Personal/Home Defense Ammo

[majdad93]

Got another one for ya, Colt Fans,

Just curious as to your recommendations for .45 ACP self-defense and/or home defense ammo? I've read many reviews in numerous forums about the best & not so best. Hollow points, obviously, but what about bullet weight, powder, brass jacket, copper jacket, cartridge composition, etc. Anyways?

majdad93

[Colt-SL]

There are any number of good defense loads out there. I'm partial to Hornady's Critical Defense round. I've shot with them quite a bit in various calibers and all shoot very well for me in my particular guns. I like their 185 grain 45 acp round. It shoots accurately and doesn't have the recoil of the 230 load.

Most of my Colt 1911's shoot my hand loads as well or better than the Critical Defense but due to legal issues I load all home defense guns with factory ammo.

[guy sajer]

I'm more of a "find a quality load that works 100% reliable and move along" kinda guy . I don't fret the 14.763529046" glasswooddenim penetration test performed by the bureau of (you pick) . In the .45 i'm a believer in 230gr bullets from a quality US maker . CCI , Fed , Hor , etc .

YMMV , this is just one man's opinion .

[majdad93]

Dear Mitch & Colt-SL,

Thanx for the feedback. Some of the loads my co-workers carry in heir personal weapons are Hornady, Winchester Ranger, etc. I've lately been loading Remington Ultimate HD 230 grain with brass-jacketed hollow points. Just a matter of personal choice, I guess. Heard/read anything bad about Remington HD?

majdad93

[elliotf]

There are any number of good defense loads out there. I'm partial to Hornady's Critical Defense round. I've shot with them quite a bit in various calibers and all shoot very well for me in my particular guns. I like their 185 grain 45 acp round. It shoots accurately and doesn't have the recoil of the 230 load.

Most of my Colt 1911's shoot my hand loads as well or better than the Critical Defense but due to legal issues I load all home defense guns with factory ammo.

+1 on Hornady's Critical Defense Ammo. I find no need for +P .

[Colt75]

I'm more of a "find a quality load that works 100% reliable and move along" kinda guy . I don't fret the 14.763529046" glasswooddenim penetration test performed by the bureau of (you pick) . In the .45 i'm a believer in 230gr bullets from a quality US maker . CCI , Fed , Hor , etc .

+1 -- Very well stated Mitch.

[DeltaCommander]

I'm more of a "find a quality load that works 100% reliable and move along" kinda guy . I don't fret the 14.763529046" glasswooddenim penetration test performed by the bureau of (you pick) . In the .45 i'm a believer in 230gr bullets from a quality US maker . CCI , Fed , Hor , etc .

YMMV , this is just one man's opinion .

I agree with a quality maker, but a little thing to think of - I have shot about 2000 rounds of .45 and about 12000 rounds of 9mm Wolf without a malfunction or failure of any kind. Should we consider using that stuff?

[Shadow Catcher]

Hydra-Shoks have the best morgue-monster results - but the Speer 200 gr Flying Ashtray and a few others (Gold Dot) seem to be well respected as well.
Our local PD uses Hydra-Shok - I like having the smae round they use - makes it seem more 'court friendly' if you subscribe to that logic.

Shadow Catcher

p.s. - rule one - it must function every time,
rule two - it has to go where you point it,
rule three - you should have confidence in it . . . .

[guy sajer]

It's up to the individual . Personally in an AK weapon , I'd prefer combloc ammo and have . Shot many a can of Chinese 7.62 on stripper clips back in the 80's .

In a handgun , I've presonally had trouble with steel case ammo (not including customer related failures we see in the store) . Most are related to failure to extract . Not the overblown internet "it'll break your extractor and put your eye out" stuff , just plain FTE . Most times requiring a cleaning rod to tap the case from the chamber . Sig , Ruger , Remington , I've seen a few .

My personal experience was with a Sig p228 . Many stuck casings . Never missed a beat with brass case .

If you like steel , go for it . Your guns like it so why change .

[DeltaCommander]

I wouldn't use Wolf for carry ammo, just stating that I haven't had trouble with it - so it makes someone wonder why it couldn't be OK.

I actually like Winchester Silvertips.