Looking for a Chart: Caliber - bullet grs?

[M_Rapp]

Looking for a chart that lists suggested bullet weights and thier recommended purposed by caliber. Specifically 9mm, 40 S&W, and 5.56/223.

There is a lot of options out there and a variety of "studies/reports" that claim x gr is the optimal for a specified caliber.

My goal is be very consistent with my stash. I just need some some help sorting through the various trains of thought. A chart / list of some sort would be helpful with specific recomendations for use.

Chiefly these three uses would be ideal.
Best Home Defense round for x Caliber is ??
Best Concealed Carry / Self Defense load is ---
Best Range / Practice round = ??

If you Google this and even talk to other shooters there is a lot of opinions.. Sort of hoping a chart / list of some sort would allow one to wade through the various opinions and find some sort of consistency.

Thanks.

[hatt]

Did you look at the stickies in the Terminal Ballistic Information forum. All you need to know about choosing effective ammo.

[M_Rapp]

Did you look at the stickies in the Terminal Ballistic Information forum. All you need to know about choosing effective ammo.

No I had not seen that section. Thanks for pointing me there.

After reading I'm going to try the Winchester Bonded PDX1 stuff for my CC load. 147gr in 9mm and 180gr in .40 S&W. I'll search for practice ammo in the same grain and be good to go.

What I did not see there was a load for home defense. Something Hornady TAP that is supposed to break up if I (God forbid) miss the guy with a shot and it hits a wall thus reducing the chance of unitential hits on innocents. Anyone know if the PDX1 is good enough for both or should I keep a magazine of a "TAP" type ammo for use in at home. ??? The TAP stuff also is supposed to be less flash for the nightime home invasion type scenario. ????

Thanks!

[Scorpion]

For 5.56/.223 I have some Mk262 loaded, and some 75 gr .223 that I haven't shot up yet (I'm switching to all 5.56, but until I can afford it the .223 I already have will do).

Any round you use is going to go through most walls, with pistols going further than the 5.56/.223.

I am curious about the PDX1 as well.

[0reo]

I'd say you're way over-thinking your ammo selection man. I mean, you don't need different ammo for inside & outside the house. Just find a modern hollow point bullet for each pistol caliber, & then practice with the cheapest bullets you can find. That's it unless you want some real special purpose ammo for hunting certain types of game or frangibles for a shoot-house or something. Hell, when you really get right down to it, the difference between the best pistol bullet ever made is only marginally better then a standard ball round. A lot is trumped up about the differences & every bit helps but don't over-think it.

[NWPilgrim]

Bullet construction is more important than bullet weight and to some degree caliber. Win PDX or Ranger T, Federal HST, adn Speer Gold Dot are all good performers it appears (all are bonded hollow points which pretty much keep performing after passing through heavy clothing.

Personally I tend to go for the middle weight bullets: 124 gr in 9mm and 165 gr in .40S&W. If those are not available then I go for the heavier weight of 147 gr in 9mm and 180 gr in .40. In .45ACP I stick with 230 gr. Just because a good bullet design seems to perform as well in 230 and 185 or 200.

The main thing is tend to avoid the light for caliber weights like 115 for 9mm, 135 gr for .40 and 165 for .45ACP. Too light and they may not penetrate enough. Check out the stickies in Terminal Ballistics section to e sure.

I agree with Oreo, keep it simple. In perspective, all the most common handgun cartridges are relatively slow and not that much different from each other compared to the difference between them and any rifle cartridge. Shoot something cheap for practice and use one of the bonded HP bullets in each caliber for all forms of defense.

I used to buy Speer gold dots because I could get them cheaper and they were one fo the first readily available bonded bullets. I just top off my HP stocks in 9mm, .40 and .45 and found that Winchester Ranger T was OVERALL more easily found for all calibers in the midweights and cheapest. I've tried these before when they were one of the most expensive and they functioned flawlessly. They seem to have a narrower HP than the Gold Dots which in same weights would occasionally catch on a feed ramp.

Buy whatever FMJ is easily available and cheap for your practice shooting, and get one of the recommended bonded bullet types for all your defensive shooting needs. I shoot 180 FMJ in .40 for practice and 165 gr HP for defense. In 9mm often the cheap FMJ is 115 gr, and I shoot 124 gr HP for defense.

At common self defense distances there is no practical difference in point of impact, at least in my guns. You get out to 25 yds or 50 yds and you may see different ullet weights and brands impact a few inches differently. But at 5-7 yds you can;t tell.

[M_Rapp]

I'd say you're way over-thinking your ammo selection man. I mean, you don't need different ammo for inside & outside the house. Just find a modern hollow point bullet for each pistol caliber, & then practice with the cheapest bullets you can find. That's it unless you want some real special purpose ammo for hunting certain types of game or frangibles for a shoot-house or something. Hell, when you really get right down to it, the difference between the best pistol bullet ever made is only marginally better then a standard ball round. A lot is trumped up about the differences & every bit helps but don't over-think it.

Thanks.