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Best 9mm Luger and .40 S&W FMJ Ammo

TheQ

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I'm considering going rustic camping in State/National Forrest in Michigan with my family. As such my primary defense concern moves away from human attackers in an urban setting where over penetration is a serious concern to animal attackers in the woods where over penetration is no concern.

Any suggestions on Ammo for 9mm Luger FMJ?

I also have a .40 S&W I'd pack with me. Any suggestions there?
 

Nevada carrier

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Well, if a marauding bear were to be on the offensive, a pistol may not be effective unless it's a very high caliber like 500 S&W, .44 Magnum or at the very smallest, .357 Magnum. Ideally, a 12 gauge slug or 00 Buck would be best for dispatching such a large animal. Mountain lions could probably be taken out with a personal defense round, but you may still want to go with the largest caliber you could carry and control. Rather than standard personal defense hollow points, a bonded hollow point such as the FBI's go to .45 made by Winchester under the ranger-T series could be a good choice. They could hold up against thick animal hide on impact then expand to a lesser degree. A Taurus Judge with .45 LC or .410 may even be a good idea. Also, for snakes, a small revolver with snake shot might not be a bad idea.

If rifles are your weapon of choice, you own a decent 308 and are concerned about large predatory animals, frangible or soft tip rounds my be a good idea as well. If you don't like the logistics of carrying a full length rifle, there are also AR type rifles in a pistol configuration. This one for instance could be useful if paired with a decent .308/7.62 Soft tip or frangible Like these.

From what I can tell, there are no bonded hollow point rounds made in the calibers you are looking for.
 
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Ruger

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From what I can tell, there are no bonded hollow point rounds made in the calibers you are looking for.

You are kidding, right?

Actually, there are a few bonded hollow points in 9mm and .40 that are quite easy to acquire.

- Speer Gold Dot
- Winchester Supreme Elite PDX1 (sometimes boxed as "Ranger Bonded" )
- Remington makes a bonded version of their Golden Sabres


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk
 

TheQ

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You are kidding, right?

Actually, there are a few bonded hollow points in 9mm and .40 that are quite easy to acquire.

- Speer Gold Dot
- Winchester Supreme Elite PDX1 (sometimes boxed as "Ranger Bonded" )
- Remington makes a bonded version of their Golden Sabres


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk

I have SPEER Gold Dot I carry for urban defense.

The 9mm is a Springfield XDm. 19 rounds. If the first 3 loud shots don't get the bear thinking he might want to find an easier meal -- 10 if 19 ought to put him down, no?
 

Gunslinger

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Bears are not a problem, blacks at least. Two legged predators still are even in the wilderness. 124gr +P Federal HST for the 9mm are excellent for that purpose. I carry +P+ for the extra 100fps. If you really are afraid of a bear attack, no 9 or .40 is going to stop him. Assuming you don't go by her cubs, she won't bother you if you don't bother her. Shooting at a big game animal with pistols such as yours--unless as a very last resort, is reprehensible. I trust that not to be your plan. Bear spray is more effective--and humane.
 

beebobby

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I've been having a hard time finding the HST in .45. I found them once on Ammunition to go, but it's been a year or so.
 

beebobby

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Yep, that's where I got mine. I bought 500 rounds because I knew they were like chicken teeth. Hard to find and harder to pull.

I just checked their site and it doesn't look like they even handle Federal ammo anymore.
 

Gunslinger

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Yep, that's where I got mine. I bought 500 rounds because I knew they were like chicken teeth. Hard to find and harder to pull.

When they appear, grabbing them is the right course. I've seen them on Natchez, too, but originally got mine on CTD for a great price. They had made several special buys, supposedly. If you can't find them, Hornady and Winchester make just as good PD rounds--just costlier. For cheap, very good PD rounds, WW-B hollow points are very highly rated. Nothing in their price range compares. I also like Gold Dots, although pricey, and Golden Saber--proven performer.
 

TrailRunner

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Looks like the bases are covered for two and four legged aggressors, but consider having someone carry a .22LR with normal ammo and have a few snake-shot rounds, or perhaps a little 410. The added bonus is that both are excellent survival firearms in case your group somehow, someway, manages to get lost.
 

since9

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500 rounds? Not I, as my carry rounds (Winchester Ranger SXT's) are so expensive! About $0.65 per round, and they come in boxes of 50.

Any time the design changes significantly, or about once every three years, whichever comes first, I'll shoot a box of the new design to make sure they work in my firearm. If so, I'll fire off my old carry rounds before replacing them with the new rounds.

In the meantime, I'll practice with my plinking rounds, which cost 25 just cents a round.

In the meantime, shame on Winchester for severely marking up their barely redesigned rounds (now called PDX-1, whoopee :banghead:).
 

Gunslinger

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As Since states, a lot of times they make a small change and mark it up as the next greatest PD round. The fact is, some of the older designs that have been around for years--e.g., Hydra-Shoks, still work great. A hit with a Tula FMJ is better than a miss with a .500 Magnum. And a hit with a Silvertip or H-S will still do the job. People get too wrapped up in the ammo type and "features" and forget the most important aspect: hit your target. 230 gr hardball served our country pretty well for 100 years, and still does. The W-WB you target shoot with in a .45 will work just fine for PD if you put two in center mass.
 
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