Have you ever walked into your local gun store and felt like Alice in Wonderland looking at all the 9mm ammo options?
You’re not alone. It’s hard to pick the best 9mm ammo when all you have is other people’s anecdotal recommendations to go by.
That’s why we bought some of the most popular 9mm ammo out there and put it through a gauntlet of testing and evaluation. By the end of this article, you’ll have all the information you need to buy the best 9mm ammo for you.
Let the science begin!
THE QUICK LIST
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Best Bulk FMJ Range Ammo
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Best Value FMJ
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Best Budget Range FMJ
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Best Frangible Range Ammo Round
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Best Subsonic FMJ
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Most Versatile Hollow Point
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Best Penetration Hollow Point
Table of Contents
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9mm Range Ammo Comparison Chart
| Average Five-Shot Group | Average Muzzle Velocity | Average Extreme Spread | Average Standard Deviation | |
| AAC 115gr FMJ | 0.68″ | 1,297 fps | 39 fps | 14 fps |
| AAC 124gr FMJ | 0.98″ | 1,269 fps | 65 fps | 23 fps |
| Blazer 115gr FMJ | 0.63″ | 1,189 fps | 35 fps | 13 fps |
| Blazer 124gr FMJ | 0.50″ | 1,136 fps | 35 fps | 12 fps |
| Magtech Steel Case 115gr FMJ | 0.61″ | 1,275 fps | 38 fps | 14 fps |
| Norma Frangible 65gr | 0.83″ | 1,704 fps | 48 fps | 18 fps |
| PMC Bronze 124gr FMJ | 0.67″ | 1,123 fps | 30 fps | 10 fps |
| Winchester Super Suppressed 147gr FMJ | 0.48″ | 1,068 fps | 51 fps | 18 fps |
Self-Defense 9mm Ammo Comparison Chart
| Average Five-Shot Group | Average Muzzle Velocity | Average Extreme Spread | Average Standard Deviation | Average Penetration | Average Expansion | Average Weight Retention | |
| Federal Premium HST 124gr JHP | 0.67″ | 1,256 fps | 18 fps | 6 fps | 18.67″ | 61% | +/- 0 gr |
| Hornady Critical Defense 115gr JHP | 0.82″ | 1,231 fps | 27 fps | 10 fps | 11.75″ | 47% | -1 gr |
| Speer Gold Dot +P 124gr BJHP | 1.02″ | 1,315 fps | 37 fps | 13 fps | 15.33″ | 67% | +/- 0 gr |
| Underwood Xtreme Defender +P 90gr | 0.85″ | 1,598 fps | 33 fos | 12 fps | 18.75″ | 0% | +/- 0 gr |
| Winchester Defender 147gr BJHP | 0.47″ | 1,092 fps | 66 fps | 25 fps | 18.92″ | 61% | +/- 0 gr |
Our Favorite 9mm Ammo in Under a Minute (ish)
Looking to make a quick purchase without reading all the scientific mumbo-jumbo? I’m not offended. Here’s a down-and-dirty breakdown of what I found during my testing.
Best 9mm Training Ammo
- AAC 115gr FMJ: This ammunition wasn’t high-achieving in any category, but it wasn’t lacking, either. It’s a decent training load that’s reasonably priced.
- AAC 124gr FMJ: AAC’s heavier ammunition didn’t quite keep up with the lighter load in my testing. Your results may vary.
- Blazer Brass 115gr FMJ: Blazer’s lighter ammunition didn’t do quite as well as its 124-grain alternative, but it was close. This is a decent training load.
- Blazer Brass 124gr FMJ: This ammunition recorded the best accuracy out of the compact pistol with a 0.36-inch five-shot group. It’s also incredibly consistent, tying with the standard deviation for PMC Bronze 124 gr FMJ with a full-size pistol at three feet per second.
- Magtech Steel Case 115gr FMJ: Magtech recorded great data considering the price. Is the low price enough to offset the accelerated wear from using steel-cased ammo? That’s for you to decide.
- Norma 65gr Frangible: This ammunition isn’t just for satisfying indoor range safety officers. Its performance in this test was unremarkable, but that’s probably better than a lot of shooters might expect from frangible ammo. At the very least, it’s hilarious to see a 9mm PCC knock on the door of 2,000 feet per second.
- PMC Bronze 124gr FMJ: Looking for consistency? This ammunition led the group in terms of standard deviation and extreme spread. It also topped the supersonic crowd in price.
- Winchester Super Suppressed 147gr FMJ: Winchester designed this ammunition for suppressors, but they didn’t forget how to make it accurate. When I compared shot groups across all target loads, this was the winner.
Best 9mm Defensive Ammo
- Federal Premium HST 124gr JHP: This is a solid all-around performer. It yielded commendable results for accuracy out of a PCC, consistent muzzle velocities, and expansion. It overpenetrated slightly using the full-size pistol.
- Hornady Critical Defense 115gr JHP: I would like to see better penetration and expansion from this ammunition. That may or may not be a deterrent for you.
- Speer Gold Dot +P 124gr BJHP: This ammunition struggled with accuracy from the compact pistol (your results may vary), but it did well in every other category – especially expansion.
- Underwood Xtreme Defender +P 90gr: This ammunition didn’t produce great accuracy for me, and it consistently overpenetrated. But holy wound cavity, Batman! Solid copper terminal ballistics are indisputable.
- Winchester Defender 147gr BJHP: Think subsonic ammo is just for keeping volume down? This was the most accurate defensive load across the board. It achieved 50% expansion or better out of every barrel. There is one weak point: it failed to cycle reliably in the PCC I used for testing.
How We Tested the Best 9mm Ammo
For this test, the Pew Pew Tactical team put our heads together and narrowed the seemingly endless sea of 9mm ammo to a few of our favorites. Based on personal experience, recommendations from other shooters, and available data, we chose eight of the top training loads and five of the top defensive loads.
Our selections cover training, indoor shooting ranges, self-defense, and even shooting with a suppressor.
To test accuracy, I shot five-round groups from seven yards with a rest from a hot, fouled bore to level the playing field. Seven yards is a realistic engagement distance for handguns, and I wanted to take as much human error out of the equation as possible.
In two cases, I felt that I pulled one of the shots. To remove human error, I omitted those from my measurement. You’ll see these as crossed-out shots in the accuracy test photos.
To measure each shot group, I used calipers to measure the widest portion (this is the number you’ll see in photos) and subtract the diameter of the cartridge (in this case, nine millimeters or 0.354331 inches). This method provides a group based on center-to-center distance, eliminating the bullet’s diameter from the equation.
I also evaluated each type of ammunition with a chronograph using five-shot samples. This recorded the muzzle velocity of each shot and provided data on average muzzle velocity, extreme spread, and standard deviation for the group (don’t worry, we’ll cover all these terms and more in a minute).
Defensive ammunition got additional testing. To evaluate terminal ballistics, I shot each type of ammunition through four layers of clothing into ballistic gel from 10 feet away. This allowed me to visualize terminal performance, measure penetration, weigh each bullet to check for weight retention, and measure each bullet’s diameter for expansion.
Barrel length can affect all of these factors, so I used three different barrels for each type of ammunition.
9mm Ammo Testing Tools
My compact, CCW-style pistol for this test was a Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro with a Vortex Defencer-CCW red dot. For supersonic ammunition, I used a 3.7-inch barrel. For subsonic ammunition, I used a 4.4-inch threaded barrel.
My full-size pistol for this test was a Walther PDP Pro SD with a Trijicon RMR red dot. I used a 4.5-inch match-grade barrel for supersonic ammunition and Walther’s factory 5.1-inch threaded barrel for subsonic ammunition.
To find the maximum velocity of each ammunition type, I used a Springfield Armory Saint Victor Carbine with a Vortex Crossfire green dot. The PCC’s 16-inch barrel worked for supersonic and subsonic ammunition.
Subsonic ammunition is designed for use with a suppressor, so I used a Silencer Central Banish 9K for each of those.
My chronograph for this test was the Garmin Xero C1 Pro paired with the Garmin ShotView app.
I collected terminal ballistic data for each defensive load using a pair of 16-inch Clear Ballistics 10% Gel FBI blocks stacked front to back. I used the FBI standard of 12 to 18 inches of penetration as the acceptable range, with 14 to 16 inches being ideal.
The FBI tests defensive ammunition with clothing, so I did, as well. Each defensive load passed through two layers of cotton T-shirt material, one layer of fleece sweatshirt material, and one layer of denim jacket material.
Once I had recovered each bullet from defensive ammunition testing, I weighed it on a Dillon Precision D-Terminator reloading scale calibrated with Lyman check weights (the more mass a bullet retains, the better).
To determine how much each defensive bullet expanded inside the ballistic gel, I measured the diameter with a MidwayUSA digital caliper. Again, more expansion is preferable. I used the same caliper to measure shot groups for accuracy.
Best 9mm Range Ammo
1. AAC 115gr FMJ – Best Bulk Range FMJ Ammo
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Specs
- Bullet Construction: Full metal jacket
- Bullet Weight: 115 gr
- Accuracy (compact / full size / PCC): 0.86” / 0.68” / 0.52”
- Muzzle Velocity (compact / full size / PCC): 1,199 fps / 1,205 fps / 1,486 fps
- Extreme Spread (compact / full size / PCC): 54 fps / 30 fps / 30 fps
- Standard Deviation (compact / full size / PCC): 19 fps / 11 fps / 13 fps
AAC 115-grain training ammunition turned out to be one of the best bargains of the bunch. While slightly more expensive than the cheapest option, Magtech Steel Case, it was the least expensive brass-cased, non-frangible ammo I tested.
Nevertheless, it shot decent groups. It printed under an inch with each barrel length, and had an average five-shot group size of 0.68 inches.
The combined averages for extreme spread and standard deviation of muzzle velocity weren’t anything to write home about, but they certainly didn’t disappoint.
To get better at shooting, we need to get quality reps with live ammo. When it comes to pistol shooting, a few tenths of an inch in average group size isn’t going to make or break your training. This is my pick for getting the most training value for your money.
2. AAC 124gr FMJ
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Specs
- Bullet Construction: Full metal jacket
- Bullet Weight: 124 gr
- Accuracy (compact / full size / PCC): 0.69” / 1.98” / 0.27”
- Muzzle Velocity (compact / full size / PCC): 1,172 fps / 1,192 fps / 1,442 fps
- Extreme Spread (compact / full size / PCC): 54 fps / 56 fps / 85 fps
- Standard Deviation (compact / full size / PCC): 19 fps / 20 fps / 30 fps
Like most manufacturers, AAC offers 155- and 124-grain versions of what’s otherwise the same ammunition.
This is the same price as the 115-grain load, but it didn’t perform as well for me in this test.
The biggest problem was a huge jump in five-shot group size with the full-size pistol – 1.98 inches! At seven yards from a rest, that’s a deal-breaker for me.
On the chronograph, it was identical to AAC 155-grain FMJ from the compact pistol but noticeably less consistent out of the other two.
