Gun: Springfield XD40 sub .40
Ammo: ??

Setup for CCW, I'm not betting on ever firing over 20 feet.  Whats the best "Man Stopper" .40 SW ammo available.  

I'm using WWB now, but there's got to be something better...

I am not an Ammo Expert so spell it out for me here.

Thanks!

A .45 I'm just foolin with ya.  My vote would be Con-Bons.

+1 on the Cor-Bons.

180 gr Speer Gold Dots

Winchester Ranger SXT.

Speer has a specific gold dot (hollow point round) for short barrels.  I would get that in either 165gr or 180.


ETA, I have some for my XDSC 9mm.  You can get it for around $12 a box of 20 from www.miragetechnologies.net/

165gr speer gold dots.

Bigger than than the 155s, expand better than the 180s.

Whatever you do, make sure you use something made to expand, preferrably a hollow point.  It'll be less likely to overpenetrate.

Quoted:  It'll be less likely to overpenetrate.

Exactly what i'm wondering about

Quoted: Quoted:  It'll be less likely to overpenetrate. Exactly what i'm wondering about

If you do some creative googling you'll find that there's been quite a bit of research into this topic.  Cor-bons are good, gold dots are good, federal hydrashocks are good.

When you said you're shooting WWB right now, I presume you mean the WWB FMJs?  .40 FMJs stand a good chance of going clean through a person and still being plenty lethal when they exit.  A good JHP will hopefully deliver all of its energy to the target and not overpenetrate, and when it does overpenetrate at least most of its energy (and therefore velocity) will be expired, so it won't be as lethal on the other side.

That being said, overpenetration is ALWAYS a risk and if you shoot somebody with your CCW gun and a bystander is behind them, you stand a good chance of hurting an innocent.  Bear in mind that there's a good probability of you also having complete misses with your ccw gun and sending rounds everywhere.

In certain scenarios where you absolutely have to shoot somebody and there are a lot of bystanders behind him, you can train to minimize the risk of this happening.  This is one place where if you're close enough to the attacker a pelvic shot might be at a downward enough angle to minimize this risk.  Another technique is to drop down to your knees and shoot up into the chest cavity at a steep angle.

But you can't guarantee with ANY ammo or shooting technique that you don't overpenetrate and hurt somebody.  If someone's about to kill you with a sword, you have to take that chance.  If they give you time (ie: opportunity), train yourself to move laterally so that your shot is safer.

Practice, practice, practice.  I personally recommend you pick up the 165 grain gold dots, test fire them in your gun to make sure they feed, and start training.

Quoted:

Very informative.  Thanks!

Yes you are correct.  I'm using WWB 165 FMJ, and after reading your post i am taking them out right after typing this.

great advice on the lateral moves and upward/downward angle shooting.

Quoted: Very informative.  Thanks! Yes you are correct.  I'm using WWB 165 FMJ, and after reading your post i am taking them out right after typing this. great advice on the lateral moves and upward/downward angle shooting.

Glad to be of help.  You'll find that like many gun things, ammo selection is a bit of a religious issue.  If you google you'll find gelatin tests that show various rounds and their expansion characteristics.

One rule of thumb some folks go by is to carry whatever their local PD carries in their duty weapons, as it might help in a court case if the cops say "yes, that's exactly what we carry for protection and reduced chance of overpenetration."  I'm glad that my local PD carries Speer Gold Dots, because that's my preferred load.  That being said, I'd probably carry the gold dots either way.

I recommend you go do a search on packing.org on this issue; there have been plenty of discussions and opinions on the matter.  

Thanks for that suggestion, OR!

Tomorrow I'm gonna ask the School Resource Officer at school what he (and the other deputies)keeps in his Glock.  However, if he tells me that they aren't allowed to carry hollow points or something like that then I'm gonna have to pass on his suggestion.

Quoted: Thanks for that suggestion, OR! Tomorrow I'm gonna ask the School Resource Officer at school what he (and the other deputies)keeps in his Glock.  However, if he tells me that they aren't allowed to carry hollow points or something like that then I'm gonna have to pass on his suggestion.

If he tells you that, I'll be a monkey's uncle.  Despite what the liberal media would have you think, hollow points are not "evil cop killer" ammunition.  They're MUCH safer than FMJs in terms of overpenetration and are the standard for law enforcement.

Let me know what he says, I'm curious.  Are you a teacher?  

speer golddots 180gr.

"new"  speer golddots 180gr. for short pistols

I like Rem GS's or Speer GD's in 165.

165 or 180 gr Gold Dots.

This subject has been covered so many times it's TACKED: www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=16&t=162042

Mike