Personal Defense Ammo...What R U using?

Yeah...I really "like" the ones that need to tell me how my choice is wrong without any regard to my situation or experience.
Luckily this forum seems far more laid back than many others.....

Thanks Ura-Ki....coming from you that means a lot.
I have seen a bit and done a bit...but more importantly am willing to learn a bit as well...
Andy

 

A cop I know says not to carry reloads if you are a cop or not because a dirty state attorney may use an argument to the effect of:
"You hand crafted your ammo from scratch to to do maximum damage and you went out looking for a fight".
Supposedly this actually happened in Virginia according to my cop.

 

Yeah, I heard that one when I was taking a 'Enhanced Carry Class' which is something we here in Idaho have to have in order to carry in other reciprocal states. However, It is not too much of a problem here as the sort of lean to the point that it is better if the bullet doesn't go through to hurt someone else. However, a few years back one of prosecutors (no longer around) did try to use the fact that the shooter's firearm was non-standard because his trigger was changed to one of less pull than what manufacturer installed. This has scared me a bit so I haven't changed my triggers in any of my pistols...but I am thinking about it.

 

Custom....

 

Not laid back, just not infiltrated by Libtards. I signed up for NWF in 2010 and was amazed at the Libtardness on that site. Less then 100 posts in I said screw it and then maybe go there twice a year. Even had one member that I pissed off want to meet me locally for a showdown.

 

My first priority is staying alive and that's why I use well designed hollow points. My second priority is not going to jail which is why I use well designed hollow points that are currently and commonly used by law enforcement.

 

Personal Defense means keeping the BG at at least arm's length - or more...

 

My problem is running a defensive pistol that has little in the way of "factory" defensive ammo that isn't intended for Bears, so I am forced to roll my own! On top of that, it's the most powerful auto loading non magnum chambering available commercially, so again, I have to roll my own to get any kind of S.D. performance out of it! It;s a whole can of verms if I were to use it for an S.D. shoot, any half ass hack could make outrageous claims about the power levels and hand rolled ammo, so I am taking a chance! THe other option is to carry a pair of wheel guns of even greater power, just because I can, and the likely hood of those getting me in to worse trouble is less, ironically!

 

Not very practical in today's world, but the 1847 or so Walker Colt at about 500 ft lbs muzzle energy and a soft lead 45 cal ball would probably kill anything less than an elephant with its 40 to 50 grain black powder charge. Can't even guess where the lead would go if it hit bone. Honestly judge, it was just a copy of an old western pistol and I didn't think it would be dangerous.

 

Speer 124 grain Gold Dot...

Speer Gold Dot LE Duty 9mm Luger Ammo 124 Grain +P JHP

$23.99 / box of 50

Prefer .45 ACP myself. Been shooting it for a long time in 1911 style pistols and seem to be a better shot with it than with calibers that recoil less, for some odd reason. Guess it's all in what you're used to.

I've read a bit on the subject and a number of writers (at least the fairly honest ones who aren't trying to be salesmen) claim that the best caliber for defense is the one that you're most confident with.

I would lean toward that assertion, since missed shots don't count for much.

 

I do not have a Colt Walker...but I do have a 2nd Generation Colt 1st model Dragoon...
.454 round ball and 40 grains of black will do nicely for many critters of the four or two legged type.
The lead ball plows deeply and expands to a fairly large size while doing so.

The pistol below the Colt is one that I made from spare parts around the shop...
An old hunk of .54 caliber rifle barrel...
Hand carved maple stock...
A antique hammer...
30-40 grains of 2F and a .530 round ball puts "whompabiltiy " on anything that I have shot with it....
Andy

 

Hah, those old black powder firearms...big heavy slow-moving chunk of butter-soft lead that did some pretty serious damage within reasonable ranges.

No wonder so many black powder era wounds required amputations. A strike to an arm or a leg wouldn't leave a whole lot of bone intact.

And I imagine the bone splinters with the resulting imparted velocity would shred a lot of surrounding flesh, almost like a shotgun discharged from within the affected limb.

Shiver me timbers!

 

Yup, those "Old" black powder arms are still quite effective all these years later. A lot of people seem to forget and assume that because they are old,they are not as deadly! these antiques are still just as deadly as ever! In many instances even more so! I have been running .44 cal pistols for quite some time, and having measured M.V. many times, they have proven to be every bit as powerful and fast as modern .44 magnum loads! Take that Colt Dragoon of Andy's and load in a 230 Gr lead "Mine" bullet over 48 gr of 3f and let fly, your looking at about 1600+FPS and over 800 PF of energy! Yea, B.P. arms are NO JOKE SERIOUS! I have a pair of Ruger Old Army, basically modern replicas of the old Remington 1858 pistols, these Rugers are stainless and made to modern specs and can handle some serious pressures! I have loaded them up with 52 gr of 3f under a 270gr flat point spitzer and smoked them to 1780 FPS and almost 900 Foot Pounds! That's much meaner then ether a hot .44 mag or even a super stoked .45 Colt!
Then you take the Rifles! I have seen a .50 cal Percussion throwing a 465 Gr lead spitzer on top of 150 grs of 2f out to 2200 FPS and well over 1600 Foot Pounds of energy! That is some serious horse pressure! My 1855 Colt Replicas can almost equal a modern .45/70 Gov. actually loading slightly more power then the Gov round can take!

 

I use Hornady XTP 124 grain loads in 9mm. These provide superior accuracy and function in my longer barreled Sterling and Keltec Sub 2000.

I don't have a 9mm handgun 'cause 1911, duh......

 

See, this is why I went to the 10 mm, I can carry a 1911 all year 'round and never have to worry about having enough gun for the occasion! LOL With a 9 mm, i'm always wondering if i'm gonna have enough gun, while with the big Ol'.45, I always have to worry if I gotta kill an F-250, with the 10 mm, no such worries! LOL

 

@Dunerunner Time for a change of religion! Here it is, the ultimate 1911 double stack 17+1 rounds of Nuka 10 mm goodness!