# decent home defense 9mm ammo?



## donn12 (Jan 1, 2012)

I picked up a box of winchester 147 grain jacketed hollow point at walmart just because I only have range rounds. How are these for home defense from 1-10? If these are not good what would you recommend? I don't need something crazy but I will have one clip of the good stuff just incase the laser doesn't scare them 
away. My Beretta 92fs is my first gun and I cannot believe how well I shoot with it! The crimson trace grip helps quite a bit.


----------



## TedDeBearFrmHell (Jul 1, 2011)

if your gun shoots well with the ammo and you can hit what you are aiming at, then its a good ammo..... i dont get all worked up over ammo choice, its all about shot placement.


----------



## denner (Jun 3, 2011)

147 grain PDX Bonded Winchester is premier ammo, if it's good enough for the FBI than it's good enough for you, no problems there. Only thing you would need to concern yourself with is "shot placement" and "training".


----------



## adjohns3 (May 21, 2010)

10-4 on whatever ammo you select...PRACTICE, PRACTICE and then PRACTICE. Kinda like sex...it's fun too and you learn to shoot where you aim.

Shoot safely.


----------



## donn12 (Jan 1, 2012)

Mine doesn't say PDX Bonded...is a hollow point a hollow point? As long as what I bought is okay if I need to put an intruder down then I am happy!


----------



## denner (Jun 3, 2011)

donn12 said:


> Mine doesn't say PDX Bonded...is a hollow point a hollow point? As long as what I bought is okay if I need to put an intruder down then I am happy!







It will surely put an intruder down, but no, a hollow point is just not another hollowpoint. Many hollowpoints clog and fail to expand through denim or heavy clothing and thus perform like ball ammo reaching penetration depths of 24 inches or more. Some expand too quickly, thus not reaching vital organs. I suspect you bought WWB hollowpoints that have a very good reputation of not expanding through denim, deadly yes, excessive penetration perhaps, good possibility of the round zipping through the bad guy and hitting something else, yes. Below are some good ones to name a few, but if i were shopping at wally world i'd get the PDX Bonded 147's for HD over the WWB 147 HP, but in all honesty those rounds will do the job, my only concern would be a round zipping through the target and hitting something unintended.

9mm
Barnes XPB 115gr HP (35515) loaded by Cor-Bon (DPX09115)
Winchester Partition Gold 124gr JHP (RA91P)
Winchester Ranger-T 124 gr +P JHP (RA9124TP)
Winchester Ranger-T 127gr JHP +P+ (RA9TA)
Winchester Ranger-T 147gr JHP (RA9T)
Winchester Bonded 147gr JHP (RA9B/Q4364)
Speer Gold Dot 124gr JHP +P (53617)
Speer Gold Dot 147gr JHP (53619)
Remington Golden Saber 147gr JHP (GS9MMC)
Federal Tactical 124gr JHP (LE9T1)
Federal Tactical 135gr JHP +P (LE9T5)
Federal HST 147gr JHP (P9HST2)


----------



## berettabone (Jan 23, 2012)

Here, in Wisconsin, if you are forced to defend yourself, they kind of frown upon jacketed hollow points, from a legal standpoint....I realize that they shouldn't be able to tell you what to use, but, if you found yourself in a courtroom, it's better to say, " My client was strictly using personal defense ammo." I use Remington UHD 102 gr. bjhp. I also like Corbon........


----------



## Gunners_Mate (Feb 17, 2010)

speer gold dot. great round. great choice.


----------



## donn12 (Jan 1, 2012)

berettabone said:


> Here, in Wisconsin, if you are forced to defend yourself, they kind of frown upon jacketed hollow points, from a legal standpoint....I realize that they shouldn't be able to tell you what to use, but, if you found yourself in a courtroom, it's better to say, " My client was strictly using personal defense ammo." I use Remington UHD 102 gr. bjhp. I also like Corbon........


I dont understand. Wouldn't a jacketed hollow point be thought of as a defensive round?


----------



## berettabone (Jan 23, 2012)

You need the serations on the bullet, and you need the box to say "personal defense", or "home defense", or "ultimate home defense" I was told this by a gun rights/conceal carry lawyer, and my NRA CCW trainer. Your lord forbid, if you ever end up in court, depending on who, how, where, when.....your legal defense can tell the court, look, my client doesn't shoot ball ammo, he doesn't shoot +p, he doesn't shoot high load hollowpoints...he doesn't shoot wadcutters, he shoots only ammo that is strictly for self defense, it says so, right on the box.............personally, I think that ALL ammo should or could be thought of as defense ammo, but, up here, I guess it matters in a court of law.


