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  • dannysdad

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    I have to get a dumb question out of the way...I carry two Glocks - the 30 and the 26. Since I'm cheap, I carry them with Winchester target ammo. Am I being stupid by not carrying with more expensive hollow points? Can any of you recommend some particular ammo in 9mm and .45 ACP?

    Thank you for your help.
     

    JKTex

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    Target ammo and self defense ammo are just not the same and obviously are meant for very different purposes.

    This is one of those topics that could go on for years but it has already gone on for years and there is a lot of good information on ammo selection and balistics all over the place.

    Simple answer, if you carry for self defense, use ammo that's meant for self defense. For inexpensive JHP's, Winchester get good reviews for a much cheaper ammo. But for example, I carry Remington Golden Sabre's (.45 230gr) and just paid $14.69 a box/25 at Welcome to Ammunition To Go!. That's a steal for those things.

    You'll want to try a few and make sure that your gun(s) like whatever you want to carry. Different bullet designs and overall profile is sometimes just different enough that some guns just don't like it.
     

    Acesn8's

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    I have been searching for an online store that stocks a variety of .41 Rem Mag. Thank you for posting that link
     

    chevydeerhunter

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    How much is your life worth? Cheap target ammo for the range is fine, but when it comes to personal protection, I wouldn't skimp on the quality of ammo. I carry JHPs in either Speer Gold Dot or Corbon both in .45ACP.
     

    Floyd_Droid

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    Like Chevydeerhunter said: "How much is your life worth?" Yes, it is VERY foolish to be cheap on defense ammo.

    I have Federal HST in my Berettas (9mm and 40 S&W) and Spear Gold Dot in my backup FEG .380.

    Plinking at the range I shoot Blazer 9mm 124gr ; Blazer 180gr 40 S&W; Independence 90gr .380

    Never Winchester white box
     

    htxred

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    if you're on a budget, the guys over at m.a.h. supplies are pretty affordable and quick at shipping. i placed an order this morning for some winchester ranger 115gr +p+, got 5 boxes for a little over 100 shipped. placed the order this morning and i already got a ship notification. sweet jeebus i needa order more.
     

    CJGarza

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    In my modest and very humble opinion, if you paid enough for 2 good guns, you should not be cheap for the 2 other things that make the "rig" complete: Holsters and ammo. Both of these are necessary as a "rig" that can save your life.

    Both can be found for good prices if you shop around. Check out other forums (and the net in general) and local gunshops. I have been surprised at the things I find on "clearance" at local gunstores.

    I keep a small ammount of 147grain JHP ammo at home (300 rounds). Mostly Federal and Speer (Gold-Dots), which is the stuff I found at a good price online. If I needed to defend myself, I would use these rounds and not the WWB or CCI Blaser I have for shooting paper. Sure I might get lucky with the FMJ stuff, but I consider my life (and loved ones) to be worth spending more than $20 for a vlaue pack of WWB at Wal-Mart. Isn't yours?

    This is submitted, again as my humble and personal opinion.
     

    phatcyclist

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    I carry Speer Gold Dots in 9mm and .45 ACP. 124 grain +P in my Glock 17 and 230grain in my 1911. I carry Hornady 60 grain HP in my .32 acp for when all I can do is stick something in my pocket.

    Most modern HP bullets will work well, even the Winchester white box self defense rounds expand alright. Really though, I would buy a box of Gold Dots and try a few in your gun. They are Glocks so they should feed just fine, but it never hurts to check.
     

    Floyd_Droid

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    When you look at the grand scheme of things... How much are you really saving being cheap?
    Lets see, using your Glock 30 as an example:

    Blazer FMJ 230gr - 50 rounds per box $15.95 (Inexpensive target ammo)

    Federal Law Enforcement Classic Hi-Shok 185gr - 50 rounds per box $18.95 (Hollow points)


    Quick math: $18.95 - $15.95 = $3.00

    If you don't think your life is worth the extra 3 bucks.... keep what you have.
     

    SIG_Fiend

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    I agree. And I wouldn't say it's about valuing your life as much as the other innocent person's that could be just beyond your field of vision, behind the wall your attacker is in front of, etc etc. Even with FMJ's, there are plenty of areas you can hit your attacker to stop them immediately.
     

    Floyd_Droid

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    ... I wouldn't say it's about valuing your life as much as the other innocent person's that could be just beyond your field of vision, behind the wall your attacker is in front of, etc etc. Even with FMJ's, there are plenty of areas you can hit your attacker to stop them immediately.