My advice? Start with AAC’s lighter training ammo. If that gives you spotty results, switch to this. Every barrel is different, so find ammo that your firearm likes.
3. Blazer Brass 115gr FMJ
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Specs
- Bullet Construction: Full metal jacket
- Bullet Weight: 115 gr
- Accuracy (compact / full size / PCC): 0.77” / 0.65” / 0.48”
- Muzzle Velocity (compact / full size / PCC): 1,106 fps / 1,150 fps / 1,310 fps
- Extreme Spread (compact / full size / PCC): 38 fps / 24 fps / 42 fps
- Standard Deviation (compact / full size / PCC): 14 fps / 8 fps / 16 fps
Blazer Brass 115-grain training ammunition was another contender that performed well, but not remarkably – that’s neither praise nor condemnation.
It achieved decent accuracy results. Each barrel length kept five shots inside an inch, and the average was 0.63 inches. The Garmin Xero C1 Pro showed that the ammunition was reasonably consistent; certainly good enough for training use.
At the time of my test, this ammunition cost one cent per round more than Blazer’s 124-grain load. Contrary to my recommendation for AAC, I’d start with the heavier stuff when it comes to Blazer Brass and switch to this if you’re not happy with the results.
4. Blazer Brass 124gr FMJ – Best Value FMJ
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Specs
- Bullet Construction: Full metal jacket
- Bullet Weight: 124 gr
- Accuracy (compact / full size / PCC): 0.36” / 0.67” / 0.47”
- Muzzle Velocity (compact / full size / PCC): 1,058 fps / 1,088 fps / 1,262 fps
- Extreme Spread (compact / full size / PCC): 9 fps / 15 fps / 81 fps
- Standard Deviation (compact / full size / PCC): 3 fps / 5 fps / 29 fps
I suspect that many of you are reading this article because you need training and defensive ammo for your concealed carry pistol. If that’s you, Blazer Brass 124-grain FMJ is my recommendation.
I saw solid accuracy results from this ammo, with all three firearms printing five-shot groups in less than an inch, discounting a pulled shot with the compact pistol. The average group was exactly half an inch.
More importantly, it was the most accurate target ammunition with the compact Hellcat Pro’s 3.7-inch barrel. When you discount the one shot that I clearly pulled, it produced a four-shot group in 0.36 inches. That means you could almost cover the center points of those four impacts with one 9mm bullet.
It’s great training ammo, especially for compact pistols, and the price is right. At the time of this test, Blazer Brass 124-grain FMJ was selling for $0.27 per round.
5. Magtech Steel Case 115gr FMJ – Best Budget Range FMJ
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Specs
- Bullet Construction: Full metal jacket
- Bullet Weight: 115 gr
- Accuracy (compact / full size / PCC): 0.88” / 0.65” / 0.31”
- Muzzle Velocity (compact / full size / PCC): 1,190 fps / 1,229 fps / 1,407 fps
- Extreme Spread (compact / full size / PCC): 35 fps / 48 fps / 32 fps
- Standard Deviation (compact / full size / PCC): 12 fps / 18 fps / 12 fps
At the time of my test, Magtech Steel Case was the cheapest training ammo on the list at $0.24 per round.
Lower cost didn’t translate to lower performance at the range. This ammunition finished right in the middle of the pack in terms of accuracy across all barrel lengths, caused no malfunctions, and logged the best muzzle velocity standard deviation and extreme spread out of the PCC.
As the saying goes, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. While you’ll save money at checkout, steel is much harder than brass, so this ammo will accelerate wear compared to brass-cased ammo. If you shoot it exclusively, expect to replace components like your pistol’s extractor earlier than usual.
Because of that, high-volume shooters might want to fork over the extra pennies for brass-cased ammo. If you don’t shoot very often, I doubt you’ll reach the point where it becomes an issue.
6. Norma 65gr Frangible – Best Frangible Range Round
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Specs
- Bullet Construction: Frangible
- Bullet Weight: 65 gr
- Accuracy (compact / full size / PCC): 1.17” / 1.15” / 0.17”
- Muzzle Velocity (compact / full size / PCC): 1,568 fps / 1,627 fps / 1,916 fps
- Extreme Spread (compact / full size / PCC): 36 fps / 45 fps / 62 fps
- Standard Deviation (compact / full size / PCC): 14 fps / 19 fps / 21 fps
I, like a lot of you perhaps, used to write off frangible ammo as something I’d only shoot if an RSO made me do it. After testing Norma Frangible, I changed my tune.
This ammo didn’t exactly outperform the FMJ competition, but it held its own. I certainly wouldn’t say anything about it held me back, especially at common pistol-shooting distances.
I recommend keeping a box or two of this in reserve. Maybe you’ll visit an indoor range that requires frangible ammo. Maybe you’ll have a chance to do some close-quarters training that could be unsafe with FMJ ammo. Either way, I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
7. PMC Bronze 124gr FMJ
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Specs
- Bullet Construction: Full metal jacket
- Bullet Weight: 124 gr
- Accuracy (compact / full size / PCC): 0.62” / 0.93” / 0.46”
- Muzzle Velocity (compact / full size / PCC): 1,063 fps / 1,090 fps / 1,215 fps
- Extreme Spread (compact / full size / PCC): 19 fps / 7 fps / 64 fps
- Standard Deviation (compact / full size / PCC): 6 fps / 3 fps / 22 fps
PMC Bronze was the most expensive supersonic ammunition in this test at $0.32 per round. Is it worth the upcharge?
Five-shot groups all stayed inside an inch. Chronograph figures for the compact pistol were very good, they led the test in the full-size pistol, and they were decent for the PCC. I experienced no malfunctions (although that’s generally true in this test).
Given the price difference between PMC Bronze and some of the more budget-oriented ammo from AAC and Blazer, I’m inclined to save a few bucks on my training ammo. This is certainly quality ammo, though, so shoot it if you like it.
8. Winchester Super Suppressed 147gr FMJ – Best Subsonic FMJ
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Specs
- Bullet Construction: Full metal jacket
- Bullet Weight: 147 gr
- Accuracy (compact / full size / PCC): 0.87” / 0.42” / 0.17”
- Muzzle Velocity (compact / full size / PCC): 1,032 fps / 1,071 fps / 1,102 fps
- Extreme Spread (compact / full size / PCC): 33 fps / 20 fps / 100 fps
- Standard Deviation (compact / full size / PCC): 12 fps / 7 fps / 34 fps
According to the box, Winchester Super Suppressed runs cleaner than other ammunition, reducing the rate of carbon buildup in your suppressor. While I can’t comment on that, I can say it’s an extremely effective training load.
It’s certainly quiet with a suppressor. Muzzle velocity consistently came in well under 1,100 feet per second with both pistols. It just barely broke that average with the PCC at 1,102 feet per second.
I was surprised to see that it was also the most accurate ammunition for both the full-size pistol and the PCC.
On the second shot with the full-size pistol, I experienced a failure to feed. Given this particular PDP’s track record and my overzealous cleaning regimen, I attribute this to the ammunition. All subsequent shots went off without a hitch.
This is the most expensive target ammunition of the group. At the time of this test, it cost $0.46 per round. Of course, if you’re buying this, it’s because you’re pushing it through a significantly more expensive suppressor. You have to pay to play, I guess.
Best 9mm Self-Defense Ammo
1. Federal Premium HST 124gr JHP – Most Versatile
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Specs
- Bullet Construction: Jacketed hollow point
- Bullet Weight: 124 gr
- Muzzle Velocity (compact / full size / PCC): 1,173 fps / 1,211 fps / 1,383 fps
- Extreme Spread (compact / full size / PCC): 23 fps / 18 fps / 14 fps
- Standard Deviation (compact / full size / PCC): 8 fps / 6 fps / 5 fps
I’ve heard so many people recommend Federal Premium HST through the years that it seems like a default option for a lot of shooters. Naturally, I was curious to see some first-hand results.
On paper (targets, that is), Federal HST proved reliably accurate. When I averaged the shot groups across all three barrel lengths, it came in second at 0.67 inches. When I averaged the extreme spread and standard deviation across all barrel lengths, it ranked first. Disregard my pulled shot with the full-size pistol.
Shooting the compact pistol into ballistic gel, Federal HST provided the best expansion of the bunch. The 75% expansion out of a PCC was also impressive. It overpenetrated by half an inch from the compact pistol and 2.5 inches from the full-size pistol – something worth considering.
So, are gun store clerks right to push a box of HST across the counter to anyone who asks for defensive ammo? Probably.
There are specialized rounds that do certain things better, but this is a very effective and versatile option. If you’re going to buy one kind of defensive ammo for a variety of 9mm firearms, this one won’t let you down.
2. Hornady Critical Defense 115gr JHP
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Specs
- Bullet Construction: Jacketed hollow point
- Bullet Weight: 115 gr
- Muzzle Velocity (compact / full size / PCC): 1,159 fps / 1,160 fps / 1,375 fps
- Extreme Spread (compact / full size / PCC): 47 fps / 22 fps / 13 fps
- Standard Deviation (compact / full size / PCC): 16 fps / 8 fps / 5 fps
I’ve had fantastic results with certain Hornady loads, particularly ELD Match ammo – my precision rifle load of choice. Is Hornady Critical Defense just as good?
Critical Defense didn’t stand out for better or worse in accuracy testing; it was right in the middle of the pack.
In ballistic gel, it underperformed in terms of expansion out of the pistols (38% from the compact pistol and 35% from the full-size pistol) but did well out of the PCC with 67% expansion.
It achieved the least penetration in the test, with 12 inches from the compact pistol, 12.5 inches from the full-size pistol, and only 10.75 inches from the PCC. The bullet fired from the PCC was also the only one of the entire test to change more than a grain in weight, losing 3.4 grains.
If you live in a congested area and have major concerns about overpenetration, this could be a good option for you. If not, look elsewhere.
3. Speer Gold Dot +P 124gr BJHP – Best Penetration JHP
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Specs
- Bullet Construction: Bonded jacketed hollow point
- Bullet Weight: 124 gr
- Muzzle Velocity (compact / full size / PCC): 1,207 fps / 1,281 fps / 1,458 fps
- Extreme Spread (compact / full size / PCC): 20 fps / 63 fps / 29 fps
- Standard Deviation (compact / full size / PCC): 8 fps / 21 fps / 11 fps
I know of a few door-kicker types who swear by Speer Gold Dot +P. Should we take their advice?
First, make sure your pistol can safely shoot +P ammunition (loaded to a higher case pressure). In most cases, manufacturers just warn that it will cause accelerated wear. Since this isn’t going to be your primary training ammunition, that’s not something I’d worry about.
This ammo actually recorded the worst average accuracy across all three barrels at 1.02 inches. That’s because the average got thrown off by the compact pistol, which really didn’t like this ammo. At 7 yards from a rest, my best five-shot group was 2.05 inches. For comparison, I shot a 0.68-inch group with the full-size PDP and a 0.34-inch group that tied for first place out of the Saint Victor carbine.
Ballistic gel tells the real story, here. Gold Dot +P was the only ammunition that never under- or overpenetrated. Expansion was good out of the compact pistol (55%), nearly there out of the full-size pistol (47%), and downright eye-popping out of the PCC (98%, and that’s not a typo).
Don’t be deterred by my experience with compact pistol accuracy because some guns just don’t do well with certain ammunition. This is a very strong performer, and I encourage you to test it with your own pistol. If it shoots tight groups, you already know the ballistic performance is there.
Besides, Speer makes a version of this ammunition specifically for short barrels. Check it out!
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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4. Underwood Xtreme Defender +P 90gr – Best Velocity Self-Defense
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Specs
- Bullet Construction: Copper
- Bullet Weight: 90 gr
- Muzzle Velocity (compact / full size / PCC): 1,477 fps / 1,544 fps / 1,774 fps
- Extreme Spread (compact / full size / PCC): 30 fps / 56 fps / 13 fps
- Standard Deviation (compact / full size / PCC): 10 fps / 19 fps / 6 fps
Here’s another extra-spicy +P round. I’ve had great results hunting with solid copper bullets, so I had high hopes for Underwood Ammo Xtreme Defender.
Check out the chronograph data on this stuff. The featherweight 90-grain bullet positively screams out of any barrel length, clocking between 1,477 and 1,774 feet per second in this test. Accuracy wasn’t great, though, and its average five-shot group came in fourth ahead of Speer Gold Dot +P.
In ballistic gel, it overpenetrated by an inch and 1.25 inches out of the full-size pistol and PCC, respectively. There also wasn’t enough gas behind it to cause any expansion whatsoever.
I should also point out that my first shot out of the full-size pistol took a detour out of the gel block, so I fired a second to capture a fired bullet.
Ballistic gel also allows us to evaluate permanent wound cavities. In that regard, this ammunition was absolutely shocking. The bullets may not have expanded, but they tumbled inside the gel and all landed facing backward. The wound cavity from the compact pistol looked like it came from a magnum revolver or small rifle, not a 9mm pistol.
I’d have concerns about using this for home defense based on the overpenetration issue. If you’re looking for a round that can handle aggressive predator species or barriers like car doors and auto glass, this is a clear favorite.
5. Winchester Defender 147gr BJHP – Best Subsonic Self-Defense Ammo
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Specs
- Bullet Construction: Bonded jacketed hollow point
- Bullet Weight: 147 gr
- Muzzle Velocity (compact / full size / PCC): 1,040 fps / 1,092 fps / 1,144 fps
- Extreme Spread (compact / full size / PCC): 7 fps / 82 fps / 110 fps
- Standard Deviation (compact / full size / PCC): 3 fps / 33 fps / 40 fps
After conducting this test, Winchester Defender has me reevaluating my thoughts on defensive pistol ammo.
It recorded the best accuracy with each of the three barrel lengths and recorded an average five-shot group of 0.47 inches. This subsonic load may be slow, but it’s a tack-driver.
In ballistic gel, it reached or exceeded 50% expansion every time. You might expect it to struggle with penetration at these speeds, but it did well there, too. Both pistols achieved penetration within a quarter inch of the 18-inch mark, and the PCC actually overpenetrated to 21 inches.
On top of all that, it was remarkably quiet out of both pistols with the Banish 9K suppressor. The longer PCC barrel gave it enough runway to break the sound barrier.
The biggest fault with this ammo is that it failed to cycle in the PCC more often than not. It performed flawlessly in the pistols, though.
More and more people are considering suppressors for home defense. After seeing this ammo in action, I might join them. I still wonder about this ammo’s ability to defeat barriers like car doors, but it made a very compelling case for itself, regardless of whether or not you run a can.
Key 9mm Ammo Testing Definitions
These are definitions in my own words, but they will give you an idea of what I was looking for, so we can all stay on the same page.
- Accuracy: How consistently ammunition impacts at the point of aim.
- Average: A figure obtained by combining the results of a five-shot sample and dividing the sum by five.
- Expansion: Diameter of a fired bullet compared to the unfired bullet in millimeters, expressed as a percentage.
- Extreme spread: The difference between the fastest and slowest shots in a string of fire in feet per second.
- Frangible: Bullet construction that is designed to shatter or disintegrate on contact with a hard surface like a berm or steel target. Some indoor shooting ranges require frangible ammunition because it reduces the risk of injury from ricochets.
- Muzzle velocity: How fast a bullet leaves the muzzle in feet per second.
- Penetration: How far each bullet traveled into ballistic gel.
- Standard deviation: A statistical measurement of consistency. In this case, the Garmin Xero C1 Pro calculated the standard deviation for each type of ammunition in feet per second.
- Subsonic: Slower than the speed of sound (approximately 1,125 feet per second).
- Supersonic: Faster than the speed of sound (approximately 1,125 feet per second).
- Weight retention: Mass of a fired bullet compared to the unfired weight in grains, expressed as a percentage.
- BJHP: Bonded jacketed hollow point. This bullet construction is similar to JHP but uses an additional process to connect the copper exterior to the lead core.
- FMJ: Full metal jacket. This bullet construction wraps a copper exterior around a lead core.
- JHP: Jacketed hollow point. This bullet construction is similar to FMJ, but it features a hollow section in the nose of the bullet to improve expansion.
FAQs
Is 9mm good for self defense?
Absolutely. The best 9mm defensive loads we tested in ballistic gel provide excellent penetration, expansion, and weight retention.
Can you use target ammo for self defense?
We don't recommend target ammo for self defense. It provides poor terminal ballistics and has high risk of over-penetrating and hurting an innocent person.
Is 9mm subsonic?
Most 9mm ammunition is supersonic. You can use it with a suppressor, but you'll still hear a crack as it breaks the sound barrier. Subsonic 9mm ammunition is designed to stay under the speed of sound to minimize volume.
Does 9mm ammo expire?
Modern ammunition is very stable. Keep it cool and dry, and it can last many years.
Will 9mm stop a bear?
Defensive 9mm ammunition can be effective against black bears, but black bear attacks are extremely rare. We recommend a more powerful cartridge against brown bears like grizzly and Kodiak bears.
Meet the Experts
This article comes to you from Editor Scott Murdock. Scott is a Marine Corps veteran who competed and qualified as a rifle and pistol expert while in service. In addition to shooting, Scott has written for a variety of publications, testing, researching, and evaluating guns and gear. He brings that knowledge and skillset to this article, editing and fact-checking for accuracy.
Editor Wyatt Sloan also provided input for this article. Wyatt is an NRA-certified instructor with previous experience as a USPSA competitor. Wyatt personally owns over 200 firearms and has 10 years of home-based FFL firearm sales. He has used his extensive experience with firearms at large to test guns for Pew Pew Tactical — evaluating them based on our standards and metrics.
Editor-in-Chief Jacki Billings runs our experienced team of reviewers. She is a National Rifle Association Basic Pistol Instructor as well as a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, ACES: Society for Editing, and the Professional Outdoor Media Association. Jacki has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and has worked as a media professional for close to 20 years, specializing in gun media for almost 10 years. With 2,000+ articles to her name, she uses her professional journalism and editing experience to set testing protocols and editorial standards for Pew Pew Tactical.
Final Thoughts
Any of this 9mm ammo is worth shooting, depending on what your goals are.
Rather than naming favorites, I’ll encourage you to evaluate your personal needs and dig into the data I collected. Want tack-driving accuracy? Concerned about overpenetration? Just looking to get as many reps as possible without blowing your training budget? There’s something here for you.
I’m sure there are great options we weren’t able to test, so if there’s something you recommend, share the wealth in the comments section. We’d love to hear it!
Which cartridge would you like to see us test next? Drop a comment and let us know! Looking for a pistol to shoot all this awesome ammo? Find your next gun in our guide to the Best 9mm Pistols.
Latest Updates
March 2025: Total rewrite with new ammunition, testing procedures, and supporting content.
254 Leave a Reply
Scott, there are a number of brands, such as Sig, that market self defense ammo specifically for short barreled concealed guns. Sig markets their 365 ammo (not the pistol itself) noting that this ammo is designed specifically for shorter barrels, as other brands do, as well. Speer also has a short barreled Gold dot version in addition to their standard lineup. According to the marketing, better ballistics result from the rounds over standard rounds from a short barrel. It would be a nice test to see if the so-called short barrel ammo types actually do perform better in short barrels vis-a-vis the standard round from the same manufacturer. Or if it is simply marketing and perception to drive a higher price premium?
I'd be really interested to see the results of that comparison, too, Greg. I'm sure one or more of the loads you mentioned will appear in the next batch we test so we'll find out. My hunch (or should I say hypothesis?) is that there is a real difference, given the disparity in Speer's accuracy with different barrel lengths in this test. Would you rather have ammo that's optimized for each of your pistols or one that works reasonably well in all of them? I go back and forth on that myself.
Wondering if you tried any of the Black Hills Ammo, especially their Honey Badger rounds and if so how did they compare?
Not yet, but Black Hills is very high on my list of ammo to test. Stay tuned!
Where we are and how we got here-I TEND TO WONDER. I understand, but regret it is REALITY. Security needed at a church. I was at an ammo sale. A tiny grandmother type was buying several boxes of 357 magnums. I asked her. The minister goes shooting with their group. Organized and trained makes sense BUT............
Far from an expert, claimed or otherwise. I read somewhere that though the US did not sign the Geneva Convention, we do follow it. Hollow point, DEFENSIVE AMMO, is outlawed. A 45 vs 9mm. The 45 makes a bigger hole.
Hey Claud, thanks for the comment. Just for clarification, The Geneva Convention does not ban hollow point ammo. It’s the Hague Convention of 1899 — which only applies to the signatories. The U.S. did not ratify the Hague Declaration, therefore it’s not bound by it. Though customary, the U.S. does not recognize the ban on hollow points and DoD’s Law of War Manual does not mention any ban on that type of ammo. We are planning on doing more ammo articles like this in the future, including .45 ACP so check back soon for that article. We're really excited about it!
Check out their entire line and company background. Their Woodsman ammo is remarkable. Their Woodsman 10mm is what we carry for bears in AK and NH.
Is Speer still making the G2 line of ammo? it seemed like a good product.
They are - it's available in 9mm (147gr), .40 S&W, and .45 ACP. There are too many great options to test them all, but we're working on it!
Thanks for another great article. I always look forward to your emails in my inbox.
Since HST and Gold Dot are (probably) the most favored self defense rounds, I would have loved to see you compare apples to apples by evaluating the same pressure-class loads in both. Ideally, standard pressure and +P in both. I'd guess that you'd have seen less penetration from the +P HST due to more rapid expansion and vice versa with the GD. Both are generally considered excellent, though.
Thanks for reading! I'd be interested to do a deep dive into both those brands. I'm with you, though, I have a hunch they're pretty even in performance and both good choices.
One of the problems with re-hashing old articles with bits of new information, done by people who may not get out much, is that you get bad recommendations.
1. AAC ammo is crappy.
2. Anyone who recommends steel case ammunition must have frequent access to other people’s (or other organization’s) weaponry. Best rule: don’t, unless you enjoy replacing major components of your firearms — which by far exceeds the few dollars saved on crappy ammo.
3. There’s nothing that I like about Blazer ammunition: I used it one Spring in tactical courses and found:
a. I had to clean my pistol (and my girlfriend’s) twice daily because it junked up both of our Staccato 2011XCs; and
b. I had two incidents using Blazer .45 Auto and another incident using Blazer .40S&W where the cartridge case blew out: in the incident using the .45 Auto, my right hand has 2nd degree burns; in the second, the .40 S&W actually damaged the Glock G22 Gen 4 pistol.
For those of you that want excellent defense ammunition, I strongly recommend Federal 9mm HST 124-grain +P JHP and Federal 9mm HST 147 grain JHP. The corporation I flew for had us go through firearms qualification 4x annually, and our instructors professionally use the Federal HST ammunition.
Not surprising, PewPew didn’t recommend three of the best 9mm ammunition for personal defense: if you don’t like sub-MOA performance, don’t bother reading further.
1. Liberty Ammunition Civil Defense 9mm +P, 50 grain, 2040 fps; and Liberty Overwatch 9mm +P, 72 grain, 1720 fps. I carry the latter in my EDC pistol, the former in our home defense weapons. U.S. Spec Ops use the Liberty Overwatch 9mm ammo.
2. Sim-X Defensecore 9mm 45-grain, 2250 fps, is a close second favorite I use for my EDC backup pistol, the Staccato 2011 C. Though technically NOT a +P round, this ammunition out-performed +P and +P+ ammunition in all aspects. It generates 505 ft-pounds of energy, which is almost unheard-of in most submunitions.
That’s what I was thinking. Fundamental misunderstanding of how it works. Not good.
Decent selection of ammo. Not sure why you had two versions of that cheap a$$ AAC ammo when you could have added in Federal American Eagle 124gr instead. In my informal tests with a chrono I’ve found it to be very consistent (low std deviation). PMC is also very consistent. Both better than Blazer and Norma 124s.
Thanks for reading, John. We can only test so many options at once, so this time we wanted to include some affordable training ammo that everyone can use. I've shot a ton of American Eagle with good results, so I suspect it'll make the next update.
Blazer brass is absolutely terrible ammo. I have two friends who had out of battery explosions in their guns because of defective Blazer Brass. Spend a few extra bucks and get some decent (safe) ammo. This stuff is crap.
Just a note to the Pew Pew guys, The Underwood Xtreme Defender 9mm 90gr +P you tested, does NOT expand. It was designed to cause a huge wound cavity and penetrate deep, check their website.
Hey Mike, that's exactly what we found and reported as well. Thanks for reading!
Well the way you worded it in your reporting, it sounded like you expected it to expand, but it didn't. Quote: In ballistic gel, it overpenetrated by an inch and 1.25 inches out of the full-size pistol and PCC, respectively. There also wasn’t enough gas behind it to cause any expansion whatsoever. Or maybe I'm just being nit picky about the wording.
Hey Mike, I think it's the latter (no snark implied). I did not expect it to expand, and the test backs up everything Underwood says about this round so I think we're all on the same page. I appreciate you weighing in - it's always fun to nerd out on ballistics!
Over the years, and I'm 72, I have found that when I'm excited my 1 inch grouping of punching paper goes out the windows. A somewhat "Mozambique drill" comes to mind: two in center of mass and two in the head will cause a gremlin to cease and desist under any conditions. When I regularly went walking in the wee hours carrying an ancient Colt 32 Auto in a belly pouch or when I carried the Bersa, my primary consideration was time on target. (i.e. Mozambique drill). Scared the crap outta at least one other walker and gave me comfort in knowing that gremlins were not going to have a good morning.
9mm 40SW Buffalo Bore hard cast ammo testing
Future ammo testing 9mm 40 SW
What a super article! Thank you. Perhaps include the Sig branded ammo next time; that would be helpful.
But, seriously, this was really super post and clearly took a lot of work and time on your parts. Thank you very much.
Thanks for the kind words, Greg. We're happy to put in the work for you guys. I'll grab some of that Sig ammo for the next update.
Let's see, you have to make a decision on what kind of ammo you want to ventilate a gremlin with, yes? My thesis is that if I have a high capacity 9mm and put a bunch of hole in said gremlin, he will not care what brand of ammo has offed him. Personally, I carry a Bersa TPR9C 9mm (a service weapon not some super deluxe customized Tommy Tactical pistol) and it will digest everything that I have tried. Range of less than 30 feet I can put a bunch of holes in paper. In a combat situation, I don't know how a 1 inch group matters.
You've got a couple good points there, Kurt. We shouldn't get too concerned about a tenth of an inch here and there. When there's a trend, like a shot group doubling in size because of a change in barrel length, that's when we need to start thinking about what that looks like over longer distances, under stress, or both.
I would like to add for best FMJ target/range ammo is Winchester NATO 124gr. It is a military combat load.
A outstanding defense load, is the Winchester Ranger T 127gr +P+.
I'd be really interested to see how that one does, thanks for the recommendation!
Thank you so much for this article, gives us a great perspective of available ammo out there. As a reloader, I like to see what ammo is hot or not and if the components are available to create the same results that the manufacturers advertise. Considering that most testing is done "in house" using special barrels that are just used for testing, it's nice to see field testing results. I do have one comment about the Underwood Extreme Defender rounds. First, the solid copper projectile is either a Lehigh Defense "Extreme Defense" bullet or a knock off made by Underwood. Second, these solid copper bullets ARE NOT designed to expand, the tip and flutes cut into it are made to cause that massive wound cavity you had shown in the Ballistic Gel. These bullets are "barrier busters" for those sorry souls that want to cause people harm and then hide behind walls, Yeah, good luck with that. If you want a bullet that will not "over penetrate" and has amazing devastation, give the Lehigh "Controlled Fracture" round a try in some gel. I am positive this may become your new defense round. Thank you again for all your articles and and all the hard work that goes into creating them.
Thanks for reading, Martin! You've sold me on testing Lehigh Defense, and probably more all-copper bullets.
I'd like to see this article (and all PewPew articles) include a list of all the ammo tested.
"The best" is nearly meaningless/useless without the context of "compared to what".
I don't disagree, but our picks are informed by tons of collective experience so it's a little more complicated than it looks. That's one of the reasons we do frequent updates; to make sure you have our most up-to-date recommendations. And if you have recommendations, shout them out because we love to hear what readers are using!
Console handgun: CZ P10F loaded with Hornady 124gr XTP +Ps. Primary EDCs: S&W 9mm and .45 Shields, loaded with Sinterfire 'Special Duty' frangible HPs.
You bring up a great question: is it better to buy one type of defensive ammo across the board, or tailor it to specific pistols and uses? Decisions, decisions.
My ammo decisions are based on my LEO experiences. The 124gr Hornady +P XTP was designed to be 'barrier blind'. My CZ P10F has the barrel length to achieve near-.357 Magnum velocity with that round. I spend over 2 hours a day in my vehicle, surrounded by other vehicles. I like the penetration capability the combo provides.
For my EDC firerms, the exact opposite is a concern. My Shields are in my 'church security' rotation, along with my Walther PPQ M2. Overpenetration is a very real concern.
A list without G9 ammo?
Hey, we can't test them all every time. Maybe next time, though, because I'd really like to see how it compares to the Underwood Xtreme Defender from this test.
What is your experience with Hornady Critical Defense ammo? Also, if FTX good or is it hype?
Thanks for all you do!
Adam
Good info. I would like to see the exact same reviews/tests for other popular cartridges as well, such as the .40 S&W, 10mm Auto, and 30 Super Carry.
I have used 124 grain 9mm Blazer Brass for many years for range and training sessions. I have never had a problem with this ammo (using Blazer with Glocks), while I have experienced several firearm mechanical issues. For example, one day at the range my RDS went flying off its slide when recoil sheared off its mounting screws. Imagine my surprise. I have fired maybe 30,000 rounds of Blazer Brass - made in the Free State of Idaho. What could be better?
Very good article. Great information, as always. I purchase alot of ammo online, and the site I use most is Freedom Munitions. They have really good prices, and have free shipping promos several times throughout the year. I have shot a ton of their house brand during range sessions, both new and reman, and they ALWAYS go bang, and I think they are cleaner than other ammo that I have used.
I cannot get Blazer ammo to cycle my Beretta 92FS properly. I figured it just is too low powered for the heavier slide on the Beretta.
It does work okay in my plastic guns, though. I won’t buy it again.
Ammoseek com
More power to you if your local range is selling FMJ 9mm for cheaper then $0.11 per round.
Also ammo seek can help you find places that have free shipping.
I have five 9mm handguns - four full-sized and one micro-carry; so I shoot a lot of 9mm ammo at the range. And I have tried a lot of different brands, including all of the ones you reviewed (both range and defense rounds). Personally, I like to shoot Precision One ammo in 124 gr. and 135 gr. at the range, both of which I find very accurate for target shooting. For defensive rounds, I use Federal HST 124 gr.+P and also Hornady Critical Duty 135 gr.+P for my full sized pistols. I like Hornady Critical Defense 124 gr. in my micro-carry. My two cents…
I disagree with Federal HST's as the best ammo. Gold Dot 124 +P is the best on the market hands down! The late Paul Harrell does a great youtube video demonstrating the wound channel of the Gold Dot vs the HST's and Gold Dots are superior. HST's will stop a threat but I love the Gold Dots.
Not only is Speer Gold Dot 9mm the best 115 grain hollow point, it is also the best 124 grain hollow point.
When I first bought my Beretta PX4 Storm Subcompact, the only thing that would shoot reliably with no failures 100% of the time was Speer Gold Dot 9mm 124 grain hollow point.
I then learned that I should use a good grease, not oil, to lubricate my slide; so I started using Wilson Combat UltimaLube II grease. From that point forward, I have had zero failures in my gun.
But the only thing I carry in that gun is Speer Gold Dot 9mm 124 grain hollow point, because it was 100% reliable when nothing else was.
Newb here. Ive been watching a LOT of videos and reading reviews of ammo but I rarely see any reviews on Norma ammo. Ive read they clean burning, pretty accurate and the MHP expands to .9” approximately. Videos show it reaches around 10+ in gel tests. What are seasoned shooters thoughts?
if you are open to sugestions, the guy in the video has his elbows locked making the top of his body take the recoil, his whole body is being pushed back, try to slightly bend your elbows, this will be like a shock absorber, your arms will take the recoil and not your upper body, it will keep you on target better
personally I like lehigh xtreme defense 9mm. Nice to know if I had to shoot through glass it's gonna go in a predictable direction, rather than disintegrating
I think you should look at putting in the 9mm hollowpoints is the Winchester Ranger T hollowpoints 127gr +P+ on the top list.
