Hydroshock, silver tip, +P.... ok guys help me out I am not a ballistics expert and I get lost in a lot of this stuff I have a simple question for all of you, what do you carry for self defense and why. I am going through all of my ammo right now and am trying to figure out what is the right bullet for me. I have always been a big fan of shooting heavier grain bullets with the philosophy of hit em with the biggest round possible you feel comfortable with to put them down fast, but after a recent trip to the range and shooting some lower grain "self defense ammo" I am thinking about changing my way of thinking. I shot better groups and got back on target faster with the lower grain they really impressed me and I do not think your average want to be slim shady is going to notice a difference between 165 grains and 180. So my question is what grain and type of ammo do you carry for self defense and why. I understand the difference between FMJ and HP and will be carrying HP for self defense...
It really depends greatly on what caliber/cartridge it is.
Anything less than a .380 (unless it is the Seecamp .32), I recommend FMJ. Yeah, you can find the wazoo hollowpoints for .25's and .32's, but in these cases I think you need to regain all the penetration you've lost. The Seecamp was designed from the ground up to fire Winchester Silvertips. It is more reliable with Silvertips than with FMJ. The other exception would be the new .327 Magnum revolvers.
I put the .380 on the fence. I see nothing wrong with FMJs here, but you could also use a MODERN hollowpoint designed to expand at its anemic velocities; something like the Hornady Critical Defense. Also, make absolutely certain you have a quality firearm that is reliable with the type of hollowpoint you carry. Many .380's should be relegated to FMJs purely on the reliability standpoint.
Your bullet weights lead me to believe you are possibly using a .40 S&W. Honestly, modern hollowpoints here are all so good, it's almost like deciding which beer you drink based on which ad had the best looking girl drinking it at the time, not that there's anything wrong with that. There are really only two types to choose from, and which is best for you depends on who you are.
Law Enforcement has more of a need to possibly engage targets behind cover. They also aren't as concerned with collateral damage. Please note my use of comparatives. I am not saying they don't care. So, they may do well with bonded bullets that offer increased penetration, such as Winchester PDX Bonded. A typical self-defense scenario is more likely to benefit from a hollowpoint designed to more greatly limit penetration and deliver energy into the first target, something again like the Hornady Critical Defense.
But bullet terminal ballistics are much lower on the list of important things than people often place it. You mention better accuracy and shootability with a certain bullet. This is far more important. Very few defensive shootings will need to rely on the actual terminal ballistics of the bullet to end the fight. Having the firearm, the will and ability to deploy it, and putting a hole in a bad guy are FAR, FAR more important than the actual size of the hole. That said, when you get to where to can adjust the size of the hole while keeping everything else equal, go for it.