Best 9mm Ammo of 2025 for All Shooters

What’s the best 9mm ammo? Well, that depends on what you’re using it for, your firearm, and your personal preference.

I busted the guns out of the safe and tested as many of the top choices as possible to find the best 9mm ammo for just about every situation.

My top pick is Fiocchi Range Dynamics because it works well for training, plinking, and competition. Of course, better self-defense options are available, which we’ll get into later.

Our Top 3 9mm Ammo Picks

How to Choose the Perfect 9mm Ammo

A lot goes into choosing the right 9mm ammo, and it will come down to what type of shooting you’re doing. We’re going to take a look at the most common types of shooting you’re likely to do with a 9mm and discuss how to choose the right ammo for your purposes.

Self-Defense

An effective bullet is the most crucial consideration when choosing self-defense ammo, whether for carrying or protecting the hearth and home. This is why jacketed hollow point bullets are the best choice, especially when polymer-tipped to increase the capacity for expansion.

Dependability is another crucial consideration. For the bullet to be effective, the round must go off and cycle. Choosing rounds with high-quality primers and brass (especially nickel-plated brass) will ensure the fewest failures to fire and malfunctions.

Training

I've chosen to separate training from the competition and target shooting section below for a very specific reason: self-defense training. If you're choosing to train specifically to deal with a life-threatening scenario, there are some additional considerations.

Namely, the weight and velocity of your bullet of choice; I think it's vital to practice and train with something that matches your carry ammo regarding recoil.

In a high-stress situation, with adrenaline and other hormones degrading fine muscle control and tripling heart rate, you (and I, and Delta Force, and everybody else) will default to their lowest level of training. That means your worst day at the range is probably the best you can expect when wielding a handgun to defend yourself.

You can train with the same ammo you're using for self-defense – but at $1.80+/round, that gets expensive quickly. It’s best to run through at least a magazine or so of the exact same ammo you would utilize for self-defense, but in general, I recommend sticking to a full metal jacket of the same bullet weight (usually 147 grain) and similar velocity to what you'll be carrying.

Competition/Target Shooting

For competition and general target shooting/having fun at the range, we can be a little less stringent in our choices. Typically, a 115 grain 9mm FMJ will be all you need, and you can get something on the slower side if you’re just plinking or go with a higher-velocity round if you need to be able to knock over steel plates reliably.

For this, I also like cheap ammo. Nobody likes paying an arm and a leg just to be able to shoot a little bit, but I especially like to prioritize cost when it comes to choosing 9mm ammo for the range.

Suppressed Shooting

For suppressed shooting, choose subsonic 9mm rounds. That’s it; that’s all there is to it.

Well, mostly, anyway. Really, it's a careful balance of choosing subsonic ammo that still has enough energy to do what you need it to do. If you’re just having fun at the range, then whatever, it doesn’t really matter. But if you’ve got a suppressor on your home defense carbine, then a bit more thought is required.

Generally, I tend to just reach for a heavy, slow-moving bullet (under the speed of sound 1,125 fps), but you can absolutely use supersonic 9mm ammo with a suppressor. You just won’t be as whisper quiet as you will with subsonic. You can do your own math and decide if the extra damage to your ears is worth it if you have to, heaven forbid, fire that home-defense gun inside.

Heavy subsonics are still effective at stopping a human attacker (or an animal like a coyote or rapid dog), so I wouldn’t discount them completely, especially when you think about the rapid-fire, low-recoil capability of a carbine.

I don’t know about you, but as much as I enjoy my hearing, I’m not putting ear-pro on when I hear someone kick in my door at 3 am. For me, subsonics are the move, but that’s a decision you’ll have to make for yourself.

Carbine Shooting

If you’re like me and love a good 9mm carbine, then it's important to know that you can get a lot more out of it by choosing the right ammo, whether you’re using it for target shooting, competition, or defense.

