Find out the best 9mm ammo for self-defense based on ballistic gel tests that cover penetration depth and expansion.
Plus the best range plinking ammo for bulk shooting.
*July 2023 Update*: Things are holding steady and hovering around the quarter per round mark. Here’s what we’re seeing in stock at the time of writing with AAC going in and out of stock. “CPR” = cost per round.
9mm Ammo in Stock
PSA is doing a decent job of stocking up during weekdays. See all their 9mm.
The following ones are also great for more obscure or defensive loads:
How We Picked The Best Ammo
Read on to see how we chose them and the best place to buy them for cheap!
Testing Procedures
The below pictures and data are from a super in-depth post from Lucky Gunner plus a few of our personal criteria. Here are some details of the test which closely mimic FBI protocol:
- Shot 10 feet away
- 4 layers of fabric in front of the ballistics gel to simulate a “worst case” scenario of clothing
- Ideal penetration of 12-18 inches. More than 18 inches might go completely through the target and hit something beyond. While a 12-inch minimum protects against thicker targets and possibly hitting something like an arm first before the torso.
- 5 shots for more data
- Shorter barreled gun. Most tests are run with a full-size pistol, but Lucky Gunner used an S&W M&P9C which has a 3.5″ barrel. Their thought was most people carrying a handgun most likely have a compact-sized one. So for those of you with a longer barrel, the penetration and velocities might be slightly higher.
Here are our recommendations for each of the most common weights of bullets: 115, 124, & 147 grain.
This way you can shoot the same weight of bullet as your more common range ammo. And because these are self-defense rounds, they are all jacketed hollow points (JHP) for reliable expansion.
We personally prefer the 124 gr since it is less “snappy” than the 115 gr to us. But we recommend you try a couple of weights and make sure they cycle 100% in your self-defense gun.
Best 9mm Ammo
Best Range Ammo
Range ammo is more about reliability and cost-effectiveness.
Here are a couple of our recommendations for the common 115 and 124 gr bullet weights. We’ve shot thousands of these and they are reliable, clean shooting, and economical. We suggest trying out both weights to see what you and your gun prefer.
1. AAC 9mm 115gr and 124gr
I’ve shot a lot of AAC this year since it’s been the most affordable and probably more important…most available.
And so far it’s been great…every time I wanted it to go bang it did in a variety of handguns and pistol caliber carbines (PCCs).
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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2. CCI Blazer Brass 9mm
When pennies count…one of the most reliable and affordable brass cased 9mm. However…the brass is a little difficult to reload.
Perfect for ranges or classes where you can’t pick up brass.
One of my favorites and what I used to shoot the most until this year.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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3. American Eagle 9mm 115 gr
One of my favorite through the years.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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4. PMC 9mm
I’ve shot A LOT of PMC ammo through the years in both pistol and rifle cartridges.
They always go bang and the brass is great for reloading.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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Self Defense
These are hollow-point rounds that expand when they hit something. They range much higher in price since they are what you should load in your defensive guns.
However, I recommend buying more and trying them out at the range too.
Right now there’s not too much selection and these are the ones mostly in stock:
- Federal HST 147gr 9mm Hollow Point for $2 cpr
- Federal Punch 124gr 9mm Hollow Point for 80 cpr
- Sig Sauer 124gr V-Crown 9mm Hollow Point for 85 cpr
However, here are my picks of my favorite self-defense rounds.
5. Federal HST 9mm 147 gr
Penetration in the sweet spot zone, great expansion, and good velocity for the bullet weight.
My personal favorite since I like the shooting impulse of 147 gr bullets.
- Average Penetration: 15.2″
- Average Expansion: .61″
- Average Velocity: 973 ft/sec
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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What do you think of Federal? Rate them below!
6. Gold Dot 9mm 115 gr
Penetration depth is right in the middle of the zone, great expansion, and good velocity for a short barrel.
- Average Penetration: 16.4″
- Average Expansion: .55″
- Average Velocity: 1143 ft/sec
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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7. Federal HST 9mm 124 gr
Great penetration, the biggest expansion, and velocity for those who like shooting the slightly heavier 124 gr rounds. Try these out if you don’t like the super heavy 147 gr HST.
- Average Penetration: 18.3″
- Average Expansion: .61″
- Average Velocity: 1135 ft/sec
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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8. Magtech Guardian Gold 9mm 115 gr
We’re big fans of Magtech’s regular FMJ ammo…
But here we’re talking about their JHP (jacketed hollow points).
The sweet spot of penetration, expansion, and velocity.
- Average Penetration: 15.2″
- Average Expansion: .56″
- Average Velocity: 1175 ft/sec
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
Conclusion
These are our favorites for 9mm self-defense and range ammo. If you want to see the full results from Lucky Gunner, check out their post here. Want more calibers and choices…check out Best Places to Buy Ammo Online.
