Lastly, 9mm self-defense ammo is less readily available than FMJ so you may need to check around multiple websites if your choice is out of stock. VHP bullet based on proven Federal hollow point design. Winchester Ammo S9MMPDB1 Elite 9mm Luger 147 GR Bonded Jacket Hollow Point - 20rd Box Your Price: 30.35 (1.
Check your owners manual to be sure your gun is rated for +P before using this ammo. This allows you to ensure your handgun can handle it and keeps you confident shooting this ammo.Īlso, some of this is +P ammunition. Ideally though, you would be able to occasionally shoot the hollow-point ammunition you plan to use for concealed carry at the range. With that in mind, we didn't factor price into our considerations too much. In my opinion, it's not a place to go cheap, as the performance of this ammo may be used to save your life. The exception to this is when velocities really start to get on the low side, as they may not function reliably in heavier handguns.īefore jumping into the picks, we should point out that hollow-point ammunition is far more expensive than FMJ range ammo.
With that said, I tend to prefer ammo with an average penetration on the deeper side of the FBI's recommendation. Federal Premium Personal Defense HST Jacketed Hollow Point 9mm Ammo 147 gr 20 Round Box. These are hollow-point rounds that expand when they hit something. Shallower penetration may not reach the vitals of an attacker, and deeper penetration can over-penetrate your target-making it more likely that you cause accidental harm to bystanders. Range ammo is more about reliability and cost-effectiveness. Penetration Depth - The FBI recommends a penetration depth of 12 to 18 inches.To do this, they shot 5 rounds of various ammo choices using a S&W M&P9C at ballistic gel covered by heavy clothing barriers.
(Though we'll briefly touch on it below, you can learn why hollow point ammunition is preferred for self-defense in our " Hollow Point vs Full Metal Jacket" guide.) Not only is Lucky Gunner our go-to platform for buying ammo online, as we've discussed in our review of Lucky Gunner, but they've also put a lot of time into testing to find the best 9mm hollow-point ammo for self-defense. The Best 9mm Ammo for Defense and Concealed Carry