----------



## stresy01 (Jan 17, 2012)

Hornady Critical defense


----------



## Dragonheart (Jan 30, 2012)

If you have ever tested a 9mm 147 grain bullet you will find it gives excellent penetration. For law enforcement who may want to shoot through car doors, walls , etc. it may be ideal. As far as home defense or for concealed carry I think a 147 grain bullet is a very poor choice because of the excess penetration. I would suggest you look at the Federal Guard Dog Ammunition. The Guard Dog in 9mm is a 105 grain polymer filled full metal jacket bullet driven at high velocity. The bullet expands like a hollow point, but doesn't load up like a hollow point. It is designed to expend it's energy on the target and not over penetrate, possibly harming an innocent. If you carry for self defense, remember once you fire a round you own it.


----------



## donn12 (Jan 1, 2012)

berettabone said:


> You need the serations on the bullet, and you need the box to say "personal defense", or "home defense", or "ultimate home defense" I was told this by a gun rights/conceal carry lawyer, and my NRA CCW trainer. Your lord forbid, if you ever end up in court, depending on who, how, where, when.....your legal defense can tell the court, look, my client doesn't shoot ball ammo, he doesn't shoot +p, he doesn't shoot high load hollowpoints...he doesn't shoot wadcutters, he shoots only ammo that is strictly for self defense, it says so, right on the box.............personally, I think that ALL ammo should or could be thought of as defense ammo, but, up here, I guess it matters in a court of law.


I looed at the box my ammo is in and it says personal protection


----------



## ctrcs (Dec 23, 2011)

+1 for Hornady Critical Defense


----------



## prof_fate (Jan 2, 2012)

Been reading a lot on stopping power lately.
Shot placement is of course critical - you gotta hit something vital to stop the perp. You can stop him in several ways - assuming he doesn't stop on his own (getting shot will stop most folks) or after your warning shot (i'd fire one just because I'd rather not have to explain why I shot someone).
Now if I had to put a shot into him I'd want to be sure he's gonna stop - and preferably die so my story is the only one.

Anyway -if you hit the spine, central nervous system, he's gonna stop. Perhaps if you burst his heart or head he'll stop. Anything else won't stop him till he bleeds out which can take a while.

Penetration is best, expansion second. Don't worry about a round going through the perp and out the other side- it will have lost so much energy as to not be a concern. Missing him (or a warning shot) is more likely to be a hazard to others than a round that over penetrates. Also consider he may be shooting back at you - and missing (you don't figure you'll be hit, right? ).

Decades ago I was told in a pistol class that should I need to shoot a perp in my house to 'empty the gun into him' so that it's easier later to plead 'panic' and 'fear' and such. "I just paniced and kept shooting till the gun quit!" - now how that defense would come across from a non-shooter type vs a regular IDPA competitor I can't say.


----------



## berettatoter (Sep 1, 2011)

TedDeBearFrmHell said:


> if your gun shoots well with the ammo and you can hit what you are aiming at, then its a good ammo..... i dont get all worked up over ammo choice, its all about shot placement.


True, very true, especially with the 9mm inside your home. The 9mm suffers from over penetration issues.


----------



## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

Home defense right?You're going to be,what,15ft?

The real question is,what would you do looking down a muzzle if anything is in it?95gr,124,I don't care,it will friggin hurt if it hits you.

No worries,shy of knowing what's behind the wall on a miss.That round is good for cool weather ,which I do prefer heavier bullets in cold weather for pushing through.Unfortunately I can't really tell you much more than that because I'm a diehard 1911 lover.The HK is right there too.My opinion is,45acp.40 was a marketing ploy because few thought of downloading a 10mm and it intimidates most people.The 9 is good but I don't follow the new order that dropped that big 7.62 to a smaller one,then a .22,then pull the 45 down to 9?Sorry,hit a tangent there.


----------



## Doug B. (Nov 8, 2010)

I use +P Rem. Golden Saber handloads. Nowhere on my 50 round, hinged plastic box does it say "personal protection". God forbid I ever need to find out if they work. If that does occur....I'm sure they will do just fine.


----------

