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What 9mm defensive round to you carry?

16K views 122 replies 60 participants last post by  1smoothredneck 
#1 ·
I am picking up an XDs 4.0 9mm in the next few days for my girlfriend, and would like to hear your opinions on defensive ammo, particularly for this firearm.

Typically I carry standard grain, for example, in my 1911, I practice with 230 grain ball ammo, and I carry 230 grain JHP. In my XD40 its the same story but 180 grain.

Is there any reason to carry anything other than standard 115 grain in the XDs?

What brand of defensive ammo do you suggest and why?

Just trying to get a feel for what the gun likes before we go buy and try many different brands and grains of ammo.

Thanks
 
#3 ·
HST is the shiz. Buy it and live happily ever after.
 
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#6 ·
I use 124 gr +P Gold Dots in both my Gen4 G17 (Home Defense gun) and my Walther PPS (CCW gun). It's got a great track record and I've been very happy with the accuracy and reliability of it so far.

I'd also recommend Remington Golden Sabres too.
 
#8 ·
Stick with something proven.

HST
Gold Dot
Golden Saber
PDX1
Ranger T

No specific order, but I like HST and ranger T's best.
 
#9 ·
Speer Gold Dots, 147gr.

I've found them easier to find than HST.

Winchester seems to have many variations, so I found it difficult to get the ones on "the LIST"

9mm

  • Barnes XPB 115gr HP (35515) such as loaded by Cor-Bon (DPX09115)
  • Winchester Partition Gold 124gr JHP (RA91P)
  • Winchester Ranger-T 124 gr +P JHP (RA9124TP)
  • Winchester Ranger Bonded 124 gr +P JHP (RA9BA)
  • Winchester Ranger-T 127gr JHP +P+ (RA9TA)
  • Winchester Ranger-T 147gr JHP (RA9T)
  • Winchester Bonded 147gr JHP (RA9B/Q4364)
  • Speer Gold Dor 124gr JHP
  • Speer Gold Dot 124gr JHP +P (53617)
  • Speer Gold Dot 147gr JHP (53619)
  • Remington Golden Saber 124 gr +P JHP bonded (GSB9MMD)
  • Remington Golden Saber 147gr JHP (GS9MMC)
  • Federal Tactical 124gr JHP (LE9T1)
  • Federal Tactical 135gr JHP +P (LE9T5)
  • Federal HST 147gr JHP (P9HST2)
  • Federal HST 124gr JHP +P (P9HST3)
Best Choices for Self Defense Ammo
 
#46 ·
...get the ones on "the LIST"

9mm

  • Barnes XPB 115gr HP (35515) such as loaded by Cor-Bon (DPX09115)
  • Winchester Partition Gold 124gr JHP (RA91P)
  • Winchester Ranger-T 124 gr +P JHP (RA9124TP)
  • Winchester Ranger Bonded 124 gr +P JHP (RA9BA)
  • Winchester Ranger-T 127gr JHP +P+ (RA9TA)
  • Winchester Ranger-T 147gr JHP (RA9T)
  • Winchester Bonded 147gr JHP (RA9B/Q4364)
  • Speer Gold Dor 124gr JHP
  • Speer Gold Dot 124gr JHP +P (53617)
  • Speer Gold Dot 147gr JHP (53619)
  • Remington Golden Saber 124 gr +P JHP bonded (GSB9MMD)
  • Remington Golden Saber 147gr JHP (GS9MMC)
  • Federal Tactical 124gr JHP (LE9T1)
  • Federal Tactical 135gr JHP +P (LE9T5)
  • Federal HST 147gr JHP (P9HST2)
  • Federal HST 124gr JHP +P (P9HST3)
Best Choices for Self Defense Ammo
^ As bigmoguls cited, go with what's on DocGKR's list. These all meet the FBI standards.

It is not listed in order of preference or ranking, it's just a list. Pick what's most readily available for you, and then pick one or two backups, just-in case. My preference has, as with many on this list, been the Federal HST 147 gr. (standard pressure P9HST2), but recently, it's become pretty hard to get....