The main advantage of a carbine is you have a much more ergonomic platform to shoot from, so recoil isn’t really a concern.

In self-defense terms, this means you can go with the hottest-loaded +P+ stuff on the market from a manufacturer like Underwood or Buffalo Bore, and you’ll barely notice the recoil when you have your pistol caliber carbine shouldered.

For competitors, using a carbine means you can go with some harder-hitting, higher-velocity ammo in the 124+ grain range to make absolutely sure that those steel dinner plates fall over and that stinking Texas Star is empty quickly (my 3-Gun people know what I’m talking about).

This also helps carbine competitors that have to reach out to longer distances. If your match director is a bit of a sadist like my local ones are, and you have to hit an apple-sized target at 100 yards+, you’ll be happy for the increased velocity and substantially decreased bullet drop.

The Best 9mm Ammo Options in 2024

Fiocchi Range Dynamics - Best Overall

Fiocchi 9mm Ammo - 1000 Rounds of 115 Grain FMJ Ammunition

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Specs

• Bullet Type: Full Metal Jacket
• Bullet Weight: 115 grain
• Muzzle Velocity: 1200 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 368 ft-lbs
• Casing Type: Brass

Why I Chose It

Fiocchi Range Dynamics is full disclosure; my personal favorite 9mm ammo, so I may be a little biased here. Still, for the types of shooting I do most, it has proven itself to be the best option around.

For a no-frills range ammo choice, it’s hard to beat. It cycles well, and I’ve fed my Glock 19, CZ Shadow 2 (best gun on the planet), and SIG Sauer P320 thousands of rounds of this stuff without any issues, even in my perpetually dirty Shadow 2.

It has very solid muzzle velocity, even compared to other 115 grain 9mm options out there, and it comes in at a very attractive price point, which is great for those of us who shoot a lot.

High-volume shooters will also love the fact that you can get this in everything from a 50-round box to a 1000-round case fairly regularly.

Fiocchi does a great job with this middle-of-the-road, budget-friendly offering, and I was pleased to find that an ammo that I’ve trusted for years scored so highly in our reviews.

Hornady Critical Duty - Best 9mm Self-Defense Ammunition

Hornady 9mm Ammo - 25 Rounds of 135 Grain JHP Ammunition

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$29.99

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Specs

• Bullet Type: FlexLock Jacketed Hollow Point
• Bullet Weight: 135 grain
• Muzzle Velocity: 1010 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 306 ft-lbs
• Casing Type: Nickel-Plated Brass

Why I Chose It

Hornady's Critical Duty is one of the world’s most successful and prolific self-defense ammo lines and with good reason. Many state and federal law enforcement agencies have turned to Critical Duty and Critical Defense for their carry gun ammo.

In FBI ballistic gel tests, the Critical Duty line has shown an ideal penetration depth to stop a threat in a defense situation without overpenetration. The Flex Tip is designed to prevent the bullet’s nose cavity from clogging with heavy clothing, making it an ideal defense load because the hollow point will expand more reliably.

This improved terminal performance of the 135 grain bullet is excellent. When passing through tissue, the 9mm projectile expands to over 0.63” in diameter before coming to a stop and does so incredibly reliably.

Recoil is a bit sharp out of a sub-compact, but that comes with the territory. The 135 grain JHP needs the extra velocity for sufficient kinetic energy for deep penetration.

Overall, this round has proven itself repeatedly in law enforcement situations, performing well in every test we (or the FBI and ATF) can think of. Personally, that’s good enough for me.

Federal Premium American Eagle 147 grain - Best 9mm Training Ammo

Federal 9mm Ammo - 50 Rounds of 147 Grain FMJ Ammunition

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$17.99

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Specs

• Bullet Type: Full Metal Jacket
• Bullet Weight: 147 grain
• Muzzle Velocity: 1000 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 326 ft-lbs
• Casing Type: Brass

Why I Chose It

Federal American Eagle is always dependable. Still, we’ve specifically selected this version with a heavier bullet because it has a fairly high recoil, making it a good stand-in for your more expensive self-defense ammo.

