Carrying a handgun for self-defense is not enough on its own. You must have the right ammunition for protection in its magazine or cylinder as well. In general, there are two types of handgun ammunition: target shooting and self-defense ammo. If you carry a gun or have one in your home and the ammunition says “full metal jacket” (FMJ) on its box, you are off to a very bad start.
Do Not Pick Full Metal Jacket Ammunition
Why does the FMJ fail for self-defense? Because that relatively economical type of bullet does not expand as it penetrates a soft target. Bullet expansion serves three important functions in an SD scenario:
- It creates a wider wound channel, causing faster blood loss and increasing the chance of striking a vital organ.
- It allows the bullet to transfer more of its energy outward instead of in a straight line.
- It helps to prevent overpenetration, which can put innocent bystanders at risk.
Because FMJ bullets do not expand, they are considered less lethal. The Hague Convention of 1899 prohibited expanding bullets from use during international warfare, reasoning that FMJs should be enough to debilitate a soldier without killing him. This is why you will find FMJs in our troops’ magazines.
So, while great for training, cheap bulk ammo is not the best choice for actually neutralizing a threat to you or your family.
Pick Jacketed Hollow Point Ammo
You are not bound by the Hague Convention, so you may save FMJs exclusively for use at the range. You want your SD ammo to be as lethal as possible, which is why you probably want it to have jacketed hollow point (JHP) bullets. This type of bullet features a nose cavity which lets it expand as it is met with resistance from a water-based medium, such as your would-be attacker’s body. The bullet’s jacket strengthens it for more certain penetration, and usually features notches around the nose cavity which serve to direct expansion in an orderly pattern.
The JHP comes with setbacks. If its nose cavity is clogged or damaged, its ability to commence expansion may be weakened or compromised. Some bullets have protected hollow points, such as Hornady’s FTX which contains a column of polymer that shields its nose cavity from becoming filled. A JHP’s profile is generally less conducive to smooth feeding than a smoother FMJ’s. And while this is a rare circumstance, JHPs are generally unable to penetrate deeply enough for effective SD against threats like bears. For bears, a hard cast bullet that emphasizes deep penetration instead of expansion is preferable.
The JHP’s lethality is not limited to personal protection. Several rifle hunting bullets utilize the design, such as Barnes’ TSX and Hornady’s XTP. The kind of terminal performance that can stop an attacker dead in their tracks is sufficient for varmints and several species of deer.
Also note that many rifle bullets feature nose cavities, but are not intended for SD. A boat tail hollow point such as Sierra’s MatchKing or Berger’s VLD is meant solely for target shooting, as it emphasizes accuracy and not terminal performance.
Do Pick Certain Other Types of Ammo
While it is most common, jacketed hollow points are not the sole type of bullet that is suitable for SD. Many people who carry a snubnosed revolver prefer wadcutters. The cylindrical wadcutter is often used for training and competing with paper targets, as its broad frontal surface stamps a clean hole through a flimsy material. A short-barreled pistol may not give a JHP enough muzzle velocity to reliably expand during penetration. A wadcutter, however, doesn’t need to expand to create an exceptionally wide hole in its target.
You may also opt for a soft point (SP) bullet. This bullet’s lead core is exposed at the tip by its partial jacket, which enables it to deform as it penetrates its target. The SP is typically more affordable than the JHP, and it does not have a nose cavity capable of clogging. However, the SP typically expands to a lesser diameter as well.
Some modern bullets, such as Inceptor Ammunition’s ARX and Lehigh Defense’s Xtreme Penetrator, do not need to expand to create gaping wound cavities. These are shaped somewhat like drill bits, and cause the soft tissues they come into contact with to jet out laterally.
You could conduct an experiment to see how these bullets work. Take a cordless drill with two drill bits: a normal grooved one, and a smooth one. Submerge both bits in a bucket of water and turn on the drill — the grooved bit will stir the water far more than the smooth one. Now, imagine that bucket is your attacker’s abdomen.
Finally, the plain old hollow point (HP) is acceptable for SD as well. Non-jacketed all-lead HPs are more generally more reliable in revolvers, as semi-automatics are less efficient at feeding such softer bullets.
How Is Ammo’s Suitability for Self-Defense Determined?
We couldn’t very well test out SD ammunition on people. Even the very few willing to volunteer for such trials wouldn’t find a career in it. That is why we use ballistic gelatin. It is essentially Jello that shares the same density as the human body. Bullets theoretically behave the same way in ballistic gel as they would in a human target.
The “FBI testing protocol” is the most frequently performed and cited ballistic gel test. It assesses a bullet’s terminal performance in bare gel, as well as gel shielded by heavy clothing, steel plating, wallboard, plywood, and auto glass. Such a gamut better demonstrates how a bullet is going to perform in real world situations where a shooter is separated from their target by a barrier.
The FBI testing protocol measures several factors:
Penetration depth. A depth between 12 and 18 inches is acceptable, while a depth of 15 inches is ideal. This would ensure that the bullet can access the vital organs while lessening its chance of dangerously passing through the target.
Expansion reliability. The ideal bullet would expand to the same diameter with every test shot.
Weight retention. The more of its weight a bullet is able to retain, the more deeply and reliably it can penetrate its target.
Muzzle velocity and muzzle energy. Muzzle velocity is how fast the bullet is traveling when it exits the barrel. Muzzle energy, which is the product of bullet weight and muzzle velocity, is how much force the bullet exerts.
The Takeaway
We do not expect you to conduct your own FBI testing protocol to determine which SD ammo is best. (You can, however, see some tests conducted to find great ammo options here.) But it is important to keep the aspects of performance it measures in mind as you shop for ammo. A good self-defense ammo will have a bullet that can dependably penetrate its target, expand to a reliable width, and avoid over-penetrating.
Features that promote penetration, such as a specially engineered jacket profile and high muzzle velocity, are good ones for an SD bullet to have. Features that prevent a JHP’s nose cavity from clogging with debris are beneficial, as reliable expansion is key to quickly neutralizing a threat. A bullet that retains much of its weight via bonding of its core and jacket, and furthermore is relatively heavy to begin with, will penetrate more deeply.
The cartridge itself may have some features that benefit its SD performance. A reliable primer is key for the obvious reason: If it fails, your handgun won’t fire. Low flash propellant will preserve your night vision if you ever have to fire in the dark, thus facilitating accurate follow-up shots. A nickel plated brass shell casing feeds and extracts more reliably in a semi-automatic, and is furthermore corrosion resistant.
Buying SD ammo that promises effective terminal performance is only the first step. You should also practice with it at the range. SD ammo performs a little differently than target ammo, even if it has an analogous bullet weight and the same manufacturer. Exactly how your SD ammo recoils and aims is crucial information to have before you would stake your life on it!
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