192 Leave a Reply
I use what my local municipal law enforcement agencies use which is Speer Gold Dot. I run the 124 grain + P for penetration through the heavy clothing during winter months.
I chronographed (lab radar) my Glock 19 with the Speer gold dot 124 gr + P at average 1250 fps.
Good article but I’ll stick with my GD’s.
I own 2 9mm Pistols; an H&K P30 and a Sig Sauer 365XL. I shoot Federal HST 124GR and/or Sig Sauer 124GR Elite Defense in both guns. I've Never had an issue of either of these rounds. I did pick up 2 boxes of the relatively new Winchester USA Defense 124GR ammo the other day, but haven't shot it yet. I'll see how it does in my pistols on Live fire.
It doesn't matter how much it will expand or penetrate; your first (and second and third) consideration has to be: is it reliable in my gun?
Before I knew that I should use grease, not oil, to lubricate the slide of my Beretta PX4 Storm Subcompact, the only ammo that was 100% reliable in my gun was Spear Gold Dot 9mm 124 grain hollow point. Everything else, even Federal, would fail at least sometimes. Blazer Brass was the worst I tried - lots of failures to feed.
Now that I lubricate my slide with a good gun grease, everything shoots very reliably in my Beretta. But the only thing I carry is Spear Gold Dot 9mm 124 grain hollow point; because I KNOW that it will always work, no matter what.
It is the best self defense ammunition on the market, hands down! I use the 124 grain + P. Love it!
The best self defense ammo for 9mm is 90 grain Extreme Defense by Underwood! Hands down the best!!
Just my opinion but.....I would NOT use Federal LE HST 147 gr., because I've had a lot of squibs with this load (3). My department has had at least ten squibs during multiple qualifications. I experienced squibs while doing SWAT training and on my own. Several of the aforementioned squibs became stuck in the barrel. The squibs came from different ammo lots, so it's a major quality control issue. Federal knows this is a problem because we have told them. It is very effective round when it works, but the choice is yours. If your life is at stake I'd trust another brand.
Click on an article to find the best hollow point ammunition for concealed carry and self defense and get recommended a bunch of fmj ammo. Very stupid.
Lol… click on an article about range AND self defense ammo, and only read the first half. Very stupid.
I have a Smith and Wesson Performance Center with a ported barrel. The CCI Blazer has a warning not to use their ammo with a ported barrel. I ran a few boxes thru my pistol before I realized I shouldn’t be using it. No problems, but I won’t be using it in that pistol again.
$1.38 per round GOLD DOT 2.
The best ammo is what works most reliably in your gun. When I first bought my Beretta PX4 Storm Subcompact, the only ammo that worked reliably, all the time, with zero failures, was Spear Gold Dot 124 grain hollow point.
I then found out that if I used a good grease rather than oil to lubricate my slide, and if I replaced the polymer guide rod with a stainless steel one, everything shot reliably in my Beretta.
Because Spear Gold Dot 124 grain hollow point always shot reliably before I did the above-described improvements, that is the only thing I now carry in that gun. But I shoot everything in that gun when I am practicing at the range.
My opinion of 9 mm blazer brass is that it runs very dirty. First ammo that my hands are black after the range.
Would like to see a review of Lehigh Defense ammunition since the company was acquired by Bill Wilson, in particular the 90 gr "Xtreme Defense" round. It claims to generate a large permanent wound cavity, be "barrier blind," and still have moderate penetration. Runs 1,300 fps from a 4" barrel delivering 338 ft lbs of energy. Price and performance are comparable to Hornady Critical Defense. I've only seen it offered for sale at Midway USA but it may be available from other outlets I don't know about.
You stated above that One of the reasons a buyer would buy a lower cost entry level AR-15 is because they don't Shoot as Accurate as medium to high end AR's ??? If this is the case I'll just By-Pass this brand/Model AR and move to other entry level AR's. I mean I wouldn't want to spend $500 on a AR that can't shoot straight. Would you ???
Agreed. I built an Aero Precision AR with assemblies from various sources due to better pricing and it's my favorite. It shoots accurately with a red dot and backup iron sights and eats every type of ammo I've put through it. No jams or misfires in over 2k rounds so far. I've only used the Magpul PMAG Gen M3 magazines to date.
Thanks Eric, very informative and with no bias.
I just stick with Hornady Critical Duty 135 gr +P in 9mm. It feeds and shoots through my SIG P365 and out performs SIG's proprietary ammo for that pistol accuracy wise.
Ditto, as a retired LEO SWAT Sniper and current firearms instructor, I've done a great deal of research and testing. I use Hornady in my 3 personal carry Springfields; XDM, XDS, and Hellcat Never had a problem with feed. Reliable and ballistic always in the Sweet Spot.
