.45 Ammo: HP vs. Ball

[CharlieHo]

Originally Posted by Mister XD

I carry nothing but Federal Hydra Shoks. There are 2 flavors of these: The low pressured ones (165 gr.) and the higher pressured ones (230 gr. I believe). I carry the 165's (and nothing BUT) and I rotate my ammo once every 6 months. I shoot off all of the older stuff, and then replace it with fresh ammo. (they get banged up and dented and what not from normal carry, just from shuffling around in the magazine)

I've owned & carried .45 autos for the better part of 13 years now, and I've carried Glocks, Kimbers, Sigs, Springfields, and Paras. I carry NOTHING but .45 auto, regardless of the make or size of the pistol. And I carry NOTHING but the Hydra-Shoks. And for all that time, I've done the EXACT same thing... rotate the ammo out and shoot off the old ones on the range after about 6 months of carry life.

I've NEVER had a FTF, or FTE from ANY gun with my old Hyrda-Shoks. Likewise, I've NEVER had a misfire, hangfire, or any other problem from this round. This is the most dependable round I've ever used, and I trust my life with it.

Over-penetration isn't even an issue with the lower grain cartridge, combined with the HP bullet, and the thing is EFFECTIVE. It's a large, powerful, slower moving bullet that hits you like a Mack truck. I once heard the term "flying sledgehammer" and find it to be most accurate. But don't take my word for it Get yourself a box of them, take them to the range, and see for yourself. Shoot at watermelons, 1 gallon milk jugs filled with red paint (or dyed water), or if you really want to see the kind of damage it can do, go to the grocery store and pick up a couple cheap slabs of meat.

Other than that, comparing Ball to HP is like comparing a hammer to a screwdriver. They're two totally different bullets built for totally different jobs. Yes, the military used ball... not because it's effective, but because (sadly) it's the cheapest to make. They'd give ya cast lead softpoint reloads if you could actually fire more than a handful of them without having to stop & clean your gun

But the fact is, ball ammo is NOT a reliable self-defense round. Granted, it's better than nothing, but I wouldn't carry it if I had a choice. HP's are designed for self defense, ball is designed for target & plinking. Those are the facts

Originally Posted by Delija

Originally Posted by Mister XD

What?!?! It's true... do you have any idea what it would cost them to issue hollow points???

No worries Delija, I'm having trouble agreeing with ANYTHING in the post