Whats your carry ammo? - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Whats your carry ammo? (Page 1 of 5)

Posted: 7/13/2023 3:59:05 AM EDT

It’s been a while so it’s time to check in with everyone on this question again. What ammo do you have in your gun for carry/defense use? Grain weight and velocity? What’s the barrel length on your carry piece?

While I’m at it from a more theoretical standpoint, what relation should barrel length have with carry ammo? Are shorter barrels better suited for lighter, faster projectiles and longer barrels more beneficial with heavier, slower bullets, or vice versa?

Posted: 7/13/2023 4:05:57 AM EDT

[#1]

Gen3 G19 with 147gr HST.

Posted: 7/13/2023 4:09:15 AM EDT

[#2]

365XL 147 HST

Posted: 7/13/2023 4:12:45 AM EDT

[#3]

Federal HST 124 grain, standard pressure. 1,100 fps out of a 3.7-inch barrel (Sig P365 XL). Posted a thread about it here.

Posted: 7/13/2023 4:13:22 AM EDT

[#4]

124gr HST standard pressure in a CZ P-01 (3.75" bbl).

Posted: 7/13/2023 4:16:37 AM EDT

[#5]

RA9T (Win Ranger SXT 147 gr). Run it in all my 9mm Glocks, from 43X to 17’s. My .40’s hold the 180 gr version.

As good as 9mm is gonna get for punching thru stuff like windshields due to the heavy bullet. Extremely reliable, I have seen hundreds of thousands of them fired with no ammo caused problems that I can recall. Just works well despite being a somewhat dated design. Nickel cases don’t hurt either- slick for feeding easily, and does not corrode.

I would be perfectly happy with a few of the HST loadings also, but my agency carried Winchester, and no reason to change now.

Rifle - Speer Gold Dot 62 gr, or Win RA556B (FBI bonded load). Similar reasons on both these loads, but I only use the RA556B in M3 Pmags for best feeding due to the bullet profile. Both are good in SBR’s or longer barrels.

Lots of good answers out there. None of it matters if you don’t have the skill to use it correctly and knowledge of when to use it as well.

Posted: 7/13/2023 4:20:18 AM EDT

[#6]

P10F with 147 grain HST.

Honestly I think for most people getting too deep into the weeds thinking about different carry ammo isn't worth the time. Get something well regarded, make sure it functions in what you're carrying, and go for it.

Posted: 7/13/2023 4:22:24 AM EDT

[#7]

124gn +p Winchester T-series

Posted: 7/13/2023 4:23:37 AM EDT

[#8]

43x with 124gr HST

Posted: 7/13/2023 4:31:51 AM EDT

[#9]

G19 with Sig 115 grain hollow points. Found that these during the Covid shortage and they cycle great in my Glocks

Posted: 7/13/2023 4:40:16 AM EDT

[#10]

147 gr HST

Posted: 7/13/2023 4:41:38 AM EDT

[#11]

HST 147gr, Glock 19

Posted: 7/13/2023 4:42:16 AM EDT

[#12]

Gold Dot 124gr +P

(only as a backup to pocket sand)

Posted: 7/13/2023 5:06:42 AM EDT

[#13]

Glock 19 or 17 with Winchester Ranger T 147gr.

Posted: 7/13/2023 5:14:49 AM EDT

[#14]

I still have a lot of Rangers left. 230s and 165s. ..

Posted: 7/13/2023 5:19:14 AM EDT

[#15]

Generally 115gr Hornady Critical Defense in my P365

Posted: 7/13/2023 5:26:37 AM EDT

[#16]

Glock 19 with Speer Gold Dot 124 grain +p
Glock 20 with Doubletap Gold Dot 165 grain at 1400 fps

Posted: 7/13/2023 5:39:34 AM EDT

[#17]

I used to be highly concerned with what I carried. Maybe I should still be, but I feel that shot placement probably means more than any marginal differences in terminal performance. So basically anything other than target ammo.

Posted: 7/13/2023 5:47:12 AM EDT

[#18]

I stacked 147gr HSTs relatively deep (for premium SD ammo anyway).

I'd use Winchester Ranger RA9T or 147gr Speer Gold Dots if HST wasn't as plentiful and affordable when I purchased it.