It’s cheap enough to run it as your standard target ammo, though you might want some of the cheaper 115 grain options below for that. This one was picked specifically because it has a recoil that comes close to matching some of the higher-velocity defensive options out there.

When you’re in a life-or-death situation, and adrenaline has your hands shaking, your recoil control is going to be the worst it's ever been. That’s why we always recommend training for carry and defense with ammo that at least comes close to the recoil impulse of your carry ammo.

Winchester USA - Best Target 9mm Ammo

Winchester 9mm Ammo - 1000 Rounds of 115 Grain FMJ Ammunition

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$258.99

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Specs

• Bullet Type: Full Metal Jacket
• Bullet Weight: 115 grain
• Muzzle Velocity: 1190 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 362 ft-lbs
• Casing Type: Brass

Why I Chose It

Winchester USA excels at exactly what it says on the box. If you’re looking for something to take to the range for some training – or a nice factory option to run in IDPA or USPSA – then this is a great choice.

The 115 grain projectile is pretty standard for most pistol and pistol caliber carbines (PCC) competitions and is a great choice for anyone who needs a reliable performer in large quantities. Winchester has been making ammo for over 150 years now, and their iconic white boxes are a familiar sight to anyone who spends a lot of time at the range.

I especially like the USA line for its price-to-performance ratio, as well as its clean-burning powder that won’t foul your gun too terribly – even during day-long range sessions that see hundreds of rounds leave the barrel.

All in all, this is a fan favorite for a reason, and we can attest to its quality. For general target shooting, finding a better off-the-shelf value for the money is hard.

Sellier & Bellot Subsonic - Best Subsonic 9mm Ammo

Sellier & Bellot Subsonic 9mm Ammo - 50 Rounds of 150 Grain FMJ Ammunition

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$16.99

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Specs

• Bullet Type: Full Metal Jacket
• Bullet Weight: 150 grain
• Muzzle Velocity: 1001 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 333 ft-lbs
• Casing Type: Brass

Why I Chose It

Sellier & Bellot Subsonic 9mm is an excellent option for anyone running a suppressor on a carbine or handgun. It cycles well in most platforms I’ve personally tried it in, and the wider suppressor community can’t get enough of it. Two representatives from two separate suppressor manufacturers specifically recommended it to me.

In testing, it has consistently cycled where other, lighter subsonic rounds would not, and the ammo feeds reliably. Primers are also reliable, and velocity is consistent, so you won’t have to worry about your point of aim changing too terribly much.

Finally, it’s cheap and available in bulk, which is great for suppressor lovers. Most of us like to shoot just for the fun of it, which means we go through ammo quickly whenever we’re at the range.

Magtech 115 grain FMJ - Best Bulk 9mm Ammo

Magtech 9mm Ammo - 1000 Rounds of 115 Grain FMJ Ammunition

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$259.99

$228.99

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Specs

• Bullet Type: Full Metal Jacket
• Bullet Weight: 115 grain
• Muzzle Velocity: 1135 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 329 ft-lbs
• Casing Type: Brass

Why I Chose It

If you need affordable, high-quality ammo in large quantities, Magtech usually has you covered. Their 9mm range ammo offering is a solid performer you can get by the 1000-round case regularly.

Magtech offers brass-cased ammo at steel-cased prices, with primers that actually go off when your firing pin hits them, which can be a tough ask from some ammo at this price. Magtech also uses a powder that burns well and isn’t absolutely filthy, so you won’t have a super dirty gun at the end of your range session.

If you’re looking for a cheap, readily available 9mm option to stock up on, then Magtech 115 grain 9mm is a perfect choice.

9mm Bullet Types

Full Metal Jacket (FMJ)

The full metal jacket is the most common type of bullet. It features a hardened exterior coating (called a jacket) wrapped around the outside of a core made of a softer, denser interior metal (almost always lead). These rounds typically have a round or flat nose.

