference between a regular FMJ round and a good JHP round. The JHP tears and rips viciously in comparison.

Having said that, in a home invasion, the first weapon I would grab is the 870 loaded with 00 buckshot.


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## jeffreybehr (Feb 10, 2009)

paratrooper said:


> Range ammo will work just fine for home / self defense.
> 
> Yes....you can buy the fancy pants ammo, but *no one will flat out guarantee *you it will work any better than the cheap stuff.


Well OF COURSE not! There are NO guarantees in shooting situations. What we're discussing is likelyhoods, probabilities. A good HP bullet is more likely (than a FMJ bullet) to stop the badguy and NOT hit someone else behind the BG. Why risk someone else in the vicinity?


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

jeffreybehr said:


> Well OF COURSE not! There are NO guarantees in shooting situations. What we're discussing is likelyhoods, probabilities. A good HP bullet is more likely (than a FMJ bullet) to stop the badguy and NOT hit someone else behind the BG. Why risk someone else in the vicinity?


Shoot whatever bullet strikes your fancy. Thru and thru hits to another individual are rare and almost non-existent.

I guess that it could happen though......cause we *ARE* talking about likelyhoods and probabilities.


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## XD40inAVL (Feb 1, 2013)

*Using range ammo (independence 9mm) make for an okay defensive round at home? *

A whole lot more effective than yelling "I'm calling 911" cause then the BG knows that he has at least 10 minutes (or more)

And if you live in Kalifornia, that will be all you can use if the bill outlawing hollow points passes.


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## Broondog (Feb 1, 2013)

TheLAGuy said:


> I see......
> 
> Do you think FMJ will go thru several walls?


give this site a looky-see. The Box O' Truth - The Box O' Truth

it's not the definitive, end all authoritative site for ballistics testing, but they shoot a lot of interesting stuff and have fun while doing it.

i found the windshield tests rather enlightening.


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## TheLAGuy (Nov 28, 2012)

Ah okay, thanks


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