Carry Ammo

Gun Gramps - Spent Shells

Please Note:

I am not an expert and none of the information presented below should be relied on as anything other than my uninformed opinion

What is it?

“Carry Ammo”, also called Hollow Points, Jacketed Hollow Points, and other things (for the purposes of this article, we will simply refer to them as “Carry Ammo”) are rounds that are specifically designed to expand or break apart on impact with soft tissue. A primary reason for this design is to provide a high lethality, which is why most hunting ammo is designed as such. A secondary benefit is the potential reduction of “over penetration”

Why use it?

In my opinion the main reason to use “Carry Ammo” in a firearm you are carrying for self -defense purposes is to minimize the potential of a round you fire going through your intended target and possibly causing collateral damage.

Someone with a Conceal Carry License or Permit who chooses to exercise their right to self-defense also has the responsibility to ensure the safety of innocent bystanders and property. A round that is more likely to be captured by the soft tissue of your intended target, or stopped by a wall or other barricade, reduces the potential of over-travel and unintended damage or injury.

In short, “Carry Ammo” helps with the 4th Rule of Safe Gun Handling.

What are the “cool kids” carrying?

This is by no means an expansive list as you would quickly get bored, or worse, suffer information overload. To be honest, some of these may not even be the best, or may not be the best for you. As in all situations involving firearms and personal defense YOU need to make the best and most informed decision you can. Your decision-making process should include research (you can check that one off your list!!!!), seeking opinion from several trusted resources, and finally and MOST IMPORTANTLY testing and training.

So, here we go, in no particular order:

Federal HST – Part of their defensive lineup and one that I hear recommended pretty often. Rounds are available in different weights so you should be more easily able to find the one that works best for you and your firearm.


Hornady Critical Defense – Available in a wide range of calibers including several rifle and even shotgun variants. While they don’t offer a lot of options within a particular caliber, for those carrying a “non-standard” firearm, Hornaday may be your answer.


Speer Gold Dot – If you’re new to guns and shooting and you spend any time around the “Old Timers” (which you should, they are a WEALTH of information) you’ll here talk of “Gold Dots”. These are the “OG” of Hollow Points, a leading choice of many Law Enforcement Agencies and available in several calibers and several weight within calibers.


Winchester rings in with two different offerings the PDX-1 Defender and their “updated” OG offering: The Ranger T-Series. Both seem to be all over the place in caliber vs weight. Their main claim to fame (on the Ranger T anyways) is it used to be the FBI spec ammo.


Our last mention goes to Sig Sauer and their Elite V-Crown. While this ammo is specifically designed for Sig Sauer guns, it runs great in about anything. If you own or recently picked up Sig’s P-365, according to most, this is the round you want to run through it for best performance.

What are some alternatives?

Everything listed above falls squarely in the Hollow Point or Jacketed Hollow Point class. As with anything else these days there are always new players with new “flavors” hoping to improve or even disrupt the space.

One such company is Fort Scott Munitions with their Tumble Upon Impact (TUI) rounds. These are non-lead, solid copper spun bullets with a patented design. Instead of expanding like traditional hollow points, these rounds are designed to tumble after impacting soft tissue. This action accomplishes two goals, it creates a larger, temporary wound cavity thereby increasing lethality and helps to prevent over penetration. To the best of my knowledge these rounds are designed for short range applications. I’ve read several reviews and most are positive, I am hoping to get my hands on some in the near future for testing and review and will be sure to update everyone on my personal impressions.


Some other players in what I will call the “Hollow Point Alternative” space are Lehigh Defense and Underwood.

Gun Gramps LeHigh Defense

Lehigh Defense offers a line called Xtreme Penetrators while Underwood’s line is called Xtreme Defender (both appear to use the same bullet manufactured by Lehigh Defense) which have a bullet nose that looks a lot like the business end of a Phillips head screw driver at first glance. These rounds are touted to have deeper penetration and cause very large wound cavities. These rounds are also promoted as being able to penetrate most barriers, so not the best if your goal is to reduce potential collateral damage by means of velocity reduction on impact.

Where can I get more info?

There are a LOT of great articles on Defensive or Carry Ammo, some delve into the technologies, others the ballistic properties, and still other offer more in-depth comparisons and info then what is provided above. Here are some links to articles I’ve perused and enjoyed:

Pew Pew Tactical has this offering (and I’m sure several others) I’ve found this site to be a wealth of knowledge provided in easy to read and fun segments…and if you’re more into the video side, they have a great YouTube channel as well.

Concealed Carry Society has this offering

Here’s an article from Alien Gear Holsters

Finally a LMGTFY link!

In Conclusion

There are lot’s of options when it comes to ammo choices, please do your homework and make the selection that:

  • Suits your needs
  • Works well in your firearm
  • Presents a level of performance you can live with

As always:

Be Safe!

Train Often!

and GET OFF MY LAWN!

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