Opening an ammo can of worms:)

[Russ7777]

Ok here is my question. I am looking at self-defense ammo, and when I look at the price I feel like I am being robbed. I use a xdm 3.8 .40 as a carry gun.
While I was shopping, and pricing the ammo, I came across a 50 count box of Fiocchi ammo. It is 165 grain jacked hollow point for around $21.00.
Does the bad guy really care if I shoot him with Fiocchi hollow points as opposed to speer gold-dot?
I figure if I get shots in the critical body mass area he is going to have a really bad day whether it is inexpensive hollow-points or really expensive hollow-points; where are I wrong?

[rayikeo2]

The bad guy is not going to care. I have yet to hear one say, you should have used better ammo. He will be just as "shot" with either bullet. However, because none of us shoot that many bad guys, the more expensive ammo will last a long time before you have to replace it.

[hotpig]

21.00 for 50 rounds puts you within 3.00 of a much better Federal HST load. I like Fiocchi ammo but I would not consider their hp ammo for carry.

[YoopermikeXDM]

Sd ammo is engineered for its intended purpose. Run of the mill hp's are not made with the same characteristics. They will get the job done either way. Hell fmj target ammo will work (ask any vet). Its just not the intended purpose of that particular ammo.

[hotpig]

Yooper is correct, FMJ ammo is more plentiful world wide than hp ammo. Because of that it kills more people world wide every year than hp.

The ammo in question is priced within a few bucks of many Law Enforcement grade hp. In my opinion it is a small price to pay in order to hedge your bet some if you ever have to rely on the bullet to stop a attacker.

[N.E. Tx.XD]

Hey Russ, am feeling your pain. I just went through this exercise myself. At least once a year I will run a magazine load of my SD rounds through my carry pieces for functionality. This year, after paying the price for 20-25 rds., had lost all interest in buying it in a small boxs. Only looked for 50 rd. boxs, and they are very hard to find. The best SD loads in 50rds. that I wanted, and could find, are the Winchester Ranger-T's and Remington Golden Sabers Bonded.
The best place to find these are online, if you can find 'em in stock, and pay the shipping.
As far as your Fiocchi ammo, yes it makes the same size hole, but may not function quite as well. We all have it in our minds that if we pay just a little more, it's gonna work a little better. Sometimes it will, but will never know until ya have to use it. But it's much better than nothing.

Best of luck with your quest.

[Carnivorous]

The marginal price difference is not worth your life. Save money on range ammo. When it comes to you and yours, buy the best defense you can.

[Russ7777]

Thanks for your post, and keep them coming.
My other thought with the less expensive ammo is; I am more willing to go to the range and shoot it to learn its charactistics, and that will help me put bullets where I need them, than using an ammo that I have hardly shot.

I am going to keep looking at the self-defense rounds, and I am going to look for them in 50 round quanity so I can lower the cost per round.

Seperate question: Do any of you reload? If so are you familiar with the RCBS partner reloading kit? Do you reload your own self defense rounds?

[hotpig]

I have a partner that I learned on. I now use a Lee Turent press. I have hundreds of rounds of various hp components socked away. I sell LE ammo so I would never consider loading my own self defense ammo.

Most of those rounds other than Gold Dot are not sold as reloading components so it would not be a option anyway.

[mongoose33]

I've watched these SD ammo wars for years now, and I'm always a bit nonplussed by it.

I can just imagine a bad guy, when a SD round doesn't fully expand, responding with "Aha! Your self-defense ammo sucks! It only put a small hole in me, not a larger one! So because of this I'm going to act like nothing has happened, and give you a bit of your own medicine!"

People would, IMO, be much further ahead to focus on their ability to shoot, and shoot followup shots, and shoot where they can hit the target, than to spend as much time as they do trying to substitute technology for skill.

I used to make golf clubs--had a business, in fact. I was struck by how many people want to buy a game, rather than developing one. Year after year, a new set of clubs--instead of learning how to play.

I have the same sense with these debates. People get all worked up over a variable that is one of the least important when it comes to protecting themselves. Other variables like situational awareness, avoidance of bad places, practicing shooting under stress, keeping their doors locked--these matter far more.


I carry Hornady XTP in my weapons. I believe they will be just fine. And when it comes to delivering a 230 grain hollow point bullet from my XD-45, I just have a hard time believing it's going to matter all that much which brand I carry, so long as it's reliable and goes "bang" every time.