Old thinking.
Liberty ammunition has high speed that creates a hydrostatic shock that creates a permanent wound channel.
I have asked several Police, SWAT, USAF SF and Navy SF I know/strained with, what they recommend and got about the same answer. As a result I now carry 6 Fiocchi Frangible in each magazine, than top off with Hornaday Critical Duty, frangible on top of course. One SWAT Sergeant wanted to sell me a service pistol and offered a few boxes of frangible as part of the deal.
You left out the BEST JHP for SD/EDC, Winchester Ranger T-SERIES.
Thanks for this info
Manufacturers such as Underwood Ammo loading cartridges with Lehigh defense projectiles consistently outperform jacketed hollow points. The development of these better projectiles is well documented at this point but I guess the big corps regurgitating old ideas and old cartridges wins the advertising war. I’m looking at you Federal Super Cary…. Seriously? Whats next years new thing? How about soft lead balls loaded in a super special and unnecessarily complicated multi part casing! After all Sig managed to sell the army brass on something not much different. Worked for them, just saying.
I have separate mags I carry when fishing or hiking in rural areas and they are a mix of 3 types of Underwood including 147gr HP, extreme penetrator, and hardcast.
No Winchester Ranger on your list ... seriously? I mean you seriously overlooked Winchester Ranger RA9T? Is that because it is now made of unobtainium, or was there another reason it did not make the short list?
As someone new to guns, I was hoping this article would help me find the best online source to buy ammo for range training without doing extensive research on my own. Instead I've only found myself confused and overwhelmed. When I clicked on the links to check current prices, I found, for example, that the ammo listed here at $10 was actually selling for $25. I understand you cannot be constantly updating pricing, but this is a 150% increase, making the information totally outdated and useless. And after checking several websites, I've discovered that my local range offers the best price. So much for buying online.
Hey there, we understand how frustrated and overwhelming it is trying to buy online. We update our articles (especially ones like this) pretty regularly but with the current market, it's tough to keep up with how fast prices change. We hope you won't fault us for this and that you'll stick with us as we try to keep things as updated as we can. Thanks for reading!
I've found that the shipping cost negates the best of prices. Also, now the cost of gas makes it expensive to drive to my 2 closest gun stores to see what is in stock. I've spent many minutes on hold trying to get info on how much and what is in stock. And then get there and it's all gone. Need a better way
Ammoseek is a good resource.
Find the free shipping sellers to keep costs to a minimum.
Dillon Precision. You won't do better than Hand loading with a progressive press. I have even seen articles that say reloading is more expensive. It's more fake news.
Agree, I'm new to guns and ammo and felt that I didn't narrow down any best choices.
The layout of the review was confusing as I was scrolling way too much.
Try a spreadsheet comparison next time.
Wow! Hornandy critical defense not on this list. my favourite sigsauer hardly features these days too which is kinda weird tho
Exactly.
Any idea what length PMC uses to test its 9mm ammo? I ask because, for instance, while Federal uses a 4.00 inch barrel, Norma uses a 6.00 inch barrel. I'm looking for a reasonably priced 124 FMJ round that will duplicate (more or less) the ballistics of my 124 Grain Federal HST.
I never see Wilson Combat, Hornady, Remington, Winchester, or Atlanta Arms ammo reviewed. It would he helpful if you could mention some other brands that get either "honorable mentions" or "didn't rate high enough."
Article has a real problem with credibility when considering prices.
Hey Ken, we do our best to update prices regularly but with the current market it's tough to keep up sometimes.
Ok Thanks. Prices haven't really changed much at all in the last 3 months though.
Check out keen dynamics on line bought some great prices
Wow! Hornandy critical defense not on this list.
It would be good if you listed all of the ammo you tested at each bullet weight. That way we'll know whether a particular round didn't make the cut.
Agree with John; !!
Look up shooting the bull 9mm AmmoSeek quest . Very good ammo test and recommendations
Just curious as to how you feel about the fluted defensive ammunition like the Underwood Ammo and the Black Hills Honey Badger. Relatively new firearm owner that's been hitting the range as much as time and cost permits. On my search for the best defensive rounds for me & my firearm, I've been cycling through a few different types (FMJ [range practice]/JHP/Fluted/Synthetic), manufactures (Underwood/PPU/Blazer/Speer/Sig Sauer, Federal...etc), and weights (from 65gr up to 185gr) of 9mm rounds to find my sweet spot. Comparatively speaking I found the Underwood 9mm 90gr Xtreme Defense a pleasure to shoot with my Glock 43x. Usually the firearm is snappy, with a bearable yet unlikeable recoil. I'm waiting to get my hands on a box of the Black Hills Honey Badgers to see if it's a similar experience. I think the same folks Lehigh Defense make the bullets for both companies, but I still want to give another option a try...