45 cal ammunition, what to use?

[CyberDean]

I'm waiting for my new S&W M&P 45 cal auto to come in, what ammunition should I use for home defense and later for CCW, and for practice?  Manufacture, bullet weight, etc., any suggestions?  I'll start reloading later this year, just need to get started.

Thanks.

[Savage]

Any of the hollowpoints from the major manufacturers will work just fine. You don't have to spend  $1.50 a pop for the premium stuff. I still have a bit of duty ammo for 40 and 45. It's Ranger "T" and Golden Sabers. When that runs out, I'll likely use something like the Winchester "Personal Defense" hollow points for about half the cost of the premium stuff. In the very limited testing I've done (Soaked Phone Books) they perform about the same.
For range use, better get to reloading! The cost of my lead reloads is a fraction of even the bulk stuff sold at Wal Mart.
Savage

[CyberDean]

Thanks Savage, that's about what I was thinking.  I looked on Midway and Cabelas, most of their stock is gone, but did find one that is about 40 cents per shot and not remanufactured.  I'll be at Wal-mart this Sat, I'll check what they have, shipping is so high these days.

Have a great one.

Dean

[S.S.]

make sure it feeds HP's before loading a bunch of them.
45 aotos are sometimes "persnickety" about hollow points.

[CyberDean]

Hi S.S.,

Thanks for the heads up on HP's, I will check them out.

Dean

[russianblood]

I use Federal HST 230gr +P in my 45's. They were cheaper than Win.white box Personal Defense 230gr. For practice, I use the cheap Rem. UMC or Wolf 230gr.

[Mikey]

CyberDean:  About the best round for any sort of work in the 45 is plain ball.  It does not fail on the battlefield and it sure isn't going to fail on the street or in your bedroom hallway.  Period.

Mil-spec ball is a 230 gn fmj at approximately 875'/sec.  You can get there very easily reloading.  That is what the 1911 is designed to shoot and that is what works.  Period.

You can duplicate mil-spec loads with cast round ball for practice.  I firmly believe you lose some capability of the caliber with a expanding or deforming nose bullet.  In days past the only way to improve on the performance of the round nose slug was to change over to a semi-wadcutter.  You can do that with the 45 acp and the right slugs and you can still practice with and carry the same load.

You don't need expensive ammunition that may not work as expected.  Have a military ball instead..........jmtcw.  Mikey.

[Cottonwood]

You use the same for CCW as you use for Home Defense.

[Mohawk]

  Home defense use a shotgun. Save the .45 for shopping trips.

[dbriannelson]

Ball.  Works well, makes a big hole. 

-Don

[Old Griz]

Every guns shoots differently. Two off the same line will digest different loads differently. So what you've gotta do is try several different loads in your gun and see what shoots and functions the best. All the major brands, Corbon, Federal, Winchester, etc., etc., make fine defensive ammo that will do the job. It's just trial and error.