In short barrelled guns, such as the 3.1" M&P Shield, the velocity gains in putting +9 and especially +p+ give greater muzzle flash, noise and accelerate wear on the firearm. Point of impact may be considerably different from the ammo you use for practice. Range time and chronograph readings can be illuminating. I carry 90 gr Underwood Xtreme Defenders, but find inexpensive WW White box 115 gr fmj both shoot tight groups and to a close common point of aim..
As a defensive round looking at the Lucky Gunner labs, we were looking at, the Winchester Ranger T 127gr +P+ out performed every defensive round on the list, penetrating 19.3 inches and expanding to 0.627. No you don't want to train too much with this hot load, but in certain guns, like the HKs or Springfield Armory SA-35 Hi-Power, they should handle it. Should be at the top of the list. The writer ignored or didn't check the Ranger T 127gr +P+ hollowpoint for some reason. Pretty clear as law enforcement ammunition, it is an excellent choice.
I would love to hear your thoughts on G9 external hollowpoint ammo.
California resident here: just successfully placed an order for 2 cases of target rounds on PSA. They wouldn't ship hollowpoints to my address. I did successfully buy hollowpoints from Ammunition Depot. The free shipping code didn't work over there though.
Have me a little lost ??? I read in your emails where you say brass is hard to reload ?? Pros and cons for different amo..
The individual who wrote this either cannot pay attention to detail or has absolutely no idea what they are talking about. I'm going with both but more the latter. This is a pitiful article. Damn,can I be your next columnist?
Both the 124 or 147 are so close that you can't go wrong with either one . I know from sources that the 124 gets better penetration so in an LEO stand point that is the better rd. However the 147 is great too and had better expansion and less recoil. In terms of real world shootings they are so close that either would work fine. I like the 147 grain better but I use the 124 grain in the winter months. The reason it goes back and forth because he knows without saying to your liking either one is great and you wouldn't see end results in a defensive shooting be any different. If one is 9 out of 10 you go down with one hit with the 147 grain HST then 9 out of 10 would go down with one hit from the 124 grain HST.
Yeah, Big reloader here and NRA reloading instructor and brass harder to reload? How? I'm always a student....or was it the admin secretary that wrote this with no experience? Both my Rock Chucker AND my Dillon XL650 will CRUSH steel cases let alone brass. All of the rounds you recommend are top notch but I still waiver to and have never had a issue with 'Winchester White Box', When I did professional training for me, it was all we used, but Blazer and anything by Federal is top notch.
Has anyone had experience with Liberty Civil Defense or Ultra-Light? I’ve typically used Hornady Critical Defense with a 365x, but the Civil Defense and Ultra-Lights shoot great with very easy follow-ups. Curious about real-world stopping power with the higher velocities.
I would be careful about the Liberty Civil Defense as the deviation can vary a lot in point of impact also while it looks great on gel testing the wounds are more superficial and thus you are counting on a 22 mag type results. Yes it is deadly and a proper shot would work fast if it were brain or heart but when velocity is that high it might not hit at the point of sight picture. The Critical Defense is a better rd but would be the min on the penetration side. 3 best rds are HST, Winchester Defense, and Gold Dot 124 +p.
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.
I agree. For a long time my go-to defensive ammo was Liberty Civil Defense, esp. because it is so lightweight when lugging 2-3 mags. I still like it a lot. Lately I've begun working with Underwood's Xtreme Defender, though I'd never be shy of using Liberty or Lehigh. Maybe the challenge for the author is recommending ammo that is very easy to find and buy, which these three are not. Obviously price cannot be a big consideration for ammo on which your life or that of others might depend.
For Tier B defensive ammo I really like Federal HST and might take a test run with the Magtech stuff since, before this article, I didn't know they made decent-performance hollow points. For shooters who don't have time or desire to tweak their go-to rounds, Federal's combo pack of 9mm Syntech range ammo and same-weight HST is the best idea I've seen in years. Practice with non-fouling Syntech and know that the HST will punch through the same hole - great move by Federal.
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...
I have a Glock 19 4th GEN. Love it! I also love the Glock 43X! It's not the grains of powder it's all 9 mm sure more grains of powder more firepower I get at feet per 2nd what about hollow points
First, thanks for weighing in. I love the 43X also, but looking for a second (back-up) option to carry. Being a short skinny guy, full size pistols like the 19/19X stick out like a sore thumb on me. Hollow Points are a nice option but expensive to keep shooting at the range. I shoot them sparingly just to make sure that the brands I have cycle through without issue. However, it still feels as though the heavier cartridges seem to have a less snappy recoil when fired. I got my hands on some "Target Sports USA" 118 grain 9mm fluted cartridges and it was a joy to shoot. I felt like I was shooting a quite heavy .22... On the other hand I haven't tried out any of the +P, or +P+ with the extra powder as of yet.
Bogus prices.. even 4 weeks ago the price of ammo still wrong.. c'mon maaaan. why the click-bait?
Eric, was there any reason why you did not include Hornady Critical Defense? (My carry round).
Also, what are your thoughts on a pistol with a longer than three and a half inches but shorter than 5 in? I understand that my glock 48 MOS should give me higher velocity and, based on your ballistic gel tests, I would anticipate consistent expansion without excess penetration. What say you?
It says at top that this article was written three weeks ago. Also, the prices are stated to be accurate at the time of writing. I think you forgot to update the prices!
Seriously. $8 for 50 rounds of 9mm? Accurate at time of writing? I think not. I'm 100% sure they just do that to generate more clicks/traffic to those websites. Kinda pathetic, if I'm being honest. :/
Only have a single 9mm - my CZ P01. It stays loaded with 147 gr +P gold dot.
My carry gun does not like wide-mouthed JHP's like the Federal HST: they get hung up on the feeding ramp. What I'm carrying inatead is either Hornaday Critical Defense (FTX bullet) or the Inceptor ARX (solid frangible bullet that works like the Lehigh or Honey Badger). For my HD gun, I load it with 147 gr. Federal HST or 147 gr. Fiocchi JHP.
What's your EDC gun? That may help many to avoid the problems you're experiencing.
It happens a lot with my moms Kimber Evo SP with wider self defense rounds. They get stuck on the feeding ramp a lot. It cycles any ammo just fine when shooting, but they get stuck on the feed ramp quite often when chambering a round by hand.
Modern HPs are wider now and can get stuck in pistols with steep feed ramps. A little polishing of the ramp and breech by a gun smith should solve the problem. Also, lightly smoothing the lips to the magazine might help as well.
One thing to be aware of is that all-copper bullets, e.g. Cor-Bon are longer than lead core bullets of the same weight. Most pistols will cycle these bullets ok but the magazine may not drop freely if the nose of the bullet is pooched out a little.
I have a Taurus 111 millennium G2 with Lake Line metal guide rod and a G3C and the seem to eat anything I feed them . So it’s Federal Hydro-shok or now federal punch in 124 gr sell the Kimber and get 2 or 3 G2c or G3c’s
I love your site, you guys were a big factor in helping me decide on my first handgun purchase (Glock 17) - thank you for that. This article, however, is terribly out of date and would be a huge help if it were updated and kept current. Hopefully I’m thanking you in advance.
The educational information is accurate and up to date, sadly the prices are not since it's simply too hard to keep up. Prices are changing and all over the place right now and that won't change for a long while.
One thing no review I've ever seen considers is most self defense events are going to take place in an enclosed space such as your home or vehicle. Shooting supersonic ammunition is a guaranteed recipe for instant permanent hearing loss and while the subsonic isn't that much quieter it at least gives you a fighting chance. My 9's will always be loaded with 147 grain bullets. It would be interesting to see db tests in say a typical room of 12x14.
Excellent point which is seldom mentioned. I am now paying for my casual attitude in many earlier years of hunting, target shooting, and heavy equipment. I dread risking what I have left in hearing in a self defense shooting. Constant tinnitus is debilitating. It is progressive and permanent. Shooters are usually more careful today. Be careful and be well.
Well the biggest problem i see is that "if" you can find it the prices are so damn high i can only order two boxes if im lucky but at least the prices are just high enough to get me free shipping. Just 6months ago i could buy 420rd can,in a very nice metal ammo can 30cal. and all on stripper clips for 139.99 and just months later your lucky if you can find 200rds for that price! They are charging more for 420rds to 500rds as they use to for 1000rds! I have seen companies trying tp push the 1000rd cases for 999.99?!?!??!? If and its a big "IF" you can find single boxes of ammo for the old prices like 7.69 for 20 or even 9.99 for 20 you had better scoop them up and just make sure you buy a case less one 20rd box or you will be automatically charged for a case and end up paying more!So if their idea of a case is 200rds then buy 180 twice if u have the money.Make a purchase of 180 and do it again minutes later.You could end up with almost a full case of ammo for way less! I have been ordering it this way for the last 5months and i have been able ot stock up about 3k rds per gun .Some may only have 500 to 1000rds while others only a few hundred like my more precision rifles and those rounds cost a bit more.But they would be more task specific rifles like lets say target shooting from far away or maybe deer hunting?Other then that i have several ARs in 556 and a bunch of others in different calibers just in case i can find 556 i have one in just about every caliber they make an AR 15 in! working on the last caliber i dont have other then 50beo which is 6.5Grendel. IDK if im going to get a 50Beo since Bidens in office.I have already lost three companies that use to mail uppers to my front door stop that practice already.Their own company policies by the way not the law!It sux
Noob here and I'm looking to practice with what I plan to use for defense. Our range doesn't allow steel, brass only. I've noticed that most HP seems to come in steel casing. Is that the case? (pun intended).
If it is pistol ammo, it is nickel coated brass.
Some steel-cased ammo has a projectile with a mild steel core, but some does not. A magnet will tell the tale for the projectile.
Hi I'm a single mom and I've recently got a taurus G3c. The other day I was able to get a box of hollow points. When I'm putting one in the chamber it's popping out like its too small. The brand is SIG SAUER 9mm. Luger 124gr. V crown. Am I doing something or got the wrong ones?
You mean it pops out when you pull the slide back?
Be sure that you take a safety class with that gun.
Hello Eric, using the Federal HST 147 gr. bullet for self defense, if you don't have time to put on ear protection, is the lower velocity better for minimizing hearing damage, or is a silencer still necessary?
Thankyou.
If the ammo is subsonic, it will be a touch quieter but still no where close to hearing safe.
Hello Eric,
Could you explain in more detail your intended meaning behind this statement in the ammo article? "My personal favorite since I like the shooting impulse of 147 gr bullets." Regarding Federal HST 9mm 147 gr. Thanks...jawalton
Heavier rounds tend to have a longer recoil impulse since it takes more energy to push the round out of the gun than with a lighter round. That few MS longer curve spreads the energy going into the shooter over a slightly longer period of time. This gives a less "snappy" recoil feel to the gun.
I personally think you should have gotten way more range ammo. You will go through 100 rounds in 30 minutes or less.
