Just curious as to what forum members are using for 9mm self defense. I have a 365 for EDC and have been using store-bought Hornady.

I use store bought, usually Gold Dots.

It's the only ammo I shoot and don't reload other than rimfire.

Federal 124 gr HST in my 365.

I use Federal 124gr HST in my P365. I use Speer Golddot 124gr +p in my Glock 19/17 and have Federal 124gr +p HST ammo that has been verified reliable and on hand. I also have and store Federal 147gr HST ammo if for some reason I would want to choose that flavor.

My own personal experience with the P365 is that I shoot the non +p variants faster and more accurately than the +p ammo. In the bigger guns like the G19 or P320 I do not notice as much of a difference between the normal and +p variants. I have been carrying the Glock 19 since sometime last summer when the commie revolutionists started burning down cities. I have moved to an XL frame on my P365 and may try out the +p ammo to see if the slightly larger grip frame helps with speed and accuracy. I plan to start carrying the P365 again as the weather warms.

I carry either Gold Dots or HST in my Shield and Glock, both in 124gr and standard velocity. I may try to lay in some 147gr HST for when I get my pistol can in a few months.

Speer Gold Dot 124gr +p jhp in my 365XL.

Steve......

Retired cop here, I carry the same ammo I was issued, Speer gold dots. In any caliber that’s what I carry for self defense.

I’ve used them, I know they work, and the cops wouldn’t be using any kind of exotic ammo and open themselves up to lawsuits.

Ask your local departments, what they carry and go with that.

quote:

Retired cop here, I carry the same ammo I was issued, Speer gold dots. In any caliber that’s what I carry for self defense...I’ve used them, I know they work, and the cops wouldn’t be using any kind of exotic ammo and open themselves up to lawsuits...Ask your local departments, what they carry and go with that.

Damned good advice...Rod

I don’t worry about the factory or hand loaded ammo in a SD gun. I also consider myself a ‘low probability’ user. Yes, I realize things could change.

I have a fair amount of 124 grain Hornady bullets loaded with H Universal powder, they cycle & shoot fine. I bought some Underwood ammo a while back on sale, loaded with the copper Lehigh Defense bullets. Just with a little testing they show great penetration, as reviews portray.

I favor the heavy end of the spectrum when it comes to defensive 9mm ammo. 147 or 135 grain for me.

How times change. There was an entire era where we were taught to never even consider a reload for self defense because some crooked prosecutor would suggest we were using atomic ammo that would kill someone with even a close miss. No more, you're lucky to even find any in your chosen caliber in an entire day of searching. Go out and about any you'll see there isn't even a single box or 9mm to be found. Of course components aren't much better. Try finding primers some time.

So its pretty much a question of what you have or what you can find. The practical solution is to train with handloads but carry factory ammo. Well, you still need to be sure they perform the same. Burns ammo.

If you have a brand/style of ammo you like, don't shoot it all up. Simple idea. But fools will still shoot up their supply, then lament the fact they can't find any to replace it. OK, they probably voted wrong in the last presidential election, too. And don't see any connection.

So if you don't reload, you're screwed. Or need to start. You can probably never discover the brand of powder or find any that performs the same. You actually can find primers...at a price. So look at the problem from a practical point of view. Pick the ammo you like. Then search for it everywhere. When you can't find any or even just a little, go about replacing it in volume. If the bullets are commercial, look for them, in quantity. If you're stupid and don't want "reloads", just buy virgin brass (be sure to leave your empties on the ground for other, smarter shooters to pick up).

Then hire a reloader to fill your high price virgin brass with powder and your bullets. Go to the range and intermix your new "loads" with factory ammo. Then burn some of it up and see where the holes appear. If they all appear in the same group, you're good to go. If they don't, adjust something. The easiest being the powder charge. Good luck with it.

Just a reminder, most everything(ammo, primers, powder) is available at the local gun show, checked recently myself. Yes of course, prices reflect the current market. That may be $45-65 for 50 factory 9mm rounds.

Most of us aren’t involved in shootouts very often. My feeling is it’s best to de-escalate the encounter before it comes to shooting, a strong AS ABLE added.

The way things are currently, no reason to expect fully stocked shelves soon.

Look at the bullet testing luckygunner did...
https://www.luckygunner.com/la...ballistic-tests/#9mm

I have a small stash of 147 grain Winchester Ranger-T that I am carrying in my 365. I will say that it's hard to beat Gold Dot's too. I always carry factory loads for EDC. I shoot a lot of hand loads but I just feel more comfortable with the factory stuff. Liability doesn't factor into it for me. My experiences with that is if it's a good shoot, it doesn't matter what you use. If it's a bad shoot, the ammo choice isn't going to fix it.

My EDC is Sierra's 124 grain V-Crown over 7.5 grains of Blue Dot.

Loading data suggests ~1180 fps; clean, accurate, and not much recoil or flash.

I asked this question here on SF several years ago. I took the answers, Lucky Gunner's test results, and created my list from the union of the two sets.

The list:

• Federal HST 147 gr.
  
• Speer Gold Dot 147 gr.
  
• Remington Golden Saber 147 gr.
  

For self defense 147gr. Sub-Sonic Speer. For practice 124 gr. over 4.6gr Winchester 231 Winchester WSP COAL 1.120

Federal 147grn HST for my P365.

Being in the state of Kalifornia and for LIABILITY reasons I carry Factory Manufactured ammunition in Standard Pressure. No +P or +P+..

Federal HST 124gr and 147gr
SPEER Gold Dots 124gr and 147gr
Winchester SXT 124gr and 147 gr

If you're involved in a self-defense shooting you may be cleared in a criminal court by a judge. But in a Civil court be found guilty and have to pay the criminals medical bills because you use higher pressure ammunition.

Know your City/State Use of Force policy when reloading your ammo for self-defense.

Winchester sold their defender line of ammunition and training ammunition as being duplicate ballistics, and sig has done the same with theirs...I'm not sure why it seems so important to train with identical ammunition to what you're carrying. It's not.

I can't tell the difference, or much of a difference. Much more important to train as much as you can, or can afford; fundamentals and focusing on the basics are what matter. Having a training load that duplicates your carry load shouldn't be anywhere near the top of the priority list.

Get familiar with the firearm, but there is no need to burn up cases of gold dot factory ammunition in training to be more "realistic," or to find an ammunition or load some that duplicates it. Get a load that functions and cycles the weapon, and go train.

Reloading does save, but not that much. Not like it used to be, and certainly not with today's availability and prices. What reloading does is allow you to develop the load you want, for the purpose you want.

The counsel to carry factory ammunition and not your own reloads isn't old, outdated counsel.

Carry factory ammunition.