From there, vet your choices first for function and reliability as Cuda66 recommended below:

Which brings me to my final point--whatever you decide, you need to put a couple of magazines at bare minimum of your chosen carry loads through your gun before greenlighting it for carry. So, buy a couple of boxes of different loads off that list a few posts back, shoot a couple of magazines worth, see what your pistol likes, and stock up on it.
- testing for feed/function through your specific and unique gun(s) and its chosen defensive magazines, since "your" XD-S is not the same as any other person's.

The biggest thing is that your gun can get through that first mag - in-reality as well as in force-on-force training, how many actually get to go to that second mag? So that first, resident, mag is the most important. Anything thereafter is gravy, and probably really only carries value in terms of a duty/service weapon or in a WROL/SHTF/Zombie Apocalypse context. I'm not saying that knowing that absolute limit is without worth: it's just not as important as knowing that the gun and its resident magazine.

Finally, pay attention to perceived recoil/blast characteristics, as well as, if you can, low-light muzzle-flash, both of which can influence your performance from behind the gun.
 
#13 ·
Those are all some good options, thanks for the advice. And I agree with the heavy and slow, thats why I usually carry a .45

I have had problems with the golden saber in my 1911. After only chambering a few times they really crush down. Is that still a problem?
 
#15 ·
I'm not sure what you mean by "crushed down"--is the bullet setting back into the case, is the cavity deforming...?

Personally, I prefer 147gr, standard pressure loads; HST, Gold Dot, Golden Sabre, Ranger-T...whatever. They all perform about the same, and I can always find one of them...and when I do, I buy at least a half case.

That being said, my bedside pistol is loaded with Winchester's 127+P+ Ranger-T, because in testing, that load ran incredibly well and drilled a one-hole, 15rd group at fifty feet.

Which brings me to my final point--whatever you decide, you need to put a couple of magazines at bare minimum of your chosen carry loads through your gun before greenlighting it for carry. So, buy a couple of boxes of different loads off that list a few posts back, shoot a couple of magazines worth, see what your pistol likes, and stock up on it.
 
#16 ·
I am picking up an XDs 4.0 9mm in the next few days for my girlfriend, and would like to hear your opinions on defensive ammo, particularly for this firearm.

Typically I carry standard grain, for example, in my 1911, I practice with 230 grain ball ammo, and I carry 230 grain JHP. In my XD40 its the same story but 180 grain.

Is there any reason to carry anything other than standard 115 grain in the XDs?

What brand of defensive ammo do you suggest and why?

Just trying to get a feel for what the gun likes before we go buy and try many different brands and grains of ammo.

Thanks
Speer Gold Dot 124 +P
 
#23 ·
I prefer larger heavier bullets to the lighter for SD so I use GD JHP 147 gr.
 
#26 ·
Plenty of good comments earlier in the thread..... my assortment of sd ammo is:

Various grain & pressure Speer Gold DOt
Hornady Critical DUTY
Remington Golden Sabre
127 gr +P+ Winchester Ranger "T"
HST

IMO, most of the modern self defense ammo has the bugs worked out of it. I stay away from the gimmick rounds until there is plenty of evidence why it is "THE" solution....... and as long as they run reliably in the gun, it goes into the stockpile.
 
#33 ·
I am picking up an XDs 4.0 9mm in the next few days for my girlfriend, and would like to hear your opinions on defensive ammo, particularly for this firearm.

Typically I carry standard grain, for example, in my 1911, I practice with 230 grain ball ammo, and I carry 230 grain JHP. In my XD40 its the same story but 180 grain.

Is there any reason to carry anything other than standard 115 grain in the XDs?

What brand of defensive ammo do you suggest and why?

Just trying to get a feel for what the gun likes before we go buy and try many different brands and grains of ammo.

Thanks
I carry Hornady Critical duty, 9mm 135 +p, also speer gold dot 124 +p.
 
#37 ·
Federal HST. I currently have 147 grain loaded up. Couldn't find any more in that, so I have some 124gr +P next in line.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 
#38 ·
Fed. HST or Rem. GS for me.
 
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