45acp Let's beat this horse 1 more time please

leep304

Hello,
I am by no means new to CCW, I have been carrying for 30yrs and I know there is no excuse for what I am about to ask, but seriously I am confused.
I am a 45acp guy and currently carry a 1911A1 for personal protection. I have always believed in going big or stay at home in a gun fight. Before the 1911 I carried a Glock 30. The reasons are obvious.

My question is: What is the best 45acp ammo for personal protection? I know about Talon, Federal, and the rest and they all claim to be the best. Short of the M16A1 or Remington 870 Combat 12ga, I have no first hand knowledge of the 45acp in actual terminal encounters. I left the 9mm my uncle sam gave my in the armory while on mission.

Thanks,

Lee

dcs shooters

Any 230gr.HPWill do the job. If you want something hotter, go to a 185gr.+P-HP. Just make sure they feed through your pistol.

Don McManus

I use Federal Hydra-Shok, 230 grain JHP.
http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/handgun.aspx?id=354
It feeds a fires from every .45 ACP I own, and expands well. The only ballistics testing I've done is shooting a 25 LB. Ham. The slug expanded enough to stay in the ham.

To repeat the obvious, however, if it is not 100% reliable in your 1911, it is not the right choice.

Nwcid

Any good (name brand) defensive style ammo is a good choice.

My personal choice from use putting down injured deer and from lots of reading is Corbon ammo. They make a few different styles with the PowRball being my choice.

EDIT: You guys are correct about it feeding 100% of the time. I forget that that is not a given as I always assume it is. Any ammo you buy you need to get enough to THROUGHLY test it in YOUR gun.

One reason I like the PowRball is it has the shape and feeding of FMJ with the function of a HP.

11b6r

quote:Any good (name brand) defensive style ammo is a good choice. as long as it will cycle thru YOUR pistol 100.000000% of the time.

dfletcher

quote:Originally posted by 11b6r
quote:Any good (name brand) defensive style ammo is a good choice. as long as it will cycle thru YOUR pistol 100.000000% of the time.


That's the answer I'd go with. I'd use hardball if that were the only stuff that went bang and cycled every time. As is happens Remington Golden Sabre and Federal Hydra Sock work perfectly for me in my "safe my fanny, please" CZ 97 - not for carry, for home.

bobski

45's were designed to feed ball ammo.

if you go with anything else, make sure the mags were modified, the gun was polished, and the feedramp has been looked at by a smith to ensure good feeding.

ruger41

Here is a listing of 1 shot stops with all different kinds of calibers and ammo brands. http://www.familyfriendsfirearms.com/Stopping Power Statistics.htm

beantownshootah

The way I look at this, within a given caliber, and within the category of premium or "personal protection" ammo, the difference between this brand and that brand is a little bit like the difference between getting hit in the head with a 15 ounce sledgehammer vs getting hit with a 15.25 ounce sledgehammer.

Sure, there is probably a difference. . .I don't think the person getting hit in the head would notice, though.

Along those lines, pretty much ALL of the "name" brands put out a quality product: Corbon, Federal, Winchester, etc.

While statistically, one of them is probably slightly better than the others, where the shot hits, is FAR more important than any small difference in muzzle velocity or expansion.

And assuming you are using premium ammo in each, the differences between calibers are more important than the differences between brands of ammo.

As to "one shot stopping power" charts, you have to take those sorts of things with a gigantic grain of salt. Are you going to shoot one time only, then wait around for the "stop"?

Five data points (which is all some of the statistics are based on) are simply not enough to draw meaningful conclusions. Further, there has been considerable skepticism directed towards Marshall and Sanow's data, and without rehashing this interested parties can go check out the controversy, if they like.

I submit to you that despite what the chart's claim there is NO handgun bullet that will reliably stop a human being 96% of the time with one torso hit. Marksmanship and human anatomy being what they are, this just can't happen. Along those lines, the idea that a .308 or .223 can be 100% effective is also somewhat questionable.

5mmgunguy

I think there are two very important conditions that must be met. One has already been talked about; reliability in your pistol, it must be 100% reliable. Two you have to be able to hit what you want with it. A 45 230 gr HP super duper P++ into the ceiling isn't nearly as effective as a 45 ACP 185 gr target dead in the heart.

tsr1965

5mm is right on. It has to be 100% reliable, any time and everytime. It must posses the ballistic qualities you are looking for second to accuracy. A FMJ target load that will shoot 1 inch clusters at 25 yards would be preferred to a JHP that will barely keep them in the B-zone. That said you need good accuracy, and if one can find a load that he can hit with everytime, i don't know many bad guys that can take a 45 in the snot locker, and keep going.

1. Reliability
2. Needed accuracy
3. Ballistic performance.

In that order.

Just for your info, my Wilsons love the Hornady TAP rounds.