Personal Defense Ammo Question.

[SpaceGhost]

I am looking at Hyra-shok by Federal. I see there are 4 differrent .40 S&W sizes.

 

180g

165g

155g

135g

 

SO after reading their site the 135g would be the best Personal defense ammo right? Good muzzle velocity, low recoil, bullet slows down faster the farther it goes (After 25YD). I guess the wind effect on the bullet would be NA for a personal defense correct? Since most scenarios would be close combat right? Am I thinking right or am I a moron.

 

School me please. Also I read this is a good round. If you know of other rounds that are better please let me know. Thanks

Edited May 3, 2010 by Benjamin

[twistedfocus1647545489]

My home/self defense load choices were always on the heavier end. {Edit: When I used to have a .40}, I'd typically have 155 or 180s depending on the brand. I like the idea of having a bigger slug as long as its still traveling at a reasonable speed. A heavier slug will probably penetrate better as long as it's not drastically slower. I usually used Winchester Silvertips in 155gr because they are a good balance of power and were reasonably priced in boxes of 50.

 

That being said, even the 135 is still a tad heavier than the 115gr I currently carry in my 9mm and will probably still hit harder than mine even though they are moving pretty quickly (~1400fps). I would consider 147s in my 9mm but the few I have tried just aren't as accurate in my particular gun.

[SpaceGhost]

My home/self defense load choices were always on the heavier end. I'd typically have 155 or 180s depending on the brand. I like the idea of having a bigger slug as long as its still traveling at a reasonable speed. A heavier slug will probably penetrate better as long as it's not drastically slower. I usually used Winchester Silvertips in 155gr because they are a good balance of power and were reasonably priced in boxes of 50.

 

That being said, even the 135 is still a tad heavier than the 115gr I currently carry in my 9mm and will probably still hit harder than mine even though they are moving pretty quickly (~1400fps). I would consider 147s in my 9mm but the few I have tried just aren't as accurate in my particular gun.

 

So lighter for carry, heavier for Home defense? So I am thinking right?

[twistedfocus1647545489]

I always liked loads on the heavier end for both personal and home defense.

 

Really it comes down to finding a good balance. I don;t always go right to the heaviest, but I try to avoid the super-light ones. The light loads have good velocity, but I'd rather be throwing a brick at a medium speed than a pebble at a really high speed (if that makes sense). That's why I used to go with 155s most often because they are reasonably heavy but can still be loaded to a reasonable velocity (such as the Silvertips). Alot of the 180s took a really big hit in velocity, often more than I wanted to trade off. Ammo choices may be better nowadays though, it has been a while since I owned anything in .40. Also, try some different weights in your gun and you may find it shoots better with a certain weight.

[ohmr95b]

Google Dr. Martin Fackler

 

In a defensive use, you need sufficent penetration and wounding abilities. Without a long, drawn out discussion, I believe the minimum penetration you want is 15+ inches to hit something vital, and you want good expansion in hollowpoints to help hit something vital. (I am at work so I can't get to alot of the specifics).

 

Also, each gun shoots better with different loads. More accuracy, better feeding, less muzzle flash, etc. Try a few different loads and see what you like.

 

I don't have a .40 so I can't say specifically, but I like big bullets with good expansion that feed very reliably. I use Speer 230gr GoldDot HP in my .45.

[cinergi]

I am looking at Hyra-shok by Federal. I see there are 4 differrent .40 S&W sizes.

 

180g

165g

155g

135g

 

SO after reading their site the 135g would be the best Personal defense ammo right? Good muzzle velocity, low recoil, bullet slows down faster the farther it goes (After 25YD). I guess the wind effect on the bullet would be NA for a personal defense correct? Since most scenarios would be close combat right? Am I thinking right or am I a moron.

 

School me please. Also I read this is a good round. If you know of other rounds that are better please let me know. Thanks

 

I always use a HIGHER grain bullet for defense, unless there is a specific reason not to. In a home my rule is to always use the heavier bullet so wall penetration is less likely-- walls will crumble, but you don't want the bullet to leave the outside of your foundation.

[cinergi]

Google Dr. Martin Fackler

 

In a defensive use, you need sufficent penetration and wounding abilities. Without a long, drawn out discussion, I believe the minimum penetration you want is 15+ inches to hit something vital, and you want good expansion in hollowpoints to help hit something vital. (I am at work so I can't get to alot of the specifics).

 

Also, each gun shoots better with different loads. More accuracy, better feeding, less muzzle flash, etc. Try a few different loads and see what you like.

 

I don't have a .40 so I can't say specifically, but I like big bullets with good expansion that feed very reliably. I use Speer 230gr GoldDot HP in my .45.

 

What? Show me where I have 15" on my body for penetration to occur. Your average lethal knife wound is 2" and your average fatal gun shot wound is 6-8". It is highly unlikely that a 45ACP is going to penetrate anything 15". It was not designed for penetrations, unless we start talking about 117GR Aguila IQ. 230GRs are designed for knockdown power.

[RC K9]

Hornady Critical Defense

 

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:2e_u2sWaqPJbXM:http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/picture-59.png

[cinergi]

Critical Defense is my first choice for personal defense for most all situations. They should be coming out with a 200GR 40S&W soon if they haven't already.

 

Accurate, Deadly, Dependable. Still penetrate hard, but break off do what is necessary. I wouldn't volunteer to be a victim of that stuff. Watch some videos, I am sure you will find it to your liking.

[cinergi]

Hornady Critical Defense

 

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:2e_u2sWaqPJbXM:http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/picture-59.png

 

Super low flash-point, too. Think night blindness and being able to see after your first shot.

[SpaceGhost]

Ok so I am thinking completely wrong, I was thinking a lower g would not penetrate walls.

 

Thanks

[RC K9]

Lower g means higher velocity.

[cinergi]

Ok so I am thinking completely wrong, I was thinking a lower g would not penetrate walls.

 

Thanks

 

 

You are welcome, I am always happy to help clarify that myth. Now if we were going for more nefarious reasons, I would suggest a lighter bullet-- esp when the opposition might have something that needs penetrated. However, for house and home I always choose heavy. [A lighter (GR) bullet will penetrate 20-200% better than a heavier (GR) bullet.] If it were me and I was using an XD for HD, I would get some 180 - 200GR's and call it a day. Make sure you fire some because they will shoot differently than your lighter ones. 135-155's usually are 1-2" high at 21ft than the heavier 160+ to 185gr. While they are only inches I am describing here, I have seen variances of 5 to 6" depending on the gun, etc. Some barrels like different weights. Just make sure you know what's going on with your gun!

[stangsn95gt]

Hornady Critical Defense

 

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:2e_u2sWaqPJbXM:http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/picture-59.png

 

What i use for my .380, 9mm and .45

[KennyFKINPowerz]

My philosphy is the bigger the better. I'm not trying to wound someone. If I have to use my weapon then I wanna know they are gonna drop and stop coming at me or whatever the situation is.