Ultimate Man Stopper

[Dark Water]

I have spent a great deal of time purchasing various types of ammunition for several firearms. I try to keep about 1000 rounds for each gun I own. Most of the handgun ammo I have is hollow point rounds like Gold Dot or Hydrashock.

Despite my decent size collection of ammo I have taken little time to test them to see which rounds will due the most damage to their target. I have spent hours online researching this but have been unable to make up my mind. I admit I am not the most computer literate person out there so I am not completly surprised.

I am trying to find the ultimate protection round taking into consideration all necessary factors. I welcome any input and even debate on the topic. If your life or the life or your friends and family were on the line, which ammo would you want your gun to be loaded with and why?

[Army GI]

lol, I don't know about "ultimate man stopper".

But I have a lot of respect for the Speer Gold Dot. I'm not sure how well they perform in small handgun calibers. But large calibers like 45 ACP and 45 Colt, they provide a great deal of expansion, penetration, and hold their mass very well. They don't break apart and shed their jacket like the Hornady XTP (which is also a very good bullet, BTW). Gold Dots are too pricey even if you are a reloader which could be a good thing if you look at it that way.

So to answer your question, my vote goes to Speer Gold Dot.

[Dark Water]

Any Comparison

I agree the Speer Gold Dot is a great round. Have you done any comparison with other rounds to see a difference in expansion or damage to the target?

[Army GI]

Sure have.

The Gold Dot is the only bullet with a gilded metal jacket. In other words, it is similar to being electroplated to the lead core. Which means there is very little if any mass loss or jacket shedding. Secondly, the Gold Dot has a very generous hollow point cavity so it doesn't get clogged up the way other hollow points do.

The Hornady XTP is a great choice second only to the Gold Dot. They are constructed tougher than the Gold Dot which is why they are really popular for hunting. The XTP does not expand nearly as well as the GDHP, but it tends to penetrate more since there is less expansion.

I was not impressed with Golden Sabre. I only tried it in 45ACP, but they were overly expansive, explosive really, and failed to penetrate to any meaningful depth. Most of it's mass is lost and jacket separation is the norm.

Remington OEM is junk. They just crumble. Useful for plinking but not much else.

I had some notes from when I did some testing at the range in ballistics gelatin. I lost them and the targets with the bullets in them in the move.

I'm getting ready to order some more reloading supplies tomorrow. I'd be happy to accommodate any request for bullet testing if you specify exactly what. The only calibers I have available are 45 ACP, 44 Spec/Mag, and 45 Colt.

[rksimple]

Damage to the target is going to be a direct result of penetration and expansion. Don't get all caught up in which one expands and extra .05". Its not going to matter. Pick a good hollow point that is reliable in your gun, penetrates a good 14" or so and expands well. Its not too complicated. Living things react very differently to getting shot. Only way to reliably stop one is to make a CNS hit or cause enough blood loss to result in hypovolemic shock and unconciousness. This puts penetration first and expansion second in terms of priority. You'll read this and that about temporary cavities and such, but in reality, with pistol rounds, it doesn't matter. There's no magic pistol round. You can shoot water jugs, phone books, ham shoulders, etc. and it really doesn't tell you what you really need to know. One can look super impressive on a jug of water, but in reality, fail miserably because it over expands and underpenetrates.

I think it boils down to this: Pick a round that is reliable, penetrates deep enough to reach vitals, and expands well. Then the winner will be determined by who puts the most lead on target the fastest...and has luck on his side. The Gold Dot is a good one. I have 230gr Golden Sabers in my 1911 now because they were the cheapest. In my gelatin testing, they've done fine. Practice more, worry about ammo selection less.

[Army GI]

Here is a website you might want to check out:

http://www.brassfetcher.com/index.html

[cope113]

Has anyone tried the DRT ammo? I belive it stands for dynamic research technologies.

[Spyder]

1000 rounds per gun?

...methinks you should stock up on ammo. Your supply is running a bit (read: a lot) low!

[ibanezfoo]

Every time I've asked this question I've been given an answer close to the following: "The ultimate protection round is the one you can place accurately on your target under stress" So now I passed it on to you

-Bryan

[Slayer]

The "Ultimate Man Stopper" is marriage

[jandmtv]

The "Ultimate Man Stopper" is marriage

+100000

[thomasanelson]

The "Ultimate Man Stopper" is marriage

Just what I was thinking!

[plinkmeister]

+100000

Grow a pair goddammit!

[ballistic]

If your life or the life or your friends and family were on the line, which ammo would you want your gun to be loaded with and why?

First choice - shotgun, 12 gauge slug or buckshot.
Second choice - rifle, .308 or .223 with expanding bullets.
Third choice - handgun, .45acp, .40, or 9mm with premium bullets.

Practice shooting a lot.
Accuracy, Speed, Power.

[Ech0Sierra]

#1: 12 Gauge shotgun with 000 Buckshot
#2: 5.56 carbine with Mk. 262 rounds
#3: S&W 686 with Cor-Bon DPX .357 Magnum rounds
All of these would be placed inside the chest cavity or head.