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I'm kind of new to the forum and I am looking for the most effective 9mm JHP with stopping power for my primary carry load. I've done a little research and the Speer Gold dot 124 gr +P bonded JHP seems to be a popular and effective round. It also looks like the Federal 147 gr HST JHP round is a good one.

I've put around 600 rounds down range (and do the majority of shooting with) Monarch and winchester 115 gr FMJs. So I want something that will not have a totally different feel than what I normally shoot with (if possible).

I have about 100 rds of Speer Gold dot on order. I plan to shoot around 50 rounds to get a feel for it and use 50 in my 4 mags (S&W M&P 9c).

What is your expereince and recommendation?

Sounds like you already know what you want to carry and I cant say that I have heard any bad things about the Gold Dots, but I also haven't researched them either.

I carry Hornady Critical Defense in the .40, but in my opinion there is no best ammo just what is best for you.

I did find Hornady Critical Defense 115gr FTX JHP ammo and it looks promising- might try to order some.

v-rog wrote:I did find Hornady Critical Defense 115gr FTX JHP ammo and it looks promising- might try to order some.

+1 on Hornady, do a little review search and you will find unique qualities vs. old school JHP.

I am currently carrying 115 grain +P Corbon DPX in my Kahr PM9.

From my own poking around: Gold Dot is very good stuff and used by a lot of law enforcement agencies. I would be happy with it. Everything else being equal, I would choose Corbon DPX, but I do not want to pay the freight to shoot it in all the handguns I might use. What I carry is Winchester Ranger 127 +P+. It has a pretty good record, and I found a good price on it and bought a large quantity a couple years ago. When I run out, I will either order more or go with Corbon.

I think the best SD ammo is that you can afford enough of to make sure it functions reliably in your handgun, and that you can hit with, which might be FMJ. However, most premium SD ammo from the big manufacturers has a good record for both reliability and performance, so if a couple different brands are not cycling thru your gun for a couple or three or more hundred rounds without a hitch, I would get the gun looked at or get a new gun.

I recently saw advertised a 147 grain +p+ 9mm round, the ballistics on the round are almost that of a .357 magnum. I can't vouch for how it works but I must say I'm interested in trying it out with some old phonebooks and seeing the penetration and expansion.

The Annoyed Man wrote:I am currently carrying 115 grain +P Corbon DPX in my Kahr PM9.

loadedliberal wrote:I recently saw advertised a 147 grain +p+ 9mm round, the ballistics on the round are almost that of a .357 magnum. I can't vouch for how it works but I must say I'm interested in trying it out with some old phonebooks and seeing the penetration and expansion.

Careful, a lot of (most?) guns aren't supposed to be fed +P+ ammo. I know it's a nono in my Sig.

That is another thing I am wondering about. My manual doesn't recommend using +P ammo. But I want a round that will cause substantial damage if I need to use it. I wouldn't plan on shooting +P ammo on a regualr basis- Just enough to become comfortable with the round.

Dave2 wrote:

loadedliberal wrote:I recently saw advertised a 147 grain +p+ 9mm round, the ballistics on the round are almost that of a .357 magnum. I can't vouch for how it works but I must say I'm interested in trying it out with some old phonebooks and seeing the penetration and expansion.

Careful, a lot of (most?) guns aren't supposed to be fed +P+ ammo. I know it's a nono in my Sig.

Work on your groups and don't worry about +P

Dave2 wrote:

loadedliberal wrote:I recently saw advertised a 147 grain +p+ 9mm round, the ballistics on the round are almost that of a .357 magnum. I can't vouch for how it works but I must say I'm interested in trying it out with some old phonebooks and seeing the penetration and expansion.

Careful, a lot of (most?) guns aren't supposed to be fed +P+ ammo. I know it's a nono in my Sig.

The info with my gun (ruger p95) says it can fire any ammo on the market expressly including +p+.

Winchester PDX-1 bonded 9mm JHP

/thread

Dave2 wrote:Careful, a lot of (most?) guns aren't supposed to be fed +P+ ammo. I know it's a nono in my Sig.

My Ruger P95DC will chew on +P or +P+ all day long. It is reliable.

Edit: I see loaded liberal has already cited the Ruger manual.

loadedliberal wrote:The info with my gun (ruger p95) says it can fire any ammo on the market expressly including +p+.

I think trying to compare the difference between the different brands of high quality SD ammo is like trying to split hairs. Shot placement is going to be a much more important factor than the technical differences between Gold Dot, Federal HST, etc. Pick one you can get a good deal on, make sure it works well in your gun and carry it.

I personally went with Federal HST because I got a good deal on a case of it from AmmunitionToGo.

Brian