How do you choose your SD/Carry ammo?

[Lt.Smoke]

Im writing a paper for research purposes because im very interested in firearms studies so i would like to know what factors help you guys decide on which ammo you would carry for SD....

Price?
Brand Preference?
Other people's reviews?
Hearsay?

** Thanks in advance for everyone who will give me input so i can write my paper**

[Lt.Smoke]

Guess I will start this off in hopes that it will get rolling....

In my Glock 23 I use 135Gr Corbon PowRball ammo because i have had good results with it

In my Rock Island 1911 I carry 230 Gr +P Tap FPD ammo.... I was going to use Corbon DPX at the referral of a good friend but my uncle was sold out so i went with Hornady because of their proven track record for having good ammo and also because my Uncle who is a gun shop owner recommended it because its great ammo

[superdude]

#1. reliable feeding if in a semi-automatic.

#2. terminal performance of bullet.

[stephansnow]

First and foremost, ballistics. Penetration and expansion. Afterwards I search the net for people's experiences with that certain round and then I buy some boxes and run them through the actual weapon. If it works then it gets carried.

[Lt.Smoke]

Thanks for the input fellas... Hope i get more input so i can try to write an extensive paper

[motorsporting]

What Delta Kilo says :-) ... Followed by a few hundred rounds through my pistol.

[Ranger 230]

Function, performance, and availability. If any of those three are lacking I will find a new ammo.

I use 230 grain so my POA/POI is the same as with ball ammo. It's a bonus if it's bonded.

[vandaman]

Easy-ASYM. Best there is .

[baccusboy]

Tests on Youtube by TNOutdoors9 are an excellent resource, along with those already mentioned.

Sample:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWW2Y...eature=g-all-u

[Lt.Smoke]

Thanks guys... Im gathering lots of great info... Keep the info coming because i hope to get enough input to build a decently generalized oversight of all the info

[ehparis]

I chose mine based on the views of the moderator of this forum. His info packed comments are great and he really knows what he's talking about.

[Lt.Smoke]

Originally Posted by ehparis

I chose mine based on the views of the moderator of this forum. His info packed comments are great and he really knows what he's talking about.

Which member might that be??? I have seen more than one moderator here?

[edj0527]

This may sound silly, but, my choice for carry is Ball Ammo. 100+ years of service cant be too wrong. Beyond that There are only a few Factory ammo's that I buy because they work best in my set up.

[Lt.Smoke]

There is no wrong answer in my opinion... I know several people that carry ball ammo as well because that is what the 1911's were built to be able to feed reliably

[VetPsychWars]

I originally chose Federal Hydra-Shock 230gr because it was reputed to feed well in GI guns, it is easily available, and not terribly expensive.

I am now going to try Federal HST because it is allegedly a better bullet design and I can mail-order it for a lot less than Hydra-Shock sells for, retail.

How it feeds will remain to be seen.

Tom

[Lt.Smoke]

Originally Posted by VetPsychWars

I originally chose Federal Hydra-Shock 230gr because it was reputed to feed well in GI guns, it is easily available, and not terribly expensive.

I am now going to try Federal HST because it is allegedly a better bullet design and I can mail-order it for a lot less than Hydra-Shock sells for, retail.

How it feeds will remain to be seen.

Tom

The HST's fed beautifully in my Rock Island Gov't frame but right now I am running Hornady TAP FPD's

[Southlake]

Guys, there is a much simpler method. I just use whatever DeltaKilo (DK) tells me to use.

[Runt7680]

Originally Posted by Southlake

Guys, there is a much simpler method. I just use whatever DeltaKilo (DK) tells me to use.

I look at performance that has been used in real shooting's. I researched alott and I use the service and self defense sticky as a reference that DK posted. I look at what Dr.Robert's recommend and try a few different brand's for reliable feeding and accuracy. My wife and my life is worth more than quality proven SD ammo. Price is my last concern.

