Best 9mm Carry Ammo Recommendations

[EDC_Minded]

I’ve been carrying my 9mm for a while now, but I’m in the market for some new self-defense ammo. What are your go-to choices, especially when it comes to hollow points? Just want something reliable when it counts.

 

[Driswalds]

Federal HSTs are my go-to. Ranger Ts a close second in some offerings.

 

[dademoss]

I carry 115 grain Critical Defense.

 

[magnum0710]

I would look into some testing and see what will fit your needs best. The standard pressure 124 grain HST is my favorite, some say the 147 has less recoil but I didn't find that to be true with full power loads. I prefer 124 over 115 and 147. I put penetration over expansion personally so HSTs, Gold Dots, Critical Duty, Sig V Crown, XTP, it's really hard to go wrong. Not a fan of critical defense, it's not a bad choice I just prefer more penetration. 115 grain Winchester Silvertips are junk, terrible performance on par with most 380s. The 115 grain Winchester "white box" (actually comes in a black box now labeled "defense" ) is surprisingly good for what it is, it's a good stash round. The 115 Gold Dots and 115 Sig 365 are pretty good too but those are the only 115s I really care for.

https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/#9mm

 

[Sideways]

I like to watch a Youtube channel called "Tools & Targets" where they do a lot of testing of self defense rounds. He seems to really like Federal HST hollow point rounds (I'm impressed with their expansion and penetration as well). He also seems impressed with Underwood Xtreme Defender ammo's performance (but not the cost). I'm currently using Underwood Xtreme Defender ammo, but will try HST's in the future.

 

[forrestr]

9mm's are all over the place & extensive testing is highly recommended.

There's:
short vs long bbl lengths
1 in 10 twists vs 1 in 16 twists
.355" bbl's vs .358" bbl's
throated bbl's vs un-throated bbl's

Then there's the typical poa vs poi with light fast bullets hitting low vs heavy slow bullets hitting high.

 

[Detailed Firearms]

Tools & Targets is a great channel, agreed.

You can get the Federal Premium HST LE in a 50 round box for much less per round than they sell the civilian 20 round box:

https://www.topgunammo.com/federal-le-9mm-hst-124gr-jhp-ammo-50rds.html

I use the Federal Premium HST LE in 124gr +p and like it, but lately I've been buying US Cartridge 124gr +p with Nosler JHP bullets from Ammunition Depot. They also have versions in 115gr and 147gr, both with and without +p. Here's the 124gr +p :

https://www.ammunitiondepot.com/usc9124pnos-us-cartridge-9mm-124-gr-plus-p-nosler-jhp-1.html

At $63 for 200 rounds with reasonable shipping, you can't beat it, imo. I've bought thousands of rounds from them in the past several months. It's bulk packed in a bag, but clean, shiny, new, and haven't had any failures. No affiliation with AD, can't even get a discount from them, but they're great.

 

[sand sock]

i've fired lots and lots and lots of 9mm over the last 30 years. i'm more on accuracy than internal ballistics. i have found 124 grn or 147 s to be the tightest consistent groups. but if i'm buying, i want 124 grn at 1200 fps. i know that works, 115s ive seen bounce off cows and coons skulls at 5 yards.

 

[nksmfamjp]

i want 124 grn at 1200 fps. i know that works, 115s ive seen bounce off cows and coons skulls at 5 yards.

I’d like to see that! A 9mm, any 9mm bounce off a coons skull.

 

[sand sock]

I'd like to see that! A 9mm, any 9mm bounce off a coons skull.

alot of the cheap 115s are made from compressed powder pellets and copper plated. look at barrys specifically. the soft lead in the copper jacket , makes the lead act like a rubber ball out of a junk machine. we used to shoot alot into sand tanks and recapture the rounds. then wash them and remelt the lead for castings. the copper wouldnt be ruptured and while heating them up. the rifling would disappear and they would reshape back to the orignal shape.. i tried squeezing one with long needle nose and the thing popped and about got me. most of the cheap 115s produced clocked in at 1020-1040 fps a few of the better would do 1100. when we were shooting alot, you would see those 115s start going down range, then just shift in mid flight and go right around a target @ 50-100 yards. it was some combination of the jack swaging or plating or jacket design . but we have a old farm house that was abandoned and we would trap lots of coon out of it. we saw alot of 115s fail, where 124s always worked.