I wanted to try different types of SD ammo and was determining which one to buy at the LGS.  Since I only could buy 1 box a day I opted to buy this one instead of the Hornady 115 grain Critical Defense.

I later realized I should have bought the Critical Defense box instead.  According to the Hornady website Critical Duty performs better in service pistols and Critical Defense performs better in short barreled pistols such as the P365 which I recently aquired.

Anyway, my question is if anyone here fired this ammo in a short barreled pistol like the P365.  Some YT "experts" claim feeding problems due to the ammo being a bit longer.

Since I'm a new P365 owner I'm on a quest in finding an optimal SD round.

Also, how many of these high priced rounds would you think needs to be fired from the pistol to be confident to say that round would reliably function when the chips are down?

I realize there should be no price tag when it comes to protecting your life and your loved ones but still......damn things are expensive.

If you had a Glock, den no need worry wat kine ammo you stay shooting.

if i owned firearms and ammo, i would want to have fired at least 1-200 rounds of a specific magazine/ammo combination before feeling comfortable with that setup
alternatively, one could fire 500 rounds of range ammo from a specific magazine before running one box of the self defense ammo through it
this is purely hypothetical, of course, since i own neither...

I wanted to try different types of SD ammo and was determining which one to buy at the LGS.  Since I only could buy 1 box a day I opted to buy this one instead of the Hornady 115 grain Critical Defense.

I later realized I should have bought the Critical Defense box instead.  According to the Hornady website Critical Duty performs better in service pistols and Critical Defense performs better in short barreled pistols such as the P365 which I recently aquired.

Anyway, my question is if anyone here fired this ammo in a short barreled pistol like the P365.  Some YT "experts" claim feeding problems due to the ammo being a bit longer.

Since I'm a new P365 owner I'm on a quest in finding an optimal SD round.

Also, how many of these high priced rounds would you think needs to be fired from the pistol to be confident to say that round would reliably function when the chips are down?

I realize there should be no price tag when it comes to protecting your life and your loved ones but still......damn things are expensive.

I wanted to try different types of SD ammo and was determining which one to buy at the LGS.  Since I only could buy 1 box a day I opted to buy this one instead of the Hornady 115 grain Critical Defense.

I later realized I should have bought the Critical Defense box instead.  According to the Hornady website Critical Duty performs better in service pistols and Critical Defense performs better in short barreled pistols such as the P365 which I recently aquired.

Anyway, my question is if anyone here fired this ammo in a short barreled pistol like the P365.  Some YT "experts" claim feeding problems due to the ammo being a bit longer.

Since I'm a new P365 owner I'm on a quest in finding an optimal SD round.

Also, how many of these high priced rounds would you think needs to be fired from the pistol to be confident to say that round would reliably function when the chips are down?

I realize there should be no price tag when it comes to protecting your life and your loved ones but still......damn things are expensive.

If you want to try out some Speer Gold Dot 124 gr (standard pressure), I'll offer up some ammo for you to test (if you haven't yet).

As for how many rounds to feel confident, my thoughts are similar to if macsak owned guns or ammo.  When I got my 17, my goal was to get to a minimum of 500 (1000 without issues preferred) rounds with typical range ammo (for me is 115 or 124 gr) with various mags and then at least 50 (100 better) of my chosen SD ammo to verify function and POI.  Since then, going through that with two 17s and a 34, I gained a certain level of confidence in new Glock OEM mags and eventually Magpul mags.  Mostly since my Glock mags get a decent amount of use, so I try to keep some mags primarily for training and range, and other mags that are loaded up with SD ammo. 

If I were to change to something other than a Glock 17 or 19, I would probably go with a similar verifying round count (500 range and 50 SD minimum), but with more mags. 

If you want to try out some Speer Gold Dot 124 gr (standard pressure), I'll offer up some ammo for you to test (if you haven't yet).

As for how many rounds to feel confident, my thoughts are similar to if macsak owned guns or ammo.  When I got my 17, my goal was to get to a minimum of 500 (1000 without issues preferred) rounds with typical range ammo (for me is 115 or 124 gr) with various mags and then at least 50 (100 better) of my chosen SD ammo to verify function and POI.  Since then, going through that with two 17s and a 34, I gained a certain level of confidence in new Glock OEM mags and eventually Magpul mags.  Mostly since my Glock mags get a decent amount of use, so I try to keep some mags primarily for training and range, and other mags that are loaded up with SD ammo. 

If I were to change to something other than a Glock 17 or 19, I would probably go with a similar verifying round count (500 range and 50 SD minimum), but with more mags.

i forgot to note
if i owned magazines, i would have separate range magazines that get dirty and dropped on the ground, and separate, previously tested magazines that are for HP ammo only
and the mags of HP ammo would be shot and replaced with new ammo yearly
this is all in theory, of course...

i forgot to note
if i owned magazines, i would have separate range magazines that get dirty and dropped on the ground, and separate, previously tested magazines that are for HP ammo only
and the mags of HP ammo would be shot and replaced with new ammo yearly
this is all in theory, of course...

That's it?   

 

That's it?   

 

He's being hypothetical like his ammo & guns!

Sent from my SM-A102U using Tapatalk

If you want to try out some Speer Gold Dot 124 gr (standard pressure), I'll offer up some ammo for you to test (if you haven't yet).

Thanks for the offer but I'm in no rush.  Actually kinda excited on my quest to find my preferred SD ammo.  I'm just gonna take it slow and take notes on each one I buy.

I plan to pick up a box here and there and make a log of brand, type, and notes on recoil, etc.

Thanks for the offer but I'm in no rush.  Actually kinda excited on my quest to find my preferred SD ammo.  I'm just gonna take it slow and take notes on each one I buy.

I plan to pick up a box here and there and make a log of brand, type, and notes on recoil, etc.

That will be an interesting test/trial.  Looking forward to what your observations are.

What are some of the SD ammo that you're looking for?  I recall reading good things about some Federal (not sure the particular one off the top of my head).  I recall Hydrashoks were heavily sought after when I bought my first handguns, but that was a long time ago. 

I have watched and read the vast majority of the in depth 9mm defense ammo tests online. If you watch/read most of the online 9mm defense ammo tests. You will find one ammo that seems to always be at or near the top and performs well in pretty much all of the ammo tests. And that is Federal HST 124 grain (standard and +P). There are other good options out there. But this one is consistently at the top more than any other.

Hornady Critical Defense and Speer gold dot seem to do well also. And hornady critical Duty seems to do good for certain barrier/vehicle type applications that officers are more likely to see, but from the test I have seen critical duty seems to penetrate deeper than the others (some tests even went deeper than FBI 18”).

Critical defense seemed to have less penetration but deep enough to pass FBI test.

There are also specific short barrel loads of gold dot and HST that might be worth a try in a shorter barrel 365.

That will be an interesting test/trial.  Looking forward to what your observations are.

What are some of the SD ammo that you're looking for?  I recall reading good things about some Federal (not sure the particular one off the top of my head).  I recall Hydrashoks were heavily sought after when I bought my first handguns, but that was a long time ago. 

I have watched and read the vast majority of the in depth 9mm defense ammo tests online. If you watch/read most of the online 9mm defense ammo tests. You will find one ammo that seems to always be at or near the top and performs well in pretty much all of the ammo tests. And that is Federal HST 124 grain (standard and +P). There are other good options out there. But this one is consistently at the top more than any other.

Hornady Critical Defense and Speer gold dot seem to do well also. And hornady critical Duty seems to do good for certain barrier/vehicle type applications that officers are more likely to see, but from the test I have seen critical duty seems to penetrate deeper than the others (some tests even went deeper than FBI 18”).

Critical defense seemed to have less penetration but deep enough to pass FBI test.

There are also specific short barrel loads of gold dot and HST that might be worth a try in a shorter barrel 365.

Thanks guys, I agree Federal SD offerings interest me a lot.  Also all the others like Gold Dot, and that weird Ruger Polymer/ copper dust phillips screw driver looking bullet, LOL!

I want to try them all!   But I realize that the offerings are somewhat limited to what the LGS's bring in.  When I was at the LGS they had this "pink box" SD loads I forget what brand.  Supposed to be a "light" defensive load, for recoil sensitive people, some women, and elderly I guess.

  But I plan to get that box in the future and try it out.  I figure with the P365 being a micro pistol the combination might be perfect for rapid fire and accuracy with the reality being SD scenarios will most likely be up close and personal.

Thanks for all the input!

Bottom line is, I personally would not want to be hit with any one of them.

Thanks guys, I agree Federal SD offerings interest me a lot.  Also all the others like Gold Dot, and that weird Ruger Polymer/ copper dust phillips screw driver looking bullet, LOL!

I want to try them all!   But I realize that the offerings are somewhat limited to what the LGS's bring in.  When I was at the LGS they had this "pink box" SD loads I forget what brand.  Supposed to be a "light" defensive load, for recoil sensitive people, some women, and elderly I guess.

  But I plan to get that box in the future and try it out.  I figure with the P365 being a micro pistol the combination might be perfect for rapid fire and accuracy with the reality being SD scenarios will most likely be up close and personal.

Thanks for all the input!

I hear that!  That's typically how I want to be (try them all), but yeah, availability sucks here.  I used to bring back some SD ammo when I would travel to the mainland.  A friend used to make ballistic gel blocks to test, but he hasn't in a while. 

Bottom line is, I personally would not want to be hit with any one of them.

I wouldn't want to be shot with a .22 lr.   

I hear that!  That's typically how I want to be (try them all), but yeah, availability sucks here.  I used to bring back some SD ammo when I would travel to the mainland.  A friend used to make ballistic gel blocks to test, but he hasn't in a while. 
I wouldn't want to be shot with a .22 lr.   

When I visit Vegas I stop by Bass Pro to check out their ammo.  Last time I went they didn't have SD loads in .44 spl or magnum.  I remember seeing a whole bunch of range ammo in 9mm but I didn't have a 9mm pistol then.  Bet they had some SD 9mm loads as well.

