It is a well documented fact that gunfights tend to be notoriously unkind to the second place finisher. Remarkably, with this knowledge in mind, far too many gun carriers fail to train as they just assume that they will rise to the occasion if a gunfight ever breaks out. Unfortunately for them, it is also a documented fact that you will not rise to the occasion. Rather, you fall to the highest level of your training and preparedness, as will your opponent. In a 1910 interview, famed frontier lawman Wyatt Earp succinctly summed up this premise by saying, “Fast is fine, but accuracy is final. You must learn to be slow in a hurry.” He would go on to state that in all the gunplay he witnessed, it was typically the man who took his time that came out on top. He then clarified, “When I say that I learned to take my time in a gunfight, I do not wish to be misunderstood, for the time to be taken was only that split fraction of a second that means the difference between deadly accuracy with a six-gun and a miss. It is hard to make this clear to a man who has never been in a gunfight.” Heeding the words of a man who knows a thing or two about gunplay, we’re going to take our time and walk you through our take on the best 9mm ammunition for self defense and as we said in the title, it really isn’t up for debate. With your permission, we’ll jump right in.
Purchase 9mm Ammunition That Allows You To Train Like You Intend To Fight
If fast is fine, but accuracy is final, you would do well to start with 9mm ammunition that allows you to get the most range time possible. One could reasonably be fast to the draw with little training, but they still couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn once they fire. Accuracy requires training, muscle memory, and repetition. Now, as much as it would be great for business if you send thousands of our Winchester 9mm+P Defender Elite rounds down range, that’s not necessary.
When we say the best 9mm ammunition for self defense isn’t up for debate, we’d challenge you to find any serious 2A enthusiast who would argue against maximizing range time. In fact, you could look at our website at any given time and you’ll notice that a good number of 9mm ammunition is frequently sold out. So, if you do see the one you want in stock, better grab it up.
That’s because every sold out box represents someone else at the range preparing for the day most people dread. They are improving their accuracy to avoid that 2nd place finish and if they are training and you are not, you have no reasonable expectation to come out on top when you face them. Train like you intend to fight and train often.
Take Your Time When You Train And When You Shop 9mm Ammunition
If you visit your average gun forum looking for advice on which 9mm ammunition, you’re likely going to get very far. That’s because as much as we love guns and our beloved 2A, we love our opinions about guns even more. Whether that is the AK versus AR debate or the 1911 vs Glock argument, we love to fight over what we think is “best.” As much fun as it is to do so, it’s a fairly silly endeavor. That’s because the best gun, gear, or ammunition is always that with which you feel the most comfortable.
So, let’s take our time when we shop for ammunition and perhaps mix it up in order to find the ammunition that gives you the most confidence to avoid that 2nd place finish in a gunfight. For your everyday carry, confidence is key and this is where you are going to want to splurge and ignore the price when you’ve identified your go-to 9mm round.
With each of our products, you’re going to find the muzzle velocity, grain count, and other features like whether it is a jacketed hollow point or full metal jacket style of round. Some of us in the 2A community are absolute data nerds and can tell you the impact of every ounce of grain and what it will do to the force and velocity.
If that’s not you and you’re just looking for a powerful round that will put down a bad guy on the day he tries to test your training, we’re going to recommend the Hornady 9mm Luger+P 124 grain XTP. Hornady is a world class ammunition manufacturer and this is a round on which you can rely when your life's on the line. It’s got great velocity, expansion, penetration and knock down power. But once again, if that round doesn’t give you confidence, find another round. Take it to the range, test it out and always go with what gives you confidence. Confidence is key in a gunfight and again, that really isn’t up for debate.
Purchase 9mm Ammunition For Yourself and For Your Friends
We know that many of our customers are into prepping and there’s nothing wrong planning ahead for things like natural disasters or other emergencies. Just don’t forget about your friends in that plan. That’s because it's not going to be the one guy with 1 million rounds of ammunition that wins out in a disaster. It’s going to be the 20 guys with 100 rounds of ammunition who work together and now they have your 1 million rounds of ammunition. With ammunition supplies stretched thin, when you find 9mm ammunition in supply grab it up and buy one for your buddy.
One of the trends we’ve noticed in recent years is the number of “new to guns” purchasers who are coming to the market. Though support for the 2nd Amendment is often thought of as a conservative feature, we’ve seen countless newfound liberals come to the market as they are starting to see the value of 2A. When you run into one of these people at the range, show them hospitality. That’s not the time to argue politics. This is the time to show them what they have been missing and that gun owners in America are some of the finest human beings that you will ever meet.
Explain to them why you chose the 9mm ammunition you did and give them a chance to fire a few down range. Help them understand that fast is fine, but accuracy is final because you don’t want them on the street spraying and praying when you’re out walking the dog. Yes, we know that sort of turns you into a 2A evangelist, but the reality is that the pew, pew, pew community is stronger together than we are apart. So, grab a box for yourself and a box for a stocking stuffer this holiday season and let’s build this community together, one 9mm round at a time.
The Best 9mm Round For Self Defense Isn’t Up For Debate
Finally, we’ll end with the point that the best 9mm round for self defense is the one you can afford and the one that is in stock. We’re all facing unprecedented inflation these days sometimes, every penny counts. Don’t let gun forum bad assess shame with regards to the ammunition you are using if it's the only ammunition you can afford. At the end of the day, we don’t care exactly how you pew, pew, pew just so long as you do.
Not to mention the fact that ammunition is extremely hard to find. Any 9mm round that you can actually get into your gun is much better than one that’s out of stock. Once again, if you see it in supply, grab it now and one for your buddy. Train with it like you intend to fight and never forget the words of wisdom shared by Earp. Fast is indeed fine, but accuracy is final. The best 9mm ammunition for you is the one that gives you the confidence to be slow in a hurry and hit your target.
The reality is that the first time you hear the snap and crack of a bullet flying overhead in your direction, the pucker factor is going to hit a high 10. It’s worth repeating that you will not rise to the occasion at that moment. Rather, you will fall to the highest level of your training. Argue about it on gun forums all you want, but this is not up for debate. If we can be of any assistance in helping you find that round that’s right for you, don’t hesitate to reach out. In the meantime, keep living this 2A lifestyle like you do and if we actually have 9mm ammunition in supply when you read this article, consider it your lucky day.