What Self Defense 40 S&W do you all like
- Thread starter arbud
- Start date
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Squaregrouper
Kragaphile
165gr HST
knastera
Just another shooter
175gr Hornady Critical Duty
StantonCree
Watch your beer
- Jan 23, 2011
- 23,932
I liked the 165 PDX (Winchester). Probably only shot 300 rounds of the stuff but never had an issue before I sold the .40
This. I choose .40 when I choose it for its post barrier terminal ballistics. The Critical Duty stays together just a wee bit better than anything else I've seen.
echo6mike
Ultimate Member
180 gr HST, I like the heavier-for-caliber rounds. But potato, patahto - what can you shoot most consistently? Any premium SD round is going to be just fine, I think.
I have the 175 critical duty. Although I've been lucky not to have used them on any baddies.
smokey
2A TEACHER
- Jan 31, 2008
- 31,509
Name Taken
Ultimate Member
180 grain Winchester Ranger T Series.
As long as you stick with the name brands...HST's, Gold Dots, Critical Duty you are likely to be fine.
I've done a lot of internet research on 9mm ammo and from what I could tell outside of the top 3-4 rounds everything else did the same. I would think the same happens in the .40 world.
As long as you stick with the name brands...HST's, Gold Dots, Critical Duty you are likely to be fine.
I've done a lot of internet research on 9mm ammo and from what I could tell outside of the top 3-4 rounds everything else did the same. I would think the same happens in the .40 world.
danb
dont be a dumbass
^^this
One important thing to note, the correct round depends very much on the barrel length (because velocity matters). 175gr Critical Duty is better for 4"+ barrels, something a little lighter for shorter barrels. A big load in a short barrel only generates flash, and low velocity causes the bullet to underperform.
You can see this in the Lucky Gunner .357 results, where they tested 2" and 4" barrels. http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/revolver-ballistics-test/#357mag
My department issues 165gr Gold Dots. They've performed well when we've needed them.
This is always worth a look:
http://www.brassfetcher.com/Handguns/40 S&W/40 S&W.html
This is always worth a look:
http://www.brassfetcher.com/Handguns/40 S&W/40 S&W.html
Hornady Critical Duty mixed with Barnes all copper with the big hollow center.
alucard0822
For great Justice
HSTs, they are legendary performers in this caliber. I like the 180gr loads, might be counter intuitive, but the heavier loads are better in shorter barrels. The caliber is efficient anyways, but the lighter powder load, lower pressure, and longer dwell time greatly reduce flash and blast. 9mm has supposedly "won" the caliber war, but 180gr loads feel a lot like a light 45, very mild to shoot, recoil is mild and slow, IMO they are easier to shoot fast than hot 147s in 9mm, especially from a small pistol in a confined area. The fact they have a lot of momentum, good hard penetration, and have proven to perform consistently is a bonus. Most of 40's reputation for being a loud snappy caliber come from hot 155-165gr loads, some loads can top 500FPE, but the 180gr loads were an annomaly, bullets carried over from 10mm, but with earlier powders there wasn't enough volume in shorter 40S&W to push them to the full potential, and you get 400 or less FPE and some benefits over 9mm while keeping similar recoil.
knastera
Just another shooter
Yup. I run mine in a Glock 23Gen4 with a 4.01" barrel.
I have a plethora of winchester fbi contract over run not sure if they are 180 grain rangers or pdx 1s. But those have worked great in my sigs and g23. Though i also haven't had any issues with 180 grain or 165 grain hsts. I prefer 180 personally.
Biggfoot44
Ultimate Member
- Aug 2, 2009
- 33,173
I'm not a 40s&w guy, but I have periodically discussed this with the person in charge of ammo selection for 300-ish ofc PD . Recently switched to W-W 165gr latest alphabet soup . The only improvement was shooting thru windshields at an angle.
Windshields aside, he hasn't seen anything that otherwise was an improvement upon the old school 155jhp ( aka original USBP load).
Windshields aside, he hasn't seen anything that otherwise was an improvement upon the old school 155jhp ( aka original USBP load).
FWIW, I got away from the WW 180 PDX1 defender because I was finding hard primers periodically. These were in the 20 round boxes that I was getting at Wally World. I never had a primer FTF in my 40 S&W M&Pc with any other ammo.
smokey
2A TEACHER
- Jan 31, 2008
- 31,509
Older designs frequently had failures to expand. Older non-bonded designs could also shed jackets or come apart. Newer bullet designs use either chemical or mechanical(critical duty) bonding for better weight retention(especially through glass). For example, black talons and ranger t's are pretty close in design, but the ranger t's are tweaked to expand more reliably and perform more consistently through a variety of barriers.
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