Posted: 7/13/2023 5:52:46 AM EDT

[#19]

Currently whatever fmj I was shooting last weekend. I think that’s s&b 115 grain

Posted: 7/13/2023 5:59:15 AM EDT

[#20]

Federal HST in either 147gr 9mm or 230gr 45acp

Posted: 7/13/2023 6:04:15 AM EDT

[#21]

124g Speer GDHP +P

Posted: 7/13/2023 6:06:21 AM EDT

[#22]

147 HST glock
124 HST 365

Posted: 7/13/2023 6:07:53 AM EDT

[#23]

Posted: 7/13/2023 6:11:37 AM EDT

[#24]

124gr Speer Gold Dot +P in either a Gen 5 G19MOS or P365XL

Posted: 7/13/2023 6:13:15 AM EDT

[#25]

HST

Posted: 7/13/2023 6:23:55 AM EDT

[#26]

9mm 124 gr. HST standard pressure in our G-43s.

I had been using the +P version for years. First, the +P was hard to find for a while when I wanted to add to the stash. Second, in shorter barrels like the G-43, the +P doesn't seem to give much more performance for the increased recoil.

I keep the +P for the full sized handguns.

Posted: 7/13/2023 6:33:04 AM EDT

[#27]

Depends on the gun, usually one of these two.

Posted: 7/13/2023 6:40:53 AM EDT

[#28]

115 gr hornady critical defense

Posted: 7/13/2023 6:51:47 AM EDT

[#29]

Winchester Q4369 180gr bonded or Federal HST 180s.

Posted: 7/13/2023 6:51:53 AM EDT

[#30]

147gr HST

Posted: 7/13/2023 6:52:35 AM EDT

[#31]

+P 230gr HST as I’m back in a 1911 phase. Glock 19 was loaded with Critical Duty 124. Glock 20 in the truck has Underwood 180’s

Posted: 7/13/2023 6:53:20 AM EDT

[#32]

Standard pressure 124 HST

Posted: 7/13/2023 6:53:36 AM EDT

[#33]

Sig V-Crown 115

Posted: 7/13/2023 6:59:45 AM EDT

[#34]

9mm 147 hst

45acp Speer gold dot 200gr+P ( the old stuff)

Posted: 7/13/2023 7:02:48 AM EDT

[#35]

Federal HST 124gr +P / CZP07 . ??????

Posted: 7/13/2023 7:08:59 AM EDT

[#36]

Quote History

Quoted:
43x with 124gr HST

View Quote

Same.

Posted: 7/13/2023 7:09:23 AM EDT

[#37]

Quote History

Quoted:
Gen3 G19 with 147gr HST.

View Quote

FPNI

Posted: 7/13/2023 7:10:12 AM EDT

[#38]

147gr hst at 1275fps
Or 230gr hst at 950

Posted: 7/13/2023 7:11:39 AM EDT

[#39]

Glocks with 124+P HST (G17.5 509T, G45 509T, G48 EPS Carry, G47 Steiner MPS)

14” Benelli M4 Surefire Scout with LE133 Federal FC 8 pellet

11.5 Geissele with 75gr Gold Dot Aimpoint T2 Surefire Turbo

Posted: 7/13/2023 7:11:47 AM EDT

[#40]

Generally a G43 with Gold dots or a G17 with an x300 with gold dots

Posted: 7/13/2023 7:13:36 AM EDT

[#41]

Mostly 124gr+p Gold Dots and 230gr+p Ranger Ts. 147gr JHP Win white box out of my short barrel 9s.

Posted: 7/13/2023 7:15:25 AM EDT

[#42]

HST 147gr

Posted: 7/13/2023 7:19:10 AM EDT

[#43]

Hornady Critical Defense 115gn FTX. Used in a Shield+ with a 3.1” barrel.

Not sure if this is the best ammo for my carry piece but it’s what I bought when I lived in nj and was working towards getting my carry permit there. Being nj we were limited in what the king’s men allowed.

I also use the same ammo in my Gen 5 G19. Again, not sure if it’s the best ammo for it given the reasons above.

I’m definitely open to better suggestions.