I recently tested several different types of 9mm personal defense ammo at the gun range to see how my trusty pistol, the Glock 45 Gen 5, would handle them.
I wanted to find a round that felt right so that I could shoot accurately when it matters most.
Heavy Grain Bullets vs Lighter Grain Bullets
It may be because of my lack of experience and skill, but the heavier rounds (124 grain and up) had a little too much kick to control well. The recoil slowed down my ability to re-aim and fire another shot on target.
In a self defense situation where milliseconds can mean life or death, I prefer the lighter rounds (115 grain) for speed and accuracy.
I know the heavier rounds may have more “knock down” power, but if I’m not able to be accurate and fast, I won’t be hitting anything to knock down.
For now, I prefer using the lighter ammo until I improve my recoil control skills.
Ammo Tested
1) Hornady Critical Defense, 9mm Luger 115 grain FTX ammo
The Hornady Critical Defense 115 grain 9mm ammo was my personal favorite of all three, and what I’ve got loaded in my self defense pistol mags right now.
My Opinion on this ammo:
- Pros:
- Low recoil gave me better control and faster follow up shots on target
- Ballistic Gel Tests done by Lucky Gunner found that this ammo round goes from 10 to 23 inches deep depending on the test, which is close to the FBI standard for ammo penetration of 12 to 18 inches.
- Cons:
- More expensive than the other two ammo varieties tested
- May slightly over-penetrate your target in some cases and hit something behind it, but not by much.
Ballistic Gel Tests for Hornady Critical Defense 9mm 115gr ammo
The FBI standard for ammo penetration depth is 12 to 18 inches in ballistic gel. This depth makes sure vital organs are hit after passing through clothing or other barriers, but without over-penetrating past the target, which could pose risks to innocent bystanders. The Hornady ammo I tested at the range has gotten different results from the gel tests I could find, from 11 inches to 22.5 inches of gel penetration. So overall, its close to the ideal FBI penetration depths. This ammo will definitely hurt or kill what it hits.
Hornady’s own test shows 11 inch gel penetration:
Lucky Gunner’s gel test shows 11.5 inches to 14.5 inches of penetration depth:
AmmoToGo.com tested this same ammo and recorded a gel penetration depth of 20.5 inches to 22.5 inches:
That depth goes beyond what the FBI recommends, but it’s only about 3 or 4 inches over.
How much of a difference would this amount of over penetration make in a real life situation? I don’t know. Leave your opinion in the comments.
Something to consider with these gel tests is that each test could be using a different types of ballistic gel. There may be differences in the chemical makeup from one type to the next. That may affect how far bullets penetrate each gel, which may explain the variation between the results of each test.
2) Federal Premium Law Enforcement, 9mm, Tactical HST JHP, 124 grain ammo
This Federal Premium ammo with a heavier grain than the Hornady ammo I tested seemed to have more recoil, and so I shot less accurately. It’s definitely effective ammo, but again, my personal goal is accuracy above all.
3) Speer LE Gold Dot, 9mm +P, JHP, 124 grain ammo
The Speer ammo test felt heavier with more kick than the Hornady ammo, which again caused me to be less accurate when firing off multiple shots right after each other.
Handgun Used During Test: Glock 45 Gen 5 9mm
As usual, for the test I used my reliable Glock 45 Gen 5 Semi Auto 9mm pistol. It’s the first handgun I’ve owned, even though I’ve shot many other handguns in the past. From my experience so far it’s been reliable. No problems with it all. It’s got a smaller slide length with a longer grip so it holds more rounds, but I now want an even smaller pistol for EDC/concealed carry.
Gun range where I tested the ammo
I conducted this test at the indoor range at Shady Oaks Gun Range in Cedar Park, Texas. I shot several rounds of each type of ammo to get a good feel for how it performed with my Glock 45. The staff there are professional, helpful, and alert to keep things safe for everybody.
Target shot from 20 yards
Target shot from 10 yards
Ammo Supplier / Sponsor:
AmmoToGo.com supplied all the ammo for this test. They offer super fast delivery and a wide selection of bulk ammo to choose from at solid prices. Thanks guys! I really appreciate the support.
Resources
If you want to check out the ammo I tested for yourself, here’s more info…
Where to buy Hornady Critical Defense 9mm ammo:
- Sponsor: Buy the ammo I tested at AmmoToGo.com
- Check out our other sponsors on our Gun Stores page.
Info From Manufacturer
Learn more about Hornady Critical Defense, 9mm Luger 115 grain FTX ammo from the manufacturer: