Of all the ammo choices we have, is there any particular make - in range or SD types - that you’ve found that have given you consistent all-round performance in feeding, reliability, and accuracy? I’ve noticed that Graham Baates in his reviews highly touts Nosler “Match” ammo, when he checks cartridge support in his “Tabletop Reviews and Field-Strip” videos.
I have to admit right here. I’m a real whore when it comes to ammo. I do everyone, the cheaper the better.
So far with everything except .22 I’ve had really good luck with all of the over the counter ammo I’ve used. In the last thousand or so rounds in 5-6 firearm’s I can only remember 2 or 3 miss fires and about the same amount of misfeeds.
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All of my firearms have performed well with PMC ball ammo 223 and .45 consistently for the past 16 years. Once I found something that worked well, I never looked back. I choose Hornady for my SD ammo in the same calibers.
Only tested it on the range. No failures. I don’t wish to test it in the field!
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Being a “neighborhood-kinda-guy” - i.e. - I prefer to spend my money to support my local businesses - I prefer to buy U.S. ammo, and shy away from foreign brands - I should’ve qualified my request. I remember a flood of Russian-made ammo - Wolf was the first brand I saw - that hit the market years ago - NYET, Comrade!
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For training ammo, I have had very good luck with Speer Lawman. Blazer Brass has been good too.
For SD ammo, Federal HST and Speed Gold Dot, all the way.
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I’m a real Gold Dot fan boy as well.
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For my revolvers I like Ammo Inc for range (very clean and low flash, with good poi/poa). When I can’t get that, I’ve been using Federal, for no other reason that it’s low cost, and reliable. I believe the PMC is Korean, but it is good ammo for the money, by my experience.
For SD revolver ammo I’ve settled on Underwood. It’s expensive, but very good quality, and stout.
For my 380, range ammo is whatever is cheapest at the time. I’m still confliced on SD ammo for that. I use Hornady XTP, but I’ve read and heard that with 380, ball is best for better penetration. Then again, my 380 has a 3.7" barrel, so some say use JHP. Others say JHP will expand too soon with the longer barrel and higher velocities. 
If anyone has some input on all that with some real good testing or real world experience, I’m all ears.
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Roger that sir. I think a lot of us are.
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I like to carry a 32 sometimes for the comfort and ease of carry. I’ve heard the same arguments , its too weak, doesn’t penetrate. As the old saying goes: it’s better to have something that you will carry than having on the night stand. I think the Fudge I’ve Been Shot realization is still a good deterrent no matter the caliber.
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I agree with that. My wife has very small hands, and has struggled with a lot of guns. That’s how I ended up with the 380 (it’s the S&W 380 EZ- hammer fired, locked breech Shield). She got it, then found it was too big, and gave it to me. I liked shooting it, so I kept it. I got her a 22 LR 8 shot S&W revolver that’s like a beautiful little Swiss watch. It’s light, easy to carry, easy to shoot, and I wouldn’t want to stand in front of 8 22LR bullets, especially the Federal Punch SD ones that really zip along, and are hard cast. They’re designed for deep penetration without fracturing and I’m sure could do a lot of damage.
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Look at the Grand Power series in .380 - they offer 4 models & barrel lengths, and at least 3 of them have 4 backstraps to adjust your “grip-fit”. Graham Baates in his “GB” reviews videos looks at at least one of them.
What caliber/cartridge?
Federal. My simple answer is, Federal. Also Speer/CCI
Self Defense: Federal HST and Speer Gold Dot
For rifles I like IMI as well.
CBC/Magtech. Prvi Partizan/PPU.
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The three I’ve stuck with are the .380, .40, and .45, leaning more toward self-defense than sport-/target-shooting. Although I have an affinity to or a preference for 4.5" - 5" barrels, the choices I’ll make are for 3.35", 4.0", 4.125", and 4.6" for the .380. the two .40s, and the .45, to acquire my “using” collection. Since I dropped the three “long” Grand Power models off my list, my prospective ammo costs have been cut in half - for the .45, I’m planning to shoot four of the five 200-grain SD loads as standard-velocity range ammo. The 5th - the Speer “Gold Dot” - is a +P load, and the impression I’ve gotten is that it needs this higher pressure for decent expansion, so I’ll bypass this one - I can easily splurge on the other four.
P.S. - Has anybody had extensive experience with Sig Sauer ammo? The reviews - good or bad - have been about equal. One of the four 200-grain .45 SD loads I want to try is from them.
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I tried their V-Crown once, a 1/3 of the box had short rounds, not consistent measurements. I went with Nosler instead
There’s absolutely NO excuse for that - maybe whoever made it lost big in a poker game, and decided to take it out on some faceless, nameless customer. As I’ve written before, Graham Baates highly touts Nosler “match” ammo in his videos because of their consistency, but I haven’t heard or read much about their SD ammo. Most of Lucky Gunner’s SD ammo tests are at least 5 years old, and the test guns I consider pretty crappy, so there’s no recourse other than to use them as a rough guide.
Had an interesting conversation at the range with a guy about exactly that. He said something that got me thinking. He said he prefers FMJ’s for his .380 because of the possible limited penetration of a hollow point, he said, I haven’t checked this out yet, that a .380 FMJ will actually hit the 12 inch penetration line.
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Exactly! That’s why I open my boxes now at the register and check for shorts because once I walk out the door I can’t return them
I’m more concerned with .380 expansion than penetration - with most robberies and assaults, most of them are in close-up range, and I want any shots I can get off to HURT - and convince that hammerhead to reflect on his/her mortality. I have NO mercy for these sonsabitches - they’ve already picked you out as an easy “score”, and have already determined to do and cause you some degree of harm. If you HAVE to shoot, make sure it’s RIGHTEOUS! I’ve seen two videos of convenience-store armed robberies, where the owner got off at least two shots, missed, and then CHASED the robbers after they fled outside, STILL shooting at them - BOTH cases could have been grounds for devastating civil-suits. AMEN
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Thanks for the “tip”!
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