Haven't visited Vegas since this pandemic started but I plan to check out SD ammo when I finally decide to visit there.  Maybe I'll venture out to the other sporting places also.

Yeah, I wouldn't want to be shot with a .22 either.  Actually I don't want to get shot with anything, lol!  As a teen my fricken brother shot me in the arm with a Daisy BB gun.  Fortunately I was wearing my dad's old Army fatigues.  The long sleeve of the fatigues took the brunt of the BB but damn, that f **kn thing hurt!!

SNIP

Yeah, I wouldn't want to be shot with a .22 either.  Actually I don't want to get shot with anything, lol!  As a teen my fricken brother shot me in the arm with a Daisy BB gun.  Fortunately I was wearing my dad's old Army fatigues.  The long sleeve of the fatigues took the brunt of the BB but damn, that f **kn thing hurt!!

There are some high(er) fps airsoft that if one doesn't have say denim or thicker jacket/pants that it's fricken sore.  I've seen it break skin too. 

I wanted to try different types of SD ammo and was determining which one to buy at the LGS.  Since I only could buy 1 box a day I opted to buy this one instead of the Hornady 115 grain Critical Defense.

I later realized I should have bought the Critical Defense box instead.  According to the Hornady website Critical Duty performs better in service pistols and Critical Defense performs better in short barreled pistols such as the P365 which I recently aquired.

Anyway, my question is if anyone here fired this ammo in a short barreled pistol like the P365.  Some YT "experts" claim feeding problems due to the ammo being a bit longer.

Since I'm a new P365 owner I'm on a quest in finding an optimal SD round.

Also, how many of these high priced rounds would you think needs to be fired from the pistol to be confident to say that round would reliably function when the chips are down?

I realize there should be no price tag when it comes to protecting your life and your loved ones but still......damn things are expensive.

As a general rule of thumb I keep 10 rounds of sd ammo in a magazine. I shoot the rest of the box to get comfortable that the gun mag ammo combo is reliable. Clean gun and mag before loading the last 10. When I can get a decent price on  another box, I shoot out those 10, and the rest of the box as practice and repeat, clean and reload mag...  The magazine gets put into the rotation eventually.

As a general rule of thumb I keep 10 rounds of sd ammo in a magazine. I shoot the rest of the box to get comfortable that the gun mag ammo combo is reliable. Clean gun and mag before loading the last 10. When I can get a decent price on  another box, I shoot out those 10, and the rest of the box as practice and repeat, clean and reload mag...  The magazine gets put into the rotation eventually.

Good points!

Thanks guys, I agree Federal SD offerings interest me a lot.  Also all the others like Gold Dot, and that weird Ruger Polymer/ copper dust phillips screw driver looking bullet, LOL!

I want to try them all!   But I realize that the offerings are somewhat limited to what the LGS's bring in.  When I was at the LGS they had this "pink box" SD loads I forget what brand.  Supposed to be a "light" defensive load, for recoil sensitive people, some women, and elderly I guess.

  But I plan to get that box in the future and try it out.  I figure with the P365 being a micro pistol the combination might be perfect for rapid fire and accuracy with the reality being SD scenarios will most likely be up close and personal.

Thanks for all the input!

So yesterday I finally got off my ass and headed down to the range. 

I fired my one box of Hornady Critical Duty rounds through my p365 pistol and everything went fine.  It was only 25 rounds though.  No hiccups.

I then fired 100 rounds of regular Remington 115 gr. range loads.  So far I put 250 rounds of range ammo and 25 rounds of hollow points through the gun and didn't have a problem.

I know I have to visit the range more than once every 3 months or so because I just plain suck.  The RSO on duty offered some pointers on trigger control and I used their arm carpet rests so I can focus on trigger control while stabilizing my arms.

I also brought my rifles, planning to spend half the time at pistol and the remainder half at rifle but I felt I should concentrate on pistol when I realized how bad my technique was.  RSO laughed and said I should come to the range to practice more often than once every 3 months because it's easy to "unlearn" the fundamentals, especially with pistol.

I agree.  But.....range too far, lol!

25 yards (75 feet) is a heck of a shot. Pistol range.
At 10 yards (30feet) I don’t wanna get shot period. (Edit: actUally I don’t wanna get shot period. Period.)
Get a revolver. 

Was there there a bullet drop at 25 yards with the heavier SD rounds than the 115 range rounds ?

I looked at a lot of YT tests of 9mm out of micro 9s. A tuber named “shooting the bull”, or thereabouts, seems pretty thorough in his testing.

The ammo I settled on that did very well, yet the is reasonably priced is Winchester’s train and defend 147grain (the “defend” version obviously).

Defend had very very good results from the ultra short barrel. The 147 recoil impulse is less snappy out of the tiny pistol, and my plinking ammunition, that I build, already simulates this ammo satisfactorily. So practice is no problem.

Search his YT, it’s pretty extensive on testing in gel and specifically short barrel 9mm