Big and slow? Or Small and fast?

[SFC JeffJ]

If you carry a sidearm for SD, what are your preferences as far as ammo goes? Do you prefer a large slow moving projectile? A small fast one? Or do you try to split the difference?

I actually go back and forth. I go between 230 gr. .45 ACP and 124 gr. 9mm +p+. Depends on what weapon I trained with most recently.

Jeff

 

[KenpoTex]

I prefer a .45 but right now I mainly carry a 9mm simply because my glock 19 is more comfortable to carry than my gov. model 1911. Also, because the 1911 is an old G.I. issue the sights are terrible. As a result, I'm more comfortable with my level of proficiency with the glock. Eventually I plan to get another .45 that has more of the features that I'd like to have.

 

[bydand]

For the most part I like big and slow. For SD I want to poke as big a hole as I can, through as few things as possable. I mean I want a big o' hole in whatever I intend to shoot, but want that to be all that gets a hole in it. I don't want a screaming round to poke a nice hole in something and still have enough energy to pass right through and potentally hit something or somebody beyond. It also depends on what I think I may have to defend against. Out in the woods in the spring I carry a .44 Mag with 300 grain bullets and push them out the barrel at 1450 FPS, that is what I want for a bear, for people the load would be (and is) dramatically different. I like a .357 (med. size round) with 158 grain loaded down to around a .38 +P+ in town. Just personal preference, it all comes down to what you have available that
you are comfortable with. If that is a 9MM, great; if it is a .38 special, great; if a .41 Mag (awsomely versatile round), great; if a .25, get something bigger LOL.

 

[arnisandyz]

I use both as well. Big slow 230gr 45ACP or a 124g 9mm+P, depends on what gun I'm carrying at the time. For rifles I prefer the 308 (although its not too slow) to the small/fast 223.

For leisurly shooting I prefer the feel of big & slow push rather than the snappy high-pressure pop of small and fast.

 

[Grenadier]

With today's technology coming from millions and millions of dollars spent in research and development, it's fairly safe to say that if you took a premium hollowpoint load from any of the common service calibers, that size really doesn't matter. Whether I hit someone with a 147 grain standard pressure Remington Golden Saber 9 mm load, or a 165 grain Speer Gold Dot .40 load, really doesn't matter much at all. They're going to perform about in the same ballpark.

Which handgun would I grab if I had to defend myself in a hurry, choosing from my Glocks, or my S&W .357 magnum revolvers? Easy... Whichever is closest. I am equally confident in defending myself with my firearms, regardless of caliber, since the smallest non BUG caliber I have is a 9 mm (well, .38 Special for fun plinking out of the revolvers, but that's not defensive).

 

[elder999]

I was a .45 man, until I moved to bear country. The wife and I love our GLOCK 29's-we can bicycle with them, they're concealable, and 10mm will put a rogue bear down, should we have to (I'd really hate to).....
so the answer is kind of both:big and not exactly "slow." ...and, yeah, the Mrs. is a very strong woman,with really strong hands.....

 

[SFC JeffJ]

I was a .45 man, until I moved to bear country. The wife and I love our GLOCK 29's-we can bicycle with them, they're concealable, and 10mm will put a rogue bear down, should we have to (I'd really hate to).....
so the answer is kind of both:big and not exactly "slow." ...and, yeah, the Mrs. is a very strong woman,with really strong hands.....

What load are you using out of curiosity? I have an old Delta Elite collecting dust in my safe, been thinking about getting it out again.

Jeff

 

[Grenadier]

What load are you using out of curiosity? I have an old Delta Elite collecting dust in my safe, been thinking about getting it out again.

Jeff

175 grain Winchester Silvertips are still my choice in the 10 mm. They're about as close to a full power load (the old Norma-spec loads) from the major manufacturers, as you can find, while still being readily available.

Doubletap ammo also has some full power Gold Dot loads.

 

[elder999]

I like the Winchester 175 gr SilverTip, and it's easy to find at very good prices. It's a very potent load in the 10mm-as Grenadier said:near full power. Here's a good place for 10mm ammo: http://www.georgia-arms.com
They make REAL, full power 10 mm loads with Speer Gold Dot bullets-not cheap, though.

Skip the Federal 10mm HydraShok. It's only loaded to 40 Short & Weak power levels.

 

[SFC JeffJ]

As I don't plan on carrying it as a defensive weapon, I'll probably just load my own. Sad to hear about the hydrashocks. Before the .40 S&W came out, the 180 gr. HS was a great round. I take it it's not the same load anymore? Has to have been at least 15 since I bought or researched into any factory ammo for it.

Jeff

 

[Grenadier]

They make REAL, full power 10 mm loads with Speer Gold Dot bullets-not cheap, though.

Theirs is also closer to full power than most other loads, although still not quite up to Norma specs. Georgia Arms' Gold Dot launches a 180 grain Gold Dot to about 1150 fps. The original Normal load launched a 170 grainer to velocities exceeding 1325 fps, if I recall correctly.

Either way, a Gold Dot bullet travelling that fast is going to do the job just fine, and the extra 100 fps really doesn't matter.

Yes, they're a bit expensive, but they're also very, very inexpensive compared to other brands, and I trust Mr. Shipley's offerings just as much as I do the bigger folks' offerings.

Skip the Federal 10mm HydraShok. It's only loaded to 40 Short & Weak power levels.

It might not necessarily be a bad load for someone, especially if that person is sensitive to recoil, and wants to try a 10 mm.

 

[Grenadier]

Before the .40 S&W came out, the 180 gr. HS was a great round. I take it it's not the same load anymore?

Actually, it's still about the same load as it was in the 90's. The only thing is, that bullet technology has improved by a good bit, thanks to the millions of dollars in research and development spent by the companies, and there are better performing loads out there that have long eclipsed the Hydrashok of old.

 

[Marvin]

I cheat, Big and Fast(sorta)

Corbon 45acp 200 GR. JHP +P 1050fps
Buffalo Bore 10mm 200 GR. FMJ 1,200fps :xtrmshock you know it when you shoot these!!