40 S&W defensive ammo, grains and recoil

[45calibre]

which loads of 40S&W have the least recoil? im just getting into 40 and i plan on my carry ammo being the one with the least recoil in either HST or Gold Dots.

from these makers i have only seen that they make 155,165,and 180 grains bullets. which of these would have the least recoil? from my experience with 9mm 147 grains shoots a lot softer than 115 grain or 124 grain.

 

[aclark]

The American Eagle 180 is a pretty nice shooting round. I have both the 165 and 180 and the 180 feels, not as sharp...

A few other people have shot the 180 outta my gun and really like it over previous .40s they have shot.

 

[Ragenarok007]

I shoot 165 grain Golden Sabres. They produce less muzzle flash than the Gold Dots so its easier for me to shoot at night without losing as much night vision. If this is not an issue for you then the performance is otherwise quite similar but less expensive than Golden Sabres.

My 60 year old mother is 4'9" and prefers my G22 to her G17, so I imagine you will be able to handle the 165 grain.

 

[45calibre]

im not too fond of golden saber. never tried AE though.

 

[IndyGunner]

Hornady critical defense 165 grain feeds well and opens in everything normal hollows dont expand in.

Ive carried speer 180 grain for awhile though. It is tied for first with the above. I choose which one to buy based on availability and price.


Youll find that MOST modern HP ammunition is within a very small standard deviation from each other in terms of price/performance. However, there are some brands out there that IMHO suck.


btw: hst is a good choice and pretty too!

 

[the1kidd03]

for lighter recoil...the general concept is that a lighter bullet will reduce felt recoil.....so will a round that burns/travels slower.....the combination of the two will give you the least possible felt recoil, but keep in mind the .40 is a fairly "snappy" round to begin with and has a fair amount of muzzle climb anyway........generally, it's recommended by experts on one side of the fence that you use a lighter bullet at an increased velocity...which would basically counteract each other in terms of recoil and so you prolly won't feel much difference

 

[the1kidd03]

go to sportsman's guide website and you can find a selection of factory ammo by caliber and bullet weight.....there are some which 135 gr.....and even less than that, but I wouldn't go much lower

 

[VERT]

I shoot quite a bit of .40. For the most part I think the 180 grain loads shoot better in my guns. Don't notice much of a difference between 165 gr and 180 gr in terms of recoil. But this is making a comparison between these two loadings in FMJ. I carry 155 grain gold dot in my Glock 23 and IMO they are a handful. Most of the dedicated defensive ammo will be a bit more stout. So not sure that a person would notice much of a difference in any of the HST or GoldDot loads.

If the a person is mainly concerned about recoil and accuracy in their carry round, maybe look for a good old fashioned 180 grain hollow point. I used to be able to buy the white box Winchester hollow points. They were reasonably priced, shot well, and were reliable in all my guns. No they are not a fancy new bullet design, but the .40 is a sufficiently powerful pistol cartridge. I would be comfortable carrying any of the commercially available defense loads or 180 gr hollow point.

 

[mrortega]

I've shot the 155, 165 and 180 in four different .40 cals. The 180s are the least recoil for me. I can't remember which of the other two weights had the most smack but it was noticeably more than the 180s. I did a lot of research before I settled on the Speer Gold Dot 180 gr. I can't cite any sources right now but the 180s penetrated deeper into test media and didn't clog up going through demin as the lighter weights. As far as the Gold Dots, they have an excellent reputation in 9mm in the 124gr +P for both the Indiana State Police and NYPD. My Glocks (22,23,27) throw the practice ammo to the same spot as the carry stuff.

 

[rimfire_crazed]

I carry the 135 HST's that were a CPB overrun - bought 500 when they were around. They definitely have the most recoil (in my gun) of ANY ammo I've ever shot at any weight.

Keep in mind, the .40 is going to have some recoil regardless of what ammo you're shooting. The best I can say is that the 135's recoil impulse feels subjectively "faster" than 165's or 180's.

Bottom line, get a few boxes of different carry ammo, shoot them all, and decide what is best for you. Then buy a ton of it.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

When I did own a .40 I could honestly tell no difference in recoil between bullet weights.

 

[travisf]

I'm a fan of the 165 Hornady Critical Defense.

 

[STEEL CORE]

180's. Trust me.

 

[IndianaSigma]

Federal Premium Personal Defense Low Recoil 40 S&W 155 Grain Hydra-Shok JHP

 

[45calibre]

180's. Trust me.

less recoil?

 

[Cam]

Why are you concerned about recoil? I'd bet you won't feel any difference in recoil with most any SD type ammo enough to merit all the research. With any self defense situation where you would be using your firearm, I'd be very surprised if you even HEAR the shots, let alone notice the recoil.

Sounds like a smart ass response, but it's not meant to be. What are your concerns with recoil?

 

[Cam]

But to answer the question directly, I use 165gr Hornady XTP and 180 Speer Gold Dots primarily and don't notice any difference in perceived recoil.

 

[45calibre]

i have noticed a big difference in recoil between 147 grain and 115/124 grain gold dots in 9mm. this is my first .40 caliber firearm and i wanted to see if the heavier bullets also recoiled less just like in 9mm before i buy and JHPs

 

[Earl Sinclair]

I've never noticed any defensive .40S&W round NOT being snappy (Cor-Bon, Federal, Hornady, Gold-Dot, etc.). As others have mentioned, some believe felt recoil is less with lighter bullets, but YMMV. I shoot Cor-Bon DPX 140 grain solid copper hollowpoints. The solid copper bullet has two primary features I like: good durability (even through barriers); and light weight, which allows it to be pushed a little faster for improved expansion/ penetration. My only caution would be to keep in mind that reduced recoil almost always means reduced projectile velocity, which may lead to poor expansion and reduced penetration.

The only felt recoil reduction technique I know that does not have a terminal performance penalty is to use a heavier gun, though that has its own set of drawbacks.

Good luck.

 

[IndyGunner]

But to answer the question directly, I use 165gr Hornady XTP and 180 Speer Gold Dots primarily and don't notice any difference in perceived recoil.

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