Hi, Eric.Thanks for the article and all the information that Pew Pew Tactical posts. I just read Kat's article here on frangible ammo. Did you try any frangibles? Do they fail the 4 layers of fabric test? Thanks.
Eric, I just read Kat's article on frangible ammo. Did you try any frangibles? Do they fail the 4 layers of fabric test? Thanks.
Why is the test predicated on penetration; instead of " But we recommend you try a couple weights and make sure they cycle 100% in your self-defense gun." make the function of the gun the issue! Its a TEST do it all, and let us know which 9mm ball will cycle the most guns. On the range I'll need about .25 inch, and on OTHER; truthfully I'll only need about 4 to 6 inches which I'm positive that if they are cycling my keltec 2000 any of em will do!
Semper fi
John Blair (Cpl USMC 5811 '77-'81; credence )
Hello, I live in S. CA and recently bought my first pistol, a S&W SD9VE with several hundred rounds of Winchester Ranger 9mm Luger T-series 147g (HST type for home defense) and 100 rounds of Winchester Luger FMJ for target practice. Both gun and ammo, I had not much of choices in the pandemic. Did I make the wrong choices? THX
Hey, that was one of my very first guns also! You should be good to go -- get some training when you can!
I am first time pistol buyer and wonder what you recommend for my first pistol mostly for self defense at home
Take a beginner class BEFORE you buy. A lot of ranges have different guns you can try, as do many firearms instructors. Find something you like, not what someone else tells you. Definitely stear clear of whatever the guy at the gun shop insists on...may work for him but no one else.
Glock if you can afford it. I can't.
Here in Commiefornia the best ammo is whatever’s available
Check out the LUCKY GUNNER ! Very good articles on ammo testing.
I have tested the HST ''LE TACTICAL'' several times .Shooting thru up to 8 layers of denim, shot thru med jacket, thru Roasts.The HST le tac. always opens and blooms.I have to say both of the hornadys with the red tips are overrated. The sig crowns are ok. The win rangers are good.The cor-bon all copper rounds come the closets to the HST le tac.Alot of people DO NOT buy the right Hst's.They buy the PERSONAL DEFENSE rd's not the same!
I agree with this statement. Testing of 200 rds through everything from billows to b.Gel. HST in just about all grain ct. Are top performance. If your not getting full affects of your ammo your stopping power goes way down. I personally use Corbin 45acp ammo. Have had to use this ammo in a real defensive situation and it worked just as well in the field as testing.
Sig is always ignored here. They've had ammo for months. The Sig V Crown and ball ammo run perfectly through all my handguns an pcc's.
Any thoughts on the Speer G2 ammo?
Barnes, and Winchester T Series are better than anything listed here.
Absolutely, This must of been what I'm guessing there personal test
NO TESTING WITH THE CIVIL DEFENSE ROUNDS BY LIBERTY ? BY FAR THE BEST 9MM ROUND AVAILABLE SMH ALL MY SPECIAL FORCES BUDDYS USE THEM FOR A REASON
Yeah..They don't have to pay for them!
Look up Fort Scott Munitions ammo
Greetings Eric: In my EDC 9mm (Taurus G2C or G3 as I have both) I use a combo load; 115 grain Geco JHP, 124 grain+P Speer Gold Dot JHP, and then the Federal 147 grain JHP High-Shok. I call this my "defensive cocktail" loads, so if one does not stop the agressor, another different loading will if I do my job and put the rounds in the right place!
That’s ridiculous. If someone dosent “stop” after being shot with one of those rounds it probably has less to do with the type of bullet than it does with the bullet striking a part of the central nervous system or enough blood leaking out of a vital organ. Your “Defensive Coctail” is amateurish and makes you look like a clown. God Bless.
Why nothing about Honey Badger ammo from Black Hills Ammo?
I recently purchased the CPX-3-.380 pistol. I have also signed up for practice at a local gun range. My questions are, What is the best bullets to use at the gun range for shooting target's and also what is the best bullets to use for self defense and protection for my self and family. Is there any difference between the two?
I would go with a cheap brass cased round that is full metal jacketed.
best .380 round for short barrels, is the Hornedy, xtp.
ALSO THE UNDERWOOD PENITRATOR. FLUTED SLUG.
Israelis know a thing or two about self defense shooting, and I buy IMI’s!
What about IMI’s?
Hi Eric, really like all your gear reviews! I used to shoot the “White Box” 100 round .45 ACP box from Walmart. Cheap and not super reliable, and that’s exactly what I wanted for practice; every once in awhile I’d get a stove pipe or other jam. So that gave me practice in learning to clear the jams and I never know when it would happened, so I liked that it wasn’t that reliable! But, sadly, they don’t sell them anymore. Keep up the good reviews, I’m learning a lot, thanks!
FPE is the most overrated statistic talking SD ballistics. You can talk weight, expansion, and penetration all day but it’s the energy you put into your target that’s gives you that “knockout” punch. It’s what makes a 7mm rifle round so much more devastating than a 9x19 from a handgun. It’s why I carry Liberty Civil Defense in my EDC. I’m not interested in poking the biggest or deepest hole. I’m interested in stopping the threat immediately.
That is why now that I'm retired I carry Double Tap 124 grain 9mm +P bonded in my EDC. In my H&K I carry 135 grain in 40 S&W from Corbon.
There’s so much wrong in this comment I’m not going to dignify trying to correct it Lol. If you want accurate explanation of what “knockdown” power really consists of you can disregard the above comment. Lol
What about underwood 9mm xtreme defender 90 gr ? The would cavity and penetration seem to our perform the other bullets.
I agree, as a recently retied Deputy from South Florida and a big agency they decided to jump on the FBI train and make switch to 9mm. Saw many females along with smaller stature men not be able to make the 80% qualification score. I have carried a 40 S&W since 1998 and never had an issue with quals and classes taken. I personally like loads at higher velocities Corbon, Double Tap have always performed very well for me. Imagine if we could bring some of the Old West gun fighters and they saw all the nonsense over caliber, they'd probably take out their single action pistol and Pimp Slap you to death with it at tell you to quit your crying .
Horsesqueeze, handgun bullets DON'T put people down..Been hearing that crap about "The .45 will knock you down" Bs for over 30 years.
What stops an attacker is shot placement, pure and simple. There are slews of reports of suspects hit multiple times with big stuff that keep fighting. And I have seen victims hit in a sensitive area drop with a .22.
So go ahead tell your loved ones..."HARUMPH you need a bazooka of a handgun". I will tell my friends "I would rather you hit 5 times with a .22 than miss 6 shots with a 454 .
If the punishment the shooter gets make them not want to practice or worse, not want to properly aim..its worthless.
As for ballistics its getting real close in depth.
Yeah 9mm was garbage in the 1980s. But the improvements with powder and reliability has more than made up for it.
Nah, those old fools would get decimated by any young gangbanger with higher capacity semi-auto gear.
9mm is junk. Watch Paul Harrels 9mm vs .40s&w. 9mm compared to .40s&w and .357sig always fail to expaned. 40s and 357sigs blossom like roses on a warm morning. Agencies changes 'cause it's cheaper and slightly easier to shoot. I agree it won't be long before cops go back to .40s&w. The videos of police shootings I've seen with .40 put bad guys down quick, lots of blood loss due to better penetration and expansion. Any .40 cartridge, cheap or not, will always out perform any and all 9mm. DON'T PUT A PRICE TAG ON YOUR LIFE AND THE LIVES OF YOUR LOVED ONES.
p.s. Hornady Critical Defense 9mm 135 grain are crap and don't expaned worth a damn. Speer Gold Dots are the key. Choose wisely.
This is about the most ignorant post here.
I think the guy up top that likes to carry a “defensive coctail” of three different ammo types has him beat. He’s a complete moron.
What makes the blazer brass harder to reload? Just picked 2000 rounds
and was curious as to what I've gotten myself into
Reload as in reloading the spent brass yourself and making more ammo from it. The brass itself is a bit finicky and might need extra steps such as deburring, annealing, etc. If you are not planning on reloading your spent brass, then this is a non-issue!
what is your opinion about Fiocchi ammo, I like it because it has less of a kick. it seems to be more accurate, I use to use Federal American Eagle 124 grn. but it started to get vewry dirty,It seems snapier than the Fiocchi. I am having a hard time finding ballistics on the Fiochhi.
Hey how are you, I'm surprised not to see my favorite on your list ( hornady critical duty) 135, is it that it is not as good as the others.
For the range, I love firing the Federal Syntech 9mm. Low recoil and pretty clean. For personal defense, I mix in some Black HIlls HOneyBadger and Hornady Critical Defense, as well as Federal HST.
Have you tried the 9mm from USAC? They are cleaner and more accurate than Blazer ... though Blazer is my backup ammo. They are also hard to find in stock :)
Why is Blazer Brass difficult to reload?
I have been shooting the .40 cal since the early 90’s when it first arrived on the market , my first handgun was a S&W 411 , I own 2 other .40’s one Beretta Px4 Subcompact and one Smith M&P . I recently about 2yrs ago got a Beretta Px4 Storm Compact 9mm . It has become my Primary EDC. I still enjoy the 40 but as I get older the shootability of the 9mm has its merits. As info I use 124gr Federal HST in my 9mm and 165gr Federal HST in my 40’s. I do not feel under gunned or underpowered with either.
40 is my favorite round. 140-165 are by far the best choices for performance. 124 IMO is the best weight for 9mm. Perfect weight. 124 Gold dots or Hat's are my favs. Pew Pew and carry on.
Hello, what the best IWB Holster for the Springfield Xde 9mm?
Sincerely,
Greg
Crossbreed
I'm already looking forward to people recognizing that 9mm is mediocre again. Wait for it - as soon as the infatuation with "new bullet advancements" smacks up against reality, we'll see agencies once again picking up .40 S&W and .357 Sig and the 9mm will be relegated to its place at the lower end of the "mid-calibers."
Not likely... it's the same old argument of .45 ACP vs. 9mm... which the 9mm has won both times.
The 10mm is "superior" to the .40 S&W... and the .50 caliber is "better" than that... but, a rifle caliber pistol is even better... so, carry a 5.56 X 45... no, make that a 7.62 X 51 FAL pistol... where does the "size is better" argument get stupid? "I can scare them to death with the mere size of my gun !"?
My friends have all poo-poohed my 9mm as a girl's gun...
I love the look on their faces as I out-shoot every one of them with their own guns, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum... I am not the least-bit recoil shy, but, I actually PRACTICE regularly.
The 9mm was designed to emulate the .38 Special, which was designed to penetrate, and kill. The .45 ACP was designed to "STOP"... not kill... the Moro, Muslims we were fighting in the Philippine-American War, because of the .38 Long Colt's failure to do so.
If I have to empty 15 rounds into my opponent's chest to stop him, at least I will be able to do so.
Please read all before thinking I'm knocking your list. I mean no disrespect or maliciousness.
