Welcome back to another episode of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we talked about self-defense ammunition and why it’s important along with a few things to keep in mind. If you happened to miss that article, be sure to click the link here to check it out. This week, I want to take a further look at some great options for self-defense ammo and what each type of ammo offers. Let’s take a closer look at some of the top self-defense ammo options.

Best Overall Choice: Federal HST 124GR +P

When talking about personal protection ammunition, it’s hard to make a list of some of the top performers without talking about the HST line from Federal. I prefer their +P line of HST with my favorite grain weight being the 124gr bullets. This round has the extra pressure of the +P offering you as much energy transfer as possible allowing you to have excellent stopping power out of a 9mm. The jacketed hollow point on the HST line of pistols has some of the best expansion and the pedals branch out creating more surface area to transfer energy and keep the round contained so there’s less chance of over-penetration.

Best Budget Option: SIG V-Crown 124 Gr Elite Rounds

If you are on a budget and want to pick up a quality self-defense round that won’t break the bank, the SIG Elite line of self-defense ammunition is where you need to go. This has a similar performance to the HST rounds but isn’t +P and doesn’t have quite as much expansion as the HST rounds but they are another fantastic performance when shot into ballistic gel. I have a fair bit of experience with the V Crown 9mm rounds and have carried them for a number of years.

These were some of the rounds that I carried for longer than I should have and some boxes were carried straight for almost two years. Despite that, when I finally replaced them with fresh rounds, I decided to fire off the old rounds to see if they still functioned and grouped consistently and they ran flawlessly. It’s hard to beat high-quality rounds like that for almost half of the HST. I still prefer the performance and energy transfer of the HST but the V-Crown rounds only cost $22.99 so it’s substantially less than the Federal HST for a good amount of performance. For that reason, they are certainly my budget choice when it comes to self-defense ammo.

Best Barrier Penetration Round: Hornady Critical Duty

The big question when looking at Jacketed Hollow Points for self-defense is the ability to go through barriers and obstacles while still performing when hitting the target. Traditional jacketed hollow points can sometimes get debris filling the cavity making them perform essentially like a round nose ball round. This allows the bullet to punch a small hole through the body not allowing for energy transfer and stopping inside your target. The unique part of the Critical Duty and Critical Defense line of rounds is the Flex-Lock Bullet tip that allows the round to punch through light objects like plywood, heavy clothing, or automotive glass while still being able to open up like a traditional hollow point when interacting with soft tissue.

This gives the best of both worlds approach that can give people flexibility in various situations. I have carried a few boxes of Critical Duty and they do perform well against light barriers and open up in soft tissue, The main issue with these is when the polymer tip becomes damaged or disfigured over time while being chambered. This can lead to them not having a perfect expansion in gel but if you keep an eye on your carry ammo and don’t chamber the same round over and over again, it should not be an issue. Overall I prefer a jacketed hollow point but the Critical Duty line does a fantastic job of going through light barriers while still allowing for expansion in soft tissue. MSRP on a box of Critical Duty is typically $33.99 at most retailers.

A Fantastic Alternative: Speer Gold Dot

We can’t leave out one of the most well-known self-defense rounds out there, especially in law enforcement. When it comes to well-known self-defense rounds, the Speer Gold Dots are probably some of the most well-known rounds, and Law Enforcement agencies constantly use them. They were some of the first to develop and push the hollow point technology. Some of my favorite rounds from them are the 124gr standard as well as the +P ammunition versions. Out of everything on this list, the Speer Gold Dots are some of the hottest loaded rounds with the highest velocities coming out of the muzzle.

If you want some of the hottest loaded factory ammo, the Speer Gold Dots are where you should look. If I had to say a negative about the Gold Dots, I would say I’ve had a couple of issues with bad crimped rounds where the bullet will eventually become unseated over time. Again this certainly took time, and the rounds were visibly loose where I should have changed them out sooner but it’s another example of why it’s important to inspect your rounds before chambering them. MSRP on the Gold Dots is $39.99 in every major retailer.

Overall Thoughts

There are plenty of choices I didn’t talk about but these four are my favorite. What do you guys typically enjoy when it comes to self-defense ammunition? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. If you have questions about the ammunition or firearms in general, feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there and we will see you next week for another edition of Concealed Carry Corner.