What is the best kind if power/tipped ammo to use for defense?

Doug.38PR · June 15, 2005, 11:45 AM

With all the talk in past posts about being punished for your bullet passing through the criminal and hitting an innocent person, I have been thinking about taking a step back in what ammo I use. I carry a 4 inch .38 special. I was carrying .38+P Winchester Silvertips 125gr in the gun and two more speedloaders for backup and .38+P Corbons for backup backup in my pocket. I want to have the best effect possible on any scumbag I may have to shoot. Over the past couple of days however, I have changed the ammo in my gun to regular .38 Special Winchester Lead Round Nose 150gr for fear of the meaner and hotter bullets overpenetrating and carrying the .38+P Silvertips for backup. Any thoughts of carrying my .357 magnum Highway Patrolman are out of the question. .357s will definatly go through the criminal.

What do you (especially you LEOs with experience) think about this? I don't want to get sued or get punished for defending myself but at the same time I don't want to take a chance that a weaker bullet won't stop the scumbag. I may have hotter loads for backup but realistically you likely won't get another chance to reload and shoot the guy.

Sleuth · June 15, 2005, 02:27 PM

Step back? You have increased the odds of a round overpenetrating. RNL rounds penitrate much better than JHP. And consider that the odds of you getting in a shooting are tiny. Now, of all the shootings that do occur, the number that have an overpenetration are tiny. Of those, how many actually hit an innocent? Now, multiply the three numbers times each other, and you have a figure many, many, zeros to the right of the decimal point.

Go back to the 125g JHP, train; and practice. Dont worry about such a small risk - after all, you have to be alive to worry about getting sued.

Not even rifle rounds 'definitly go through the criminal'. You are worrying about the wrong thing.

June 15, 2005, 11:45 AM	#1
Doug.38PR Junior member Join Date: January 18, 2005 Posts: 3,298	What is the best kind if power/tipped ammo to use for defense? With all the talk in past posts about being punished for your bullet passing through the criminal and hitting an innocent person, I have been thinking about taking a step back in what ammo I use. I carry a 4 inch .38 special. I was carrying .38+P Winchester Silvertips 125gr in the gun and two more speedloaders for backup and .38+P Corbons for backup backup in my pocket. I want to have the best effect possible on any scumbag I may have to shoot. Over the past couple of days however, I have changed the ammo in my gun to regular .38 Special Winchester Lead Round Nose 150gr for fear of the meaner and hotter bullets overpenetrating and carrying the .38+P Silvertips for backup. Any thoughts of carrying my .357 magnum Highway Patrolman are out of the question. .357s will definatly go through the criminal. What do you (especially you LEOs with experience) think about this? I don't want to get sued or get punished for defending myself but at the same time I don't want to take a chance that a weaker bullet won't stop the scumbag. I may have hotter loads for backup but realistically you likely won't get another chance to reