Best Handgun Ammo for Self-Defense in Common Calibers

Looking for the best handgun ammo for self-defense? Good. It won't compensate for poor marksmanship, but the right ammo can only tip the scales in your favor.

Quality. Reliability. Bullet weight. Bullet style. Muzzle velocity. Price, to some degree. All of these factors indicate whether a cartridge will prove itself a good ally when you need one the most.

We're going to share some of our top choices of ammo for defense with a handgun. The following selections aren't exclusive. Depending on the shooter, their firearm, and their circumstances, there can potentially be hundreds of "best" choices of defense ammo. We're only offering the following recommendations as loose guidelines. Make sure to research and personally test out a type of ammo before recruiting it for defense!

Best Handgun Ammo for Self-Defense

Hornady Critical Defense 9mm 115 Grain JHP

Hornady 9mm Ammo - 25 Rounds of 115 Grain JHP Ammunition (Cases Not Nickel-Plated)

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$27.99

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Specs

• Bullet Weight: 115 grains
• Case: Brass
• Muzzle Velocity: 1,140 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 332 ft-lbs

Pros

• Brand is trusted by law enforcement agencies
• One of the best ammo lines for self-defense, no matter the pistol
• Medium recoil
• Fast and hard hitting

Cons

• Expensive
• Some find its recoil excessively snappy

Why We Chose It

Like many, I believe the 9mm to be the best choice of handgun cartridge for defense. This is due in large part to its higher magazine capacity, manageable recoil, and adequate stopping power.

Hornady Critical Defense is an excellent choice for full-size pistols, regardless of whether they are carried by average Joes or elite law enforcement officers. These are the rounds I keep in my Smith & Wesson Shield – the very same pistol I trust to defend my life above all others.

I consistently shoot tighter groups at the range with these rounds. That may be because I've familiarized myself with their performance. Even so, they seem to deliver outstanding accuracy.

Downsides? Two: not cheap, and a bit snappy in the recoil department. I don't cheap out on the ammo I would fire in defense of myself and my own, however, and I'm so accustomed to 9mm recoil that I hardly notice it anymore. Just one of the perks of training, I suppose.

Honorable Mention

The Hornady Critical Defense Lite 100 grain FTX is a great option for those who are recoil averse, or too small in stature to control/tolerate conventional 9mm recoil. These light loads may be weak relative to 115, 124 or 147 grain alternatives, but they are more than sufficient to stop the threat (when fired properly, of course)).

Best 45 ACP Round for Self-Defense

Speer Gold Dot 185 Grain JHP

Speer Gold Dot 45 ACP Ammo - 20 Rounds of 185 Grain JHP Ammunition

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$34.99

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Specs

• Bullet Weight: 185 grains
• Case: Nickel-Plated Brass
• Muzzle Velocity: 1,050 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 453 ft-lbs

Pros

• Reliably deep penetration
• Reliably wide expansion
• Designed with personal protection in mind

Cons

• Expensive

Why We Chose It

The Gold Dot is the original bonded handgun bullet. Its dense, alloyed lead core is electrochemically fused to its copper jacket. In addition to improving rotational stability (which benefits accuracy), the Gold Dot bullet's jacket is highly durable – the reason why it retains its weight so effectively while penetrating barriers or body mass. This ensures the Gold Dot conserves enough momentum to enter deeply into the target.

The Gold Dot bullet features a precision-formed nose cavity as well. It is created via a series of die presses, which programs it to expand at a consistent rate and to a consistent diameter. It's all in service of promoting more immediate stopping power.

These aren't cheap rounds, but you get what you pay for. Countless law enforcement agencies across the country aren't wrong about Speer Gold Dot.

Honorable Mentions

It's quite arguably just as good as Speer Gold Dot, if not better: Remington Ultimate Defense 230 grain BJHP, which features a brass-jacketed and spiral-serrated JHP that excels at deep penetration and rapid expansion.