This gives you a bullet that is resistant to deformation when passing through a solid surface, thanks to the harder exterior jacket, but still very dense, thanks to the heavier lead core. These rounds are great for target shooting and competition, especially outdoors.

With an FMJ, you do have some exposed lead at the rear of the projectile, seated inside the case. This can introduce more lead into the environment, not being great for you or for the environment. Certain indoor ranges also ban them.

Total Metal Jacket (TMJ)

The total metal jacket bullet sounds very similar to the FMJ, but there is one key difference: the entirety of the lead core is wrapped in the copper jacket. This provides total coverage (hence the name) of the lead interior, which makes the TMJ less of a health hazard (and is required at many indoor ranges for that very reason).

Jacketed Hollow Points (JHP)

Jacketed hollow points also feature a lead core wrapped in a copper jacket, but with the key difference of a scooped-out nose or point – hence the name “hollow point.”

This hollow nose, plus some carefully designed scoring in the copper jacket, causes the bullet to mushroom open when striking a soft surface, increasing the bullet's surface area and thus its lethality.

These rounds are primarily designed for self-defense. Sometimes, the bullet's point is filled with a soft polymer insert designed to keep the projectile from becoming clogged with clothing or other material and aid in expansion.

Frangible (FRANG)

Frangible bullets are produced by a powder metallurgy process whereby metal powders are compressed and heated to form a solid bullet, also called sintering. These bullets are made of powdered tin, copper, and other soft metals so that when the bullet strikes a solid object harder than it, it shatters into semi-harmless dust and small fragments.

This is great for those who shoot steel targets, as it allows them to get very close to the target without worrying about splash-back or a dangerous ricochet. I have actually fired these rounds point-blank into AR500 steel targets without any issues, though I definitely don’t recommend repeating that experiment.

There are purpose-built frangible self-defense rounds out there, and I recommend them if this is a worry you have.

Lead Round Nose (LRN)

Lastly, we have lead round nose projectiles, which are exactly what they sound like. For a variety of reasons, these rounds have mostly been phased out, but they’re still popular with some revolver shooters.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best 9mm ammo for self-defense?

The best 9mm ammo for self-defense is Hornady Critical Defense or Hornady Critical Duty. Federal HST, Remington Golden Saber, Underwood, and SIG V-Crown are also reliable choices.

What are some 9mm ammo brands?

Federal Premium, Remington, Winchester, Fiocchi, CCI/Blazer, Hornady, PMC, Magtech, Underwood, Wolf, and Tula are some of the most popular 9mm ammo brands.

What 9mm ammo do most police use?

Most (if not all) major police departments use controlled-expansion hollow points like Hornady XTP, Federal HST, and Speer Gold Dot as their duty ammo.

Parting Shots

9mm ammo is a deep world that we’ve only scratched the surface of, but now you should be armed (pun very much intended) with all the info you need to choose the best 9mm ammo for any type of shooting under the sun.

Our top overall pick is still Fiocchi Range Dynamics 115 grain FMJ, but obviously, it's not going to be the best option for everything. If you’re looking for a quick pick to take to the range, it's a great option. I’ve used it for everything from teaching new shooters to securing podium finishes in some local and regional competitions, so I can absolutely vouch for it.

9mm can truly do it all, and that’s why it’s so beloved. It can even do things we didn’t include on our list, like take care of your pest control problems. Hopefully, now you have a deeper understanding of (and respect for) this awesome cartridge.

And if you’re looking for more 9mm ammo information, you can check out some of our caliber comparisons like 9mm vs. 40 and 9mm vs. 45ACP, or a deep dive into all the different names for 9mm ammo if that catches your fancy.

For those who frequently visit the range or need ample supply for all shooting purposes, consider our 9mm bulk ammo options to ensure you’re always well stocked.

Written by

Wes Littlefield