Best Defense .40 Ammo

[mertbl]

I carry the pdx1 in my glock 22.

 

[Tactical Dave]

I like the Winchester T-series (new design of the black talon) regardless of the caliber, for .45 I use 230gr +P, for 9mm I use 147gr.

I got on you tube and looked at vids of people testing the rounds, one guy shot them into a barrel of water for expansion tests and I like what I saw with the T-series.

Personally I like the heaviest grain fastest round I can get regardless of caliber.

 

[Comp]

The best defensive ammo is the one that in your gun on your person when you need it. Think about it.

 

[STEEL CORE]

Any of the big three...................Win/Fed/Speer, I currently have Speer in my Glock-23 mags, Winchester PDX-1, in my G-27 mags, and in my cars trunk, a Glock-22 with three mags of Federal HST. Not planning on shooting anybody anytime soon, and this mag loading is just the result of what I had left over in the box from the last range session and/or which box I got cheapest the last time I needed to rotate my ammo. Somewhere in my computer files I have a no nonsense video testing publication, showing various caliber and loads from Win/Fed/Speer/Hornaday being tested in ballistic gelatin and through auto glass and denim layers for the PD market. IMHO the Speer .40 preformed best for me, I am going to another ballistics workshop personaly next week, and will see with my own two eyes which brand I am going to concentrate on. But yes.......the bullet(s) in your gun at the time you need it, will be your best shot. Let me see if I can find that ballistics workshop video.

 

[NIFT]

See Thoughts on Service Pistols, along with Duty and Self-Defense Ammo Recommendations - M4Carbine.net Forums

Handgun ammunition meeting performance protocols are:

9 mm:
Barnes XPB 115 gr JHP (copper bullet)
Federal Tactical 124 gr JHP (LE9T1)
Federal HST 124 gr +P JHP (P9HST3)
Remington Golden Saber 124 gr +P JHP bonded (GSB9MMD)
Speer Gold Dot 124 gr +P JHP
Winchester Partition Gold 124 gr JHP (RA91P)
Winchester Ranger-T 124 gr +P JHP (RA9124TP)
Winchester Ranger-T 127 gr +P+ JHP (RA9TA)
Federal Tactical 135 gr +P JHP (LE9T5)
Federal HST 147 gr JHP (P9HST2)
Remington Golden Saber 147 gr JHP (GS9MMC)
Speer Gold Dot 147 gr JHP
Winchester Ranger-T 147 gr JHP (RA9T)
Winchester 147 gr bonded JHP (RA9B/Q4364)

.40 S&W:
Speer Gold Dot 155 gr JHP
Federal Tactical 165 gr JHP (LE40T3)
Winchester Ranger-T 165 gr JHP (RA40TA)
Winchester Partition Gold 165 gr JHP (RA401P)
Federal HST 180 gr JHP (P40HST1)
Federal Tactical 180 gr JHP (LE40T1)
Remington Golden Saber 180 gr JHP (GS40SWB)
Speer Gold Dot 180 gr JHP
Winchester Ranger-T 180 gr JHP (RA40T)
Winchester 180 gr bonded JHP (RA40B/Q4355/S40SWPDB1, also PDX-1 the “civilian” version)

.45 ACP:
Federal HST 230 gr JHP (P45HST2)
Federal HST 230 gr +P JHP (P45HST1)
Federal Tactical 230 gr JHP (LE45T1)
Speer Gold Dot 230 gr JHP
Speer Gold Dot 230 gr +P JHP
Winchester Ranger-T 230 gr JHP (RA45T)
Winchester Ranger-T 230 gr +P JHP (RA45TP)

.38 Special and .357 Magnum:
Speer Gold Dot 135 gr. +P JHP
Winchester PDX-1, 130 gr. JHP

Also:
It is important to realize that shot placement (a training and practice issue) is independent of terminal ballistics (an ammunition issue.)
Training and proper practice are the most important, but they do not influence ammunition performance and vice versa. They are independent.​