Your wrong with the Gold Dots. The rest is pretty much on point. The one thing you HAVE to include in your testing and that's pork ribs( they are the closest thing to human bone) You MUST as with any test I do using Clear Ballistics 10% gel. As you know the first 3-5 inches of Ballistic gel is considered to be the epidermis. You wrap the pork ribs in a piece of sweater or sweat shirt & a piece of denim. Shooting through the material and busting through the bone THEN see the how the bullet holds up after busting through clothing Bone and traveling through the epidermis and tissue. And THE best round OR the round that causes the most lethality in 9mm
# 1) Federal 147gr HST + P the same in 124gr HST + P.... A 1.A)-1.B)
#2) Barnes 115gr TAC-XPD + P
3) Winchester PDX1 Defender 124gr + P
4) Federal Premium 124gr Hydra Shock + P
5) Hornady 135gr Flexlock Critical Duty/ as with #1. There is a # 5.B)
5.B) Corbon 125gr JHP + P
Or just watch Paul Harrell videos on Youtube where he shoots the meat target.
I think you left off 3 brands that outperform all of the 5 you selected. First, the Fort Scott brand has a large wound channel and great penetration through denim and solid objects such as wood, glass or metal. These are my current CCW load. Prior to this I carried the Winchester Ranger T. Ammo Quest on You-Tube did a great 9mm comparison and the Ranger T outperformed the Speer, Federal HST, and all the Critical Defense/Critical Duty line. With the leaps in technology the Ranger T are probably a bit outdated, but they are definitely a great round in the 147gr size. Lastly, and I am less knowledgeable on these, but the Lehigh Defense rounds perform well and are similar to the Fort Scott in technology. I would choose any of these 3 over the 5 in the article. Regardless of what you choose in the end, and even though it will be expensive, shoot a box of your carry ammo at the range. It would be unfortunate to carry quality ammo that the gun doesn't feed well and to find that out when you need your firearm the most. Practice, practice, practice.
I didn't include Fort Scott in my test list because it hasn't had enough time to really prove itself. But sitting by me right now where I sleep is 15 rounds of 115gr Fort Scott. When it gets more "experience" under it I think it will be One of the three best absolutely and I am the one who left you the plus review I was surprised to see you knew what Fort Scott Was I seriously doubt the writer of this post has a clue what it is lol. It is fairly new to his defense but it's tumble Upon impact it's not just a Gimmick it actually works every single time regardless of caliber. The way they make the round is amazing all from one Copper Strand
And you're wrong. The FBI performed extensive testing with Ranger T ammo and found both the HST and Gold dots were superior in penetrations, expansion, and bullet retention. The other two are too new to say they're superior. Dead is dead. At some point you're splitting hairs.
Mark Hollingsworth you are absolutely right...Splitting hairs now.
Why did you leave out critical duty 135 flexlock . How about some American gunned +p . It seems like you don’t know what good 9mm ammo is. I like the hst but the other three shouldn’t be in this list. Seems like you left slog of good stuff out. Please rewrite this article.
Seriously? He picked the most popular 9mm rounds that are the most readily available.
Is the much difference. Between Federal and American eagle., I'm there standard ie cheapest rounds since they are the same company? Ford vs Lincoln
Test ARX?
I did and is NY choice
What's the cleanest subsonic ammo for target and suppression?
I would also like to reload the brass.
Just purchased a S&W M&P 2.0 9mm and I’m looking for range ammo, any suggestions on what to use?
HST 124, 124 SIG V-CROWN, CRITICAL DEFENSE(you get 5 extra rounds), 124 Standard Pressure Gold Dots, and Gorilla Ammo Inc. makes some gangster wickedly awesome stuff in both 115 and 135. It's pricey but go big or go home.
Hope that helps ya Bennett.
I run S&B 124gr through my CZ SP01 & P01. Clean, flawless and cheap.
I'm really curious why the author was so focused on velocity and penetration and completely ignored energy. This is much more of a factor in defensive ammo selection than penetration. I'd much prefer a round that will penetrate 12" and delivers an extra 100+ foot pounds of energy over a round that penetrates 18".
This article is in bad need of a re-write.
Generally speaking, energy isn't as important when you're looking at rounds within the same caliber when they are at similar weights. Using the first 3 ammo types listed in the table, Federal HST 124gr, Federal HST 147gr, and American Eagle 115gr - the energy difference between the highest and lowest is only 38 ft.lb or 51 Joules. That is incredibly low.
Also keep in mind that force is physics energy is mass × velocity squared so you actually get more bang for your buck so to speak out of velocity. Moreover if a bullet fails to penetrate its energy is expended to quickly.. Expansion, also equals damage. Part of why military hates 55gr FMJ its like laser and lack of expansion also means low energy transfer
So in the end expansion velocity and penetration are the keys energy is the by product
Jesus, FMJ don't EXPANED. Where do you come from?
Similarly, I'd like to know the power factors of the ammo as this matters in competition (USPSA, etc.).
Exact power factor will depend on your firearm, a barrel length difference between our gun and your gun will change the velocity and thus the power factor. However, Dillon Precision has a great online calculator that can help.
Anyone try the liberty civil defense ammo?
I've used it but very limited amounts. Not remotely worth the price from what I saw, there are a number of better defensive round options at half the price. I'm not a fan of super lightweight ammo though.
My father in law swears by it, but it is pricey! I have seen testing of the 9mm and it rips right through IIIa... but then, if you get any round going fast enough it will too
Walter c c p 9mm
Walter c c p 9 mm
Check out Sellier&Bellot 124gr ball ammo. Always spotless and never a malfunction in 1k rounds. It's loaded slightly hot. I use it at the range to mimic my defensive ammo weight (124gr HST). Excellent price point. I just picked up a case of 1k rounds for like $185.
I have been using this ammo for about 3 yrs, it has alway worked in all of my pistols and it seems to run cleaner than other ammo I have tried but I keep going back to S&B
I like using the Winchester 147gr Train & Defend series. They are standard pressure rounds where the FMJ Train round has the same shape and ballistic performance as the JHP Defend round, Ammoquest rated it as best 147. grain round they tested:
Ammo Quest 9mm: Winchester Train and Defend 147gr Ammo Test
"....with the right loads JUST enough gun to stop a human attacker with a single hit to the body cavity 90% of the time....."
Love to know where you're pulling that stat from.
Hammer, You can be sure he pulled that little bit of "wisdom" right from Marshall and Sanow; that's the sort of lingering damage those guys have done to discussions of terminal ballistics. The real question is, what did Marshall and Sanow have to do their data to make claims like that in the first place! One of them knew just enough stats to be dangerous.
Too often, we still have to shovel their cherry-picked and mis-conceived work out of the way before any real discussion can start. You and Conner H did just that! But I am sure you both had a lot more to add if this discussion hadn't required putting M&S (once again, sigh) to bed. It is a shame to see people wasting their time on junk "science".
I'm a diehard .40 S&W guy, but not for the ridiculous "energy transfer", "hydrostatic shock", and "knockdown power" myths you are espousing. No pistol round (save maybe hot 10mm and .454 Casull) has "knockdown power" or "hydrostatic shock" potential. That's what a rifle is for.
Regardless, your meandering rant avoids the actual mechanism through which handguns incapacitate/kill quickly: central nervous system damage, or severe damage to crucial organs.
Velocity is practically irrelevant until you get over 1500fps (preferably 2k). Shot placement + sufficient penetration to reach vital organs + max expansion is all that matters. In that order. Shot placement with handguns trumps all. 12-18" in gelatin does not directly translate to that same distance in living tissue; that number was decided upon based on comparison of the cartridges used in real life debilitating shots then being tested in gelatin.
The gelatin exists to provide a COMPARISON medium between different rounds, as it is neither practical nor ethical to test competing cartridges on living targets. 16" gelatin penetration should not be taken as a guarantee of it's practical human penetration; it should be taken to indicate that with proper shot placement, it will do the job on a grown man.
Good review, Eric, even if I can't share your enthusiasm for 115 grain loads. But sorry, John, O., you clearly are the one who doesn't know what your are spouting off at such length about. You are way out of your depth, and decades out of date. Almost everything you wrote is, to some significant degree, wrong. Wrong.
First of all, the penetration in ballistic gel does NOT equal penetration in human flesh inch-for-inch, as you clearly think. It is closer to 1-inch of flesh for several inches of gel. (I'll leave it to you to find more precise equivalents as you pursue your real education in terminal ballistics.). Get that straight before you try to do anything else. This why, for instance, that 12-inches of gel penetration is a reasonable minimum.
You need to also realize that handgun bullets are all about the same in that they do not move fast enough to bring the mechanics we see with rifle bullets to bear in creating wounds. There is no borderline somewhere around 1200 to 1300 fps. That's pure imagination. Wishful thinking, John. The threshhold is much higher.
As a long-time professor of biomedical science, I can tell you that while Marshall and Sanow's work was certainly well-intentioned, it fails on virtually every count to pass muster as any sort of "science". NO respected journal would publish their work. They wasted a lot of time and paper, and hurt real discussion of facts in terminal ballistics. Their work has been fully discredited and set aside in all serious ballistics discussion, just as is the use of meaningless media such as wet newsprint. We need to let their errors die a quiet desth ASAP.
I don't doubt your opinion is long- and deeply-considered, which is great. But you should try to bring some current science into your thinking, and be willing to move forward. It was tough for many to abandon the idea that the Earth was at the center of the solar system, but as that happened to be the fact of the matter, those people had to adjust to the truth or find themselves left behind. So, are you going to get on the bus? Or just stay wedded to your out-dated ideas, which are contrary to the facts?
For instance, +P or not +P (or +P+) is not relevant to the discussion; proven performance is. It is surprising how many loadings do about the same in terminal performance in standard and +P loadings.
Seen a lot of shootings at the biomedical lab, have ya? You're a funny guy! Also funny is how you seek to belittle folks and projectile vomit generalities, but offer zero examples of what works better and why. Must be some REALLY good science happening in your lab. A lot of vicarious shooting anecdotes and recreational pharmaceuticals floating around? Very direct and to the point you are- NOT! Go take a hike, Brian- men are talking here.
What works better, Nigel, are facts and science. Examples? Easy. HSTs and Gold Dots pretty much own a majority of the the police market due to their excellent street performance, as was predicted in the lab. (NYPD and some of the French just fully jumped on board.) Civilians can safely buy either, or even the top performers from Winchester or Remington. Marshall and Sanow continue to slide further into a well-deserved oblivion. Your attempt to earn points by juvenile name calling should follow suite, because it just shows you to be an idiot.
Great reporting
I shoot Federal's American Eagle 115 gr FMJ for practice and Federal's HST 147 gr hollow points for defense. I also use the Lucky Gunner tests as a primary criterion in making the decisions. Some folks want +P and other ammunition that will penetrate beyond 18 inches. I am somewhat concerned about hurting an innocent person with a bullet that passes right on through an attacker. I recognize that bones etc in the human body can turn the bullet or do other strange things that keeps it inside but the ballistics of the HST 147 gr seems to be the best compromise. My HK VP9 sk seems to like this ammunition very much. but it is not at all temperamental with anything I feed it.