[baerhunter]

Hey Lt. Smoke,
I've carried the .45ACP for more years than I'd like to remember, and initially had to carry ball. Didn't have a choice back then....it was ball or nothing. Later in life, though, I choose any bullet that allowed me to hand craft the load....yes, the factories do make mistakes and yes, they use whatever powder will get the pressure velocities where they want them. Not so with hand crafted loads. I always test my ammo on medium game....either deer or hogs in the area that I live now. I observe the performance of the bullet, as in how fast the game drops and how quickly it expires. Also, I can look at the bullet path, the entrance and exit wounds, etc, etc, etc. If I can retrieve the bullet, I look for any signs of bullet failure.....and no, seperation of the jacket isn't always bad.....some of the most lethal bullets that I've tried had jacket seperation quite often. It simply becomes a secondary missile inside the animal. For testing, the tougher the animal, the better. Anyway, if it works out well in the field, I'll carefully hand load small lots for carry, and off I go. By the way, and I'll probably catch grief for this, but over the years my field weapon has almost always been a 1911 (usually a five inch Government) in .45ACP. You'd have to see how it performs in the field to make a judgement, but believe me, it'll do the job and then some if you can shoot. Right now, I'm carrying the 200 grain Hornady XTP and sometimes the Hornady 230 grain XTP....they both do an incredible job in the field, and I know that they'll knock the snot out of any BG that's dumb enough to threaten me or those that I love. Anyway, best of luck to you.

[MAG-63]

Originally Posted by baerhunter

Hey Lt. Smoke,
I've carried the .45ACP for more years than I'd like to remember, and initially had to carry ball. Didn't have a choice back then....it was ball or nothing. Later in life, though, I choose any bullet that allowed me to hand craft the load....yes, the factories do make mistakes and yes, they use whatever powder will get the pressure velocities where they want them. Not so with hand crafted loads. I always test my ammo on medium game....either deer or hogs in the area that I live now. I observe the performance of the bullet, as in how fast the game drops and how quickly it expires. Also, I can look at the bullet path, the entrance and exit wounds, etc, etc, etc. If I can retrieve the bullet, I look for any signs of bullet failure.....and no, seperation of the jacket isn't always bad.....some of the most lethal bullets that I've tried had jacket seperation quite often. It simply becomes a secondary missile inside the animal. For testing, the tougher the animal, the better. Anyway, if it works out well in the field, I'll carefully hand load small lots for carry, and off I go. By the way, and I'll probably catch grief for this, but over the years my field weapon has almost always been a 1911 (usually a five inch Government) in .45ACP. You'd have to see how it performs in the field to make a judgement, but believe me, it'll do the job and then some if you can shoot. Right now, I'm carrying the 200 grain Hornady XTP and sometimes the Hornady 230 grain XTP....they both do an incredible job in the field, and I know that they'll knock the snot out of any BG that's dumb enough to threaten me or those that I love. Anyway, best of luck to you.

A well-stated, common-sense approach! With so much drivel seemingly the norm here, I find your view on the subject refreshing.

[Lt.Smoke]

Man i REALLY am loving the answers i am getting... I appreciate the fact that people are being serious about this... and Not trying to make fun of me for asking about this for research purposes

[Vermilion]

Whatever looks the coolest of course!

[custom2]

I go by whatever feeds well and will get me the best group. For me that's Federal Hydrashok. Maybe my round selection process might seem odd to some but the way I look at it is this, if the gun jams or I don't hit what I'm aiming at, stopping power seems like an afterthought. I would rather get hits on target with a round that feeds well and groups good with my gun than misses with a bullet that has superior data on paper.

What do you guys think?

[Lorenzo]

This is incredibly easy thanks to the contribution of Gary Roberts and our own DeltaKilo.

1. Go here and select a few options from Gary Roberts' list that you can purchase in quantity.
   
2. Go here to find sources of ammunition.
   
3. Test a few of them, selecting the one that functions reliably in your pistol, and is the most accurate, lowest muzzle flash, etc.
   
4. Buy a supply of the selected load.
   
5. Stop thinking about ammo and focus on training. Do not distract yourself changing to the flavor of the month.

Enjoy.

[john45]

Speer Gold Dot 230 Gr in all of my 1911's.