    I disagree, I call it value of life. Sure you can pull off a nice head shot with target ammo or you can empty the whole clip into the guy too... just as well, you can crack his skull open with a brick.
    I call it "Value of life" because if I went through the trouble of purchasing a gun for defense because I value my life and those of my loved ones, why not spend the extra 3 lousy dollars worth of "extra value" in better ammo to be able to obtain better results in the event I had to draw my weapon and fire? :banghead:
     

    Mark F

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    I disagree, I call it value of life. Sure you can pull off a nice head shot with target ammo or you can empty the whole clip into the guy too... just as well, you can crack his skull open with a brick.
    I call it "Value of life" because if I went through the trouble of purchasing a gun for defense because I value my life and those of my loved ones, why not spend the extra 3 lousy dollars worth of "extra value" in better ammo to be able to obtain better results in the event I had to draw my weapon and fire? :banghead:

    Actually, there's more to it than that... I bought a box of 100 CCI Blazer 357 magnums, for practice. They were at least 25 years old, but I only paid 20 cents per round. Out of a 100 rounds, 21 of them failed to fire. I struck them several times and no ignition... This would have been a real problem in my time of need! As you can see, old ammo can be a problem to!

    I keep nothing but high quality, fresh ammo in my defense guns...
     

    Floyd_Droid

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    I agree. Not wise to go "cheap" in anyway when ones life may be at stake. Because in the end, I would have rather lost a few dollars..... than to become a stain on the floor.
     

    wmjstu

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    During my CHL class recently, our instructor mentioned never to use range ammo for self defense. These rounds are more likely to pass thru the BG and may end up hitting an innocent bystander. I had never thought of that, and removed all range rounds from the mags when I returned home. I have no problem taking down a BG, but hitting an innocent bystander because of ignorance whould be hard to live with.
     

    Hoji

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    I have to get a dumb question out of the way...I carry two Glocks - the 30 and the 26. Since I'm cheap, I carry them with Winchester target ammo. Am I being stupid by not carrying with more expensive hollow points? Can any of you recommend some particular ammo in 9mm and .45 ACP?

    Thank you for your help.

    You also have issues with over penetration with ball ammo.:confused:

    For God's sake, why would you save a few bucks only to spend thousands on your defense lawyer if you should { God forbid} be in a defensive shooting and your range ammo passes through the attacker and hits an innocent third party.

    Do some research BEFORE you start carrying a firearm. All it takes is one incident, and it screws the responsible gun owners that actually know what they are doing.:banghead:
     

    Pony

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    May 17, 2008
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    I used to practice with 'plinking' ammo, and keep self defense rounds when I carried. I started to think it would be better to practice with my carry round. I accidentally discharged my .357 with my self defense rounds one day at the range and was surprised by how much they differed (EDIT - not an accidental discharge, I just fired on target with my self defense round still loaded). I now settle for a fairly good round I use to practice and carry. My main carry is my XD 45, so I load Winchester 230GR hollow points exclusively. Its a lot more expensive, but it makes me feel much more confident.
    I attend Front Sight Firearm Training Institute a couple of times a year (whenever I can land a free place on a course - I've been lucky so far doing this) and always get a few weird looks and comments when fellow shooters see me firing hollow points. The course usually eats up between 800 and 1,000 rounds over the 4 days, so it gets a little pricey!

    I have to get a dumb question out of the way...I carry two Glocks - the 30 and the 26. Since I'm cheap, I carry them with Winchester target ammo. Am I being stupid by not carrying with more expensive hollow points? Can any of you recommend some particular ammo in 9mm and .45 ACP?

    Thank you for your help.
     

    Floyd_Droid

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    Actually you are quite right on the subject. There is a big difference between rounds and practicing defense techniques it is recommended shooting the same type of ammo you would carry everyday for that very same reason. Of course this becomes costly, so I personally alternate.
    If I'm shooting indoors I'll use FMJ, simply because one doesn't have alot of room to move around. Outdoor ranges, where I can set up my own targets, silhouettes etc I'll shoot my carry defense ammo because I have room to practice.

     

    SIG_Fiend

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    I disagree, I call it value of life. Sure you can pull off a nice head shot with target ammo or you can empty the whole clip into the guy too... just as well, you can crack his skull open with a brick.
    I call it "Value of life" because if I went through the trouble of purchasing a gun for defense because I value my life and those of my loved ones, why not spend the extra 3 lousy dollars worth of "extra value" in better ammo to be able to obtain better results in the event I had to draw my weapon and fire? :banghead:


    I guess my post didn't quite make sense. All I was getting at is that bullets are going to ruin any attacker's day, whether FMJ or JHP. The reason for JHP's is obviously to prevent over-penetration. I wouldn't advise anyone to use anything except JHP's in a self defense and/or carry gun, and I certainly wouldn't myself. So basically I guess I'm restating the obvious that all of us already know anyways. ;)
     
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