Hornaday isn't even mentioned. Am I missing something?
IMO Hornady is overrated, overpriced and over-marketed to gun owners who otherwise don’t know any better. Suggest you lookup Lucky Gunners handgun defensive ammunition ballistic testing reviews for 9, .357, ,40, and ,45 calibers and properly educate yourself—link below. You’ll see that the Hornady is low on the list. There’s a reason Federal Premium HST 124 and 147 gr loads are consistently rated 1-2. (You can also find a 50-round box of HST for the same price as a 25-round box of Hornady.)
https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/
You may want to review the testing, Hornady has very good 9mm, .45 ACP, and .380 offerings.
Have you tried the Underwood Extreme Defense ammo in the 9mm?
I have, and don't like it because while all the numbers sound right, it doesn't live up to the hype. Example: I carry a Ruger P95 with 65 grain Xtreme Defenders factory loaded in the +P category rated at 1800 FPS while delivering something like 465 FPE to the target at 10 yards. Well, it finally happened. I had to use it just the other night on 19 MAY 2018 while driving home from a night of singing in the deep-rurals of Wisconsin.
First, let me clarify by saying that I don't smoke, don't drink, and don't do drugs. I have 8 yrs of military service (4 Air Force as a firefighter and EMT, and 4 US Army Combat Medic.) And, I have been trained on firearms through my local PD for a conceal carry permit. I am also a storm chaser for the state, as well.
So I'm driving home during a cold downpour, when I see a pair of reflected eyes tracking my vehicle from off the side of the road as I drive by. Because I have two of them at home, I immediately recognize it as a cat: one that had been struck by a car. So I back up, and there it is with it's head up looking around trying to pull itself to safety but couldn't. When I put my tactical light on it I could see a huge gaping wound to its mid section, exposing a lot of muscle. I was talking to it trying to comfort it, and all during that time it never moved its hind legs, or even flinched its tail: something all cats are hard-wired to do.
No matter what I did, or how I tried, it wouldn't let me get near it as it became fierce enough to put the fear of God in me. And then it started shivering, even uncontrollably as it eyes rolled back into its head. As I tried to scoop it up, it again reminded me that it wouldn't be trifled with. My thought now was that I was going to have to watch it die a slow, agonizing death, or I could put it out of its misery. And it was suffering terribly.
So I pulled my pistol out loaded with said rounds, and placed a kill shot at point blank rage for what should have been a perfect heart/lung money shot only, it made things worse. I watched in horror as someone's pet cat went through every death throe imaginable, and that surely wasn't my intent. I agonized over putting another round through it, but couldn't get my emotions around having to pull the trigger a second time on a furry critter that I loved. If that frickin' bullet would have just done all that hydro-shock stuff it talks so much about, but no. The cat finally expired about a minute later because it bled out. It wasn't pretty to watch. And now I was soaked down to the bone, and starting to shiver like the cat I had just dispatched. The thing is, it was maybe only about six pounds so it should have died quickly.
Suffice it to say that I emailed the manufacturer, and of course they were sorry for what I had to go through (screw me, just imagine what it was like for the cat!), stating that all properly placed rounds take a minute to deliver any prey to death's doorstep. So I said, what about that hydro-shock stuff and that 2.5" wound channel it's suppose to create? Their reply was to next time shoot it at the base of the skull. Hell, I could have done that with a rock!
So here it is Tuesday 22 MAY 2018, and I'm shopping for a more humane round because, far be it from me if the next one has to go into a school shooter or something.
I'm sorry you had to go through that, I actually had to deal with almost the same situation a few weeks ago minus the storm.
This might seem cold but this is actually a great learning opportunity: what kind of ammo you use depends on what you need it for and not all meat targets are made the same.
I haven't used that ammo before because I flatly disagree with pistol ammo that tries to deliver damage through hydro-shock. The speeds required for that to work effectively is almost impossible to reach in a pistol, especially in 9mm. While it works in a rifle, I have yet to find a pistol ammo that relies on it and delivers remotely close to what the marketing departments say it will.
While a lung/heart shot is what you normally choose for a clean animal kill, such as hunting game, it probably isn't the best for putting an animal out of its pain. In that case, I would have to agree with the manufacturer you spoke with and go for a base of the skull shot.
That said, even though it didn't go as planned - you still did the right thing and at least shortened the cat's suffering.
If you're still looking for a defensive ammo, I recommend Hornady Critical Duty. It's what I load in my 9mm, 45ACP, and .38 Spl. guns.
Thank you for the kind words. We're all bad-asses until were not. I used to sneer at war movies when I'd see a solider acting out of character, but will now see past that. Why I couldn't bring myself to deliver a second shot will haunt me for some time, but I learned from it. And while some will surely say, "Dude, it was just a cat let it go!" they too, will one day have a reckoning when they least expect it. That's just the way it is. For me, my soft spot happens to be dogs and cats. And yes, I am now studying up on "better" 9mm ammo. Thanks for the advice.
If you use Hornady Critical Duty, as do I ... wondering why it wasn't included in recommended ammo. It certainly has all the right test data numbers ....
The list was made before I was an editor here ;) next time we update it I plan on adding Hornady Critical Duty Duty +P, and Defense
I would like to see ARX added to the review's. I have shot it in most calipers it is available in and I like the way it reacts in every gun I'v tried. Reduced recoil in small guns is especially good and getting off a second shot is much easier.
Serious lack of experience is what tripped you up. I had learned the same way you did. Myself and thousands of police officers have learned it is ALWAYS a shot into the skull from top down. instant death. That heart/Lung shot is useless with most guns. Cats, dogs and other animals really suffer from that. I learned shooting hot 45 rounds through a dog. As soon as I saw the poor thing start suffering, I dumped the whole mag into him and reloaded. It is a bad way to learn for me, but NEVER go for a heart lung shot on a wounded or injured animal. It causes needless suffering.
From a veterinarian--one other reason to go for a head shot, particularly on severely wounded animals. There is not telling what the current chest cavity configuration may even look like. Beleieve me, I have seen lungs and hearts back in the abdomen and intestines up where the heart should be in many hit by car cases. Go for the head shot--the brain is either there or not.
I've put at least 1000 rds of American Eagle 115 through my M&P9c without a single malfunction. It's a really great range choice!
Nice...glad to hear, Stephen!
Curious why Hornady ammo not considered. My favorite for "defense" purposes in ..45 APC, .9 and .380. A bit costly for range use.
do you have federal critical duty pistol ammo 147 GRAIN +P ON SALE
Hi Ellwood, you'll have to check the links, we don't sell any ammo or guns on our site.
Hello Eric,
Is SIG Sauer® Elite Performance Ammunition good ammo for SD?
See lucky gunner ammo test results. But generally yes, Sig's ammo performs above average in most calibers, and very well in some.
I own three glocks, 17,26,and sf21. I also own a kel-technical sub 2000 with glock 9mm reliever. I love the 9mm round because it shoots clean and reliable. I shoot my glock 17 at the range and it is a great 9mm eater. My glock 26 is used for concealed carry and I recommend it for any cc. My clock sf21 is my nightstand gun. My kel-tec sub 2000 is just fun to shoot and eats 9mm like candy. The 9mm is a trusted round for range or self defence. My carry 26 is loaded with hollow points but shoot plenty a 9s through it ato the range. 9mm is perfect for practice or purpose.
Eric, what is the difference between a 9mm round and a 9mm Luger round? I'm a few weeks away from attaining my first 9mm Glock. Thanks
Hi John, they are the same round. You'll see it as 9mm, 9mm Luger, 9mm Parabellum, or 9x19mm.
There's other rounds with 9mm projectiles, but chances are if you see a bare 9mm...it's the one we listed above.
Thanks for the reply Eric. Your site is helping me a lot. Cheers
All ammo test that I have seen rate stopping power. I would like to see a test rating control vs stopping power. My wife shoots a Ruger LCR. Using standard 38 loads in this light piece she can't hit the side of a barn. I loaded some 110 grain wadcutters with 3 1/2 grains of Bullseye. She can group this load in a teacup. I think 2 or 3 hits with this light load would do more to discourage an attacker than all the sound an fury of bullets whizzing past his ears.
"Control" is a subjective term. I find .380 in most blowback snappier than 9mm in most subcompact locked breach firearms. The reason you don't see tests like that is because of the difficulty of testing felt recoil. Unless you have the exact same gun as the tester, the results may or may not be accurate.
If she's fixed on a revolver, the 357 LCR weighs a good bit more, and loaded with .38 would be more controllable. However, a semi-auto pistol will ALWAYS be more controllable than a revolver, because the slide soaks up a significant portion of the recoil. I might suggest a Ruger EC9S or S&W Shield, both have notably lower recoil than my LCD, even with stronger rounds.
Was surprised how easy to control 115 grain 9 mm is in the Ruger EC9s I recently purchased and have taken to the range twice. I still don't know how Hickock 45 does it ... but at 10 yards I can at least keep all in a 5" circle ... and I'm getting better. This, after being spoiled by a Gold Cup all these years.
Whats the difference between hp and jhp . Feder hydra shok comes in hollow point too.
Hi Joe, good question...HP stands for hollow point while JHP stands for jacketed hollow point. Almost all good self-defense ammo is JHP while there's some unjacketed lead hollow points in revolver calibers (such as .38 Special).
New to your site and enjoying the articles. I was looking for informational videos for Glock mods when I came across PPT. You have tested and recommended what you consider the best 9mm SD round. I am curious to know which 45acp rounds you would recommend and why you didnt mention the 45 for sd? (I realize the 9 would be easier to handle for a beginner shooter and I do have a Taurus PT 92 that was my duty weapon and has never failed me.) My edc and primary home defense is the Glock 30SF. Not criticizing whatsoever, I am enjoying your info and just curious to hear your ideas on the 45. Thank you.
Thanks for reading! And of course I can go over why I prefer 9mm over .45...
-Price per round: Roughly 2-1 ratio which means I can buy much more ammo to train with at the range
-Recoil: I'm definitely better at follow-up shots with a 9mm when compared to a .45 even in my heavy 1911's. Plus now I'm recently married...the wife can shoot the Glock 17 relatively easily while she hates the .45.
-Technology of new hollow points: The results of the HST speak for themselves.
-Capacity: 17 for my Glock 17 vs 13 for the .45 Glock
I'll be writing a .45 self defense ammo article soon...but it will almost likely lean towards Federal HST as well.
Hi Eric,
Really great site!!! we are of the similar mindset with our passion for firearms. I recently purchased a S&W M&P .45 and really like the way it shoots. I put 100 rounds through it at 10 yards and was pleasantly surprised at the the accuracy of the groups and mild recoil, but wow what a powerful firearm. I am going to equally enjoy this along with my modest collection of 9mm.
Very insightful information that the novice and expert can both understand. Keep up the good work!!!
DM