9mm ammo suggestion for practice and defense

[Mystery]

I'm buying range practice ammo from the Wally world.
It's usually around $9 for 50 rounds Federal Champion 115 gr.
It's same same as the cheapest I can find online and most online charge little bit of shipping.
I'll continue this if there's no better option. I don't have to buy 1000 at once here and it's local.
I'm not planning on reloading.

As for defense, I'd like to keep one mag with defense load for home.
So many options there with hollow points, different expansions, hydra shock, blah blah...
What should I get that I can store for long time? Ini mini miny moe?

[beenalongtime]

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....f-Defense-Ammo

Buy some boxes and see how the gun handles it, feeding,POI/POA, etc. I tend to go 147grain because it is easier for me to buy something that works in shorter barrelled guns as well as longer barrelled ones, then keep multiple boxes, currently.

[LtDave]

For self defense ammo, it is hard to go wrong with Federal HST or Speer Gold Dot. Try different bullet weights to see which ones shoot best (reliability, accuracy and point of impact) in your gun. The first load I try in a new gun is almost always the Speer 124 grain +P Gold Dot. Next up will be 124 and 147 grain HST in standard and plus p versions.

As for practice ammo, test different manufacturers and bullet weights to find what your gun likes. Then buy case lot(s), ideally from the same lot number. This is easiest to do with an online vendor. Buy several boxes of different loads from one vendor and test it. If you find a good load, reorder in case quantity from the same vendor without waiting too long from testing to purchase. That way the case(s) you buy will most likely come from the same lot as the test boxes. It is possible to see wide differences in accuracy from similar ammo. For example, one of my HK pistols will shoot 1.5" or better at 20 yards with 7 different factory fmj loads. The majority of the loads shoot 2" to 3" groups. The worst load gave me 5" groups.

[Robinson]

This might be a good candidate for the Ammunition sub-forum.

Anyway, I have pretty much settled on Federal HST for defensive use along with Federal American Eagle FMJ ammo of the same bullet weight for training and practice. ideally you want to try to find practice ammo that shoots to the same point of aim and has similar shooting characteristics as your defensive ammo. That might take some trial and error.

But really if you use quality practice ammo of the same bullet weight as your defensive ammo that's a good start.

Buy more magazines when you can.

[Duelist]

Most ammunition will keep for years and still be completely functional, so long as it is not exposed to dramatic temperature extremes. I’ve shot surplus Swiss rifle ammunition that was 40 years old that was just as perfect as ammunition can be.

Buy lots of ammunition. Shoot lots of ammunition. Then repeat. Basic ball from any manufacturer should run in your gun. JHP from “the list” should be tested with a box or two or three for function and accuracy and point of impact at various distances, not a half magazine and done.

If your pistol only came with one magazine, I suggest that you buy a few more. Keep 2 loaded for defense, and 2 or more can be left empty for dry fire practice and use at the range without having to swap defense loads in and out of the magazines.

[fwrun]

This might be a good candidate for the Ammunition sub-forum.

Anyway, I have pretty much settled on Federal HST for defensive use along with Federal American Eagle FMJ ammo of the same bullet weight for training and practice. ideally you want to try to find practice ammo that shoots to the same point of aim and has similar shooting characteristics as your defensive ammo. That might take some trial and error.

But really if you use quality practice ammo of the same bullet weight as your defensive ammo that's a good start.

Buy more magazines when you can.

Yes, this. American Eagle case pricing online is just as cheap as getting 115gr plinker ammo in stores, and it's better quality. Pair it with Federal HST of the same weight and you will be golden. For me this is AE9FP (Am. Eagle 147gr) and P9HST2 (HST 147gr). They zero the same in my guns.

[Joe in PNG]

I've pretty much settled on 147grn for all my 9's.

For defense, Federal HST or Speer Gold Dots- whatever is available in a 50 round box online.

For practice, Speer Lawman 147 total metal jacket- I usually get a 1000 round case for $200. The flat nose does poke nice, easily seen holes in the target.

[Joe in PNG]

Let me add this- I've found it better and cheaper to go with buying large quantities of good ammo over multiple purchases of small quantities of cheap ammo.

For one, the cheap stuff can be unreliable and inconsistent- which can leave you wondering if it's you, or the ammo.

[TGS]

For one, the cheap stuff can be unreliable and inconsistent- which can leave you wondering if it's you, or the ammo.

Yup.....in particular, that Federal Champion ammo from Wal-Mart is notoriously inaccurate. There was even a thread about it here just recently, about a month or so(?) ago.

[Joe in PNG]

Yup.....in particular, that Federal Champion ammo from Wal-Mart is notoriously inaccurate. There was even a thread about it here just recently, about a month or so(?) ago.

I've also seen some seriously crappy Walmart Winchester White Box 115 with serious problems lock up my BIL's pistol hard. Out of round cases and the like.