40 cal ammo

[Hunting Man]

Any suggestions for 40 cal ammo? I won't need a lot but 4-5 boxes and home security type ammo. I've never shot a 40 period, in a small polymer frame pistol may be hand full??

[hunt NH]

for home defense, id say shot shell. wont go through sheet rock and hurt anyone on the other side of the wall. but anyone between the gun and the wall would be blinded by the pellets, and if they lived through it they would be picking pellets out of there hide for the rest of there life. plus you could load up a few shot shells and fill the rest of the mag with some type of hollow point. blind and hurt them with the shot shell and finish them off with the hollow points.

[DVW]

My Dad always put the first round as shot as well in his home defense gun. Next would be a round nose or two, followed by hollow points. The bird shot would blind, hurt, confuse an intruder and hopefully discourage him from continuing. If it didn't stop the intruder it would at least slow them down and give you more time to aim. The reason for the round nose is penetration. As a police detective, he saw many cases where handgun rounds have stopped in coats, cell phones, and things such as pocket knives. The 40 cal has pretty good penetration, but you would be surprised at how many stories he has of the bullets being well aimed but never making it to the target. My personal self defense gun is a Ruger LCP .380 auto with round nose bullets. It's a great small gun that is easy to carry, but anything with that little amount of power needs all the help it can get in the penetration category. However my home defense gun is a .357 magnum with hollow points.

[BruceBruce1959]

I guess I look at it a little differently, If someone has broken into my home,, they don't deserve birdshot!
I use the cheapest (FMJ) Full Metal Jacket's I can find.

It's not a handfull, good firm grip, eye on target and you're ready to Rock and Roll.

[WisconsinDeer]

Originally Posted by hunt NH

for home defense, id say shot shell. wont go through sheet rock and hurt anyone on the other side of the wall. but anyone between the gun and the wall would be blinded by the pellets, and if they lived through it they would be picking pellets out of there hide for the rest of there life. plus you could load up a few shot shells and fill the rest of the mag with some type of hollow point. blind and hurt them with the shot shell and finish them off with the hollow points.

NO!!!!

Have you ever even used that crap before?? It does not penetrate and it most likely wont even cycle the pistol.


I would opt for something like the Winchester PDX1 or Ranger-T series ammo.
Supreme Elite Self Defense Ammo 40 S&W 180 Grain Bonded PDX1 Jacketed Hollow Point Box of 20

[hunt NH]

Originally Posted by WisconsinDeer

NO!!!!

Have you ever even used that crap before?? It does not penetrate and it most likely wont even cycle the pistol.


I would opt for something like the Winchester PDX1 or Ranger-T series ammo.
Supreme Elite Self Defense Ammo 40 S&W 180 Grain Bonded PDX1 Jacketed Hollow Point Box of 20

YES i have Used shot shell. Yes i realize that it does not penetrate much, and each gun id different, it may cycle in brand X but not brand Y. did you even read my post? i did not lay load the whole mag with it. i sead the first few rounds. i even stated why, and the lack of penetration is one of the reasons. your might be able to shoot 2" shot groups at the range, you might think that if awakend to the sounds of someone in your home that you would be wide awake. but you will not be at 100%, you hart will be pounding out of your chest, and your eyes may not be fully focused. having the first round or 2 be shot shell would allow you much more room for error. it would blind, injer and disorientate your would be attacker, and give your the upper hand allowing for more time to be taken to line up your follow up shots.

[hunt NH]

Originally Posted by BruceBruce1959

I guess I look at it a little differently, If someone has broken into my home,, they don't deserve birdshot!
I use the cheapest (FMJ) Full Metal Jacket's I can find.

It's not a handfull, good firm grip, eye on target and you're ready to Rock and Roll.

your right Bruce.l if someone brakes into your house you dont owe them anything, or a quick painless death. but at the end of the day its not what the intruders life is worth to you when choosing your home defense rounds. it is what your life is worth to you.

[Hunting Man]

whew, I thought someone might have an opinion! I guess I'll figure something out.

[rdrader2002]

Originally Posted by WisconsinDeer

NO!!!!

Have you ever even used that crap before?? It does not penetrate and it most likely wont even cycle the pistol.


I would opt for something like the Winchester PDX1 or Ranger-T series ammo.
Supreme Elite Self Defense Ammo 40 S&W 180 Grain Bonded PDX1 Jacketed Hollow Point Box of 20

I have the Winchester Ranger ammo in my XD-40. It's a hollow point that's designed to maximize the mushroom effect on whatever you hit. You hit someone with it, and the bullet will not likely make it out the other side - the 'perfect' home defense round.

Or that's my humble opinion anyway!

BTW - they come in several grain sizes. I use the slightly lighter 165 grain (or was that 155), instead of the full 180 grains. Personal choice, and hope I never have to figure out the difference between the two of them.

RR

[DVW]

Originally Posted by rdrader2002

I have the Winchester Ranger ammo in my XD-40. It's a hollow point that's designed to maximize the mushroom effect on whatever you hit. You hit someone with it, and the bullet will not likely make it out the other side - the 'perfect' home defense round.

Or that's my humble opinion anyway!

BTW - they come in several grain sizes. I use the slightly lighter 165 grain (or was that 155), instead of the full 180 grains. Personal choice, and hope I never have to figure out the difference between the two of them.

RR

Those are the types of rounds that my dad finds don't always make it to the target. It "usually" is enough to discourage the bad guy. However one local cop emptied his .45acp loaded with Winchester Ranger ammo into a bad guy who started shooting at him. None of the bullets entered the bad guy. They all stopped in his heavy winter coat.