Hornady Critical Defense is some of the best self-defense ammo available, regardless of whether you're firing 9mm, 45 ACP, or any of the several other cartridges it's available as.

The Barnes TAC-XPD 45 ACP +P 185 grain SCHP is also excellent. The solid copper hollow point is very tough and well equipped to undergo broad terminal expansion. The lead-free bullet is also clean-shooting, and accurate thanks to its lack of a jacket that could possess concentricity flaws.

Best Handgun Ammo for Bear Defense

Ammo Inc. 44 Magnum 240 Grain JHP

Ammo Inc. 44 Magnum Ammo - 20 Rounds of 240 Grain JHP Ammunition

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Specs

• Bullet Weight: 240 grains
• Case: Brass
• Muzzle Velocity: 1,589 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 1,347 ft-lbs

Pros

• Hard-hitting
• Reasonably priced

Cons

• Heavy recoil

Why We Chose It

The 44 Mag was touted as the most powerful handgun cartridge when it first came out. This made many big game hunters eager to try it, and it performed up to their standards. However, since its introduction, a few more powerful handgun cartridges have hit the market.

The 44 Mag is still loved by many big game hunters – especially those who appreciate a little protection against aggressive bears. It takes a lot of power to drop a grizzly before it can turn you into chopped cheese, and the 44 Mag is pretty much the weakest round you would be advised to carry for big bear defense.

With great power comes great recoil. Regardless of which round you choose, .

Honorable Mentions

For something with a little less recoil, PMC 357 Magnum 158 Grain JSP is the way to go. It's still a magnum, so you should expect higher than average recoil, although it is powerful enough to stop a black bear and with less recoil than the 44 Mag.

Best Target Shooting Handgun Ammo

Remington UMC 38 Special 130 Grain FMJ

Remington UMC 38 Special Ammo - 50 Rounds of 130 Grain FMJ Ammunition

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$28.99

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Specs

• Bullet Weight: 130 grains
• Case: Brass
• Muzzle Velocity: 800 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 185 ft-lbs

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Dependable
• Low recoil

Cons

• Maybe there are some, but we love this stuff

Why We Chose It

Remington has been in the guns and ammo industry for a very long time. They are a legend, and their standard American-made ball ammo is a staple at gun ranges across the country.

Remington UMC 38 Special is low-recoil ammo. Your hands and wrists won't get sore from firing it all day. You're wallet won't suffer much for it either. These rounds are half the price of some 9mm and 45 ACP alternatives, so you can stay at the range twice as long and spend the same amount of money.

Honorable Mentions

Though its not as cheap as the rounds mentioned above, Federal Range. Target. Practice. 45 ACP 230 grain FMJ is nearly as cheap as it gets for 45 ACP ammo. I wouldn't want to carry these rounds for self-defense, but they're great for training .

If you want ammo that boasts comparable ballistics to your 115 grain 9mm carry ammo, check out Black Hills Ammunition 9mm 115 grain FMJ. These rounds provide a similar feel to your carry ammo, but they won't cost nearly as much, making them great for target practice and self-defense training.

Best 22 LR Ammo for Semi-Auto Handguns

Aguila Super Extra 38 Grain CPHP

Aguila Super Extra 22 LR Ammo - 50 Rounds of 38 Grain CPHP Ammunition

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Specs

• Bullet Weight: 38 grains
• Case: Brass
• Muzzle Velocity: 1,280 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 137 ft-lbs

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Trusted brand
• Quality primer

Cons

• Occasionally unreliable in some firearms

Why We Chose It

As far as price and reliability are concerned, it's tough to best Aguila Super Extra 38 grain CPHP. When shooters discover this brand, they are most often pleasantly surprised at its quality.

These rounds' copper-plated hollow-point bullets will deliver some expansion after stiking soft tissue with sufficient energy. Their plating also promotes cleaner performance, which helps preserve functionality and accuacy out in the field.

Take care before entrusting your safety to this ammo. We've heard reports that some semi-automatic pistols are selective about firing it. Make sure your own isn't one of them before stocking up.

Honorable Mention

Fiocchi 38 grain CPHP ammo offers shooters similar ballistics for a similar price as Aguila. If you discover that your gun doesn't like the Aguila, test these out.

How to Choose the Best Round for Self-Defense

Choosing the best handgun caliber for self-defense is critical. You need a firearm you trust and are comfortable firing.

Next comes choosing the best self-defense round. Many shooters judge based on the brand or bullet type, which are critical considerations. However, I believe that price, stopping power, amount of recoil, and firearm preferences are the most important factors.

Price

Self-defense ammo is expensive, and it's easy to spend a lot of money training with it, so be sure to find ammo well within your budget.

I splurge a little in this area because I don't always train with my personal defense ammo. Instead, I use rounds with similar ballistic performance and save my expensive ammo for when I need it (ideally never).

Stopping Power

If your ammo doesn't have the power to stop a threat, then I don't think it's worthy of being called self-defense ammo.

I want rounds that will stop the threat as fast as possible. Striking energy between 220 and 300 ft lbs is considered adequate for defense. The higher the striking energy, the higher chance of instantly neutralizing the threat. Nothing's ever guaranteed, but better chances are always ... well, better.

Recoil

Don't select a round with excessive recoil. It will deter you from training, and make it more difficult to keep your muzzle trained on the threat while you're firing at it rapidly. Firing a weaker firearm accurately is incomparably better than firing a powerful one wildly.

Firearm

The last thing you should consider is what ammo your gun prefers. I've found my guns cycle certain brands better than others. I don't want to be forced to clear a jam during an intense home defense situation (though I might train for it). That's why I tested out several different brands, bullet types, and weights to see which round gave me the best accuracy and surest cycling.

How to Save Money on Handgun Ammo

Ammo may not be free, but it's not necessarily as expensive as you believe. Here are a couple of ways to save money on it in the long run.

Buy in Bulk

Buying bulk 9mm ammo (and other, non-9mm types of ammo) saves a little money per round. However, it costs more upfront because you're buying larger quantities.

Reload

Another way to save money on ammo is to reload spent brass. Reloading gives you complete control over crafting the perfect round for your weapon. It's time consuming and requires specialized equipment, but it's also an engaging pastime which grants you easy access to large quantities of high-quality ammo.

If you're really dedicated, you can buy bulk 45 ACP and then reload that spent brass!

Common Handgun Bullet Types for Self-Defense

Bullet type is one of the most critical decisions one must make when choosing the best round for self-defense.

Bullet type affects the price the round. More importantly, it determines what kind of injury the round can inflict. In no uncertain terms, some bullets have the capacity to deal more damage to their target than others.

Here are the most common types of bullets for self-defense.

HP

The hollow point bullet is made of solid lead, and has a hollnose cavity which enables it to expand as it plunges through soft tissue. It's the simplest kind of bullet one should select for defense.

JHP

The jacketed hollow point also has a nose cavity which enables terminal expansion. Unlike an HP, it wears a copper jacket which (A) promotes surer feeding in a semi-auto, (B) reduces barrel fouling, and (C) promotes deeper penetration through soft tissue.

BJHP

The brass jacketed hollow point is the same as the jacketed hollow point (the latter of which may have a brass jacket, thus rendering two designations redundant). Alternatively, a BJHP may have a bonded jacket, which is fused to its lead core so as to promote higher weight retention and deeper resultant penetration.

CPHP

The copper-plated hollow point is exclusive to the 22 LR. It too is designed to expand. Like the JHP, its copper exterior helps to reduce fouling of the barrel.

Winchester and Federal Premium are two of the many CPHP ammo manufacturers.

SCHP

Solid copper hollow point bullets are great for hunting in lead-free areas.

Magtech and Barnes are the best-known SCHP ammo manufacturers.

Parting Shots

Choosing the best handgun ammo for self-defense is essential. Make sureyou're accurate with it. If you can't hit the bad guy, then the ammo is no good.

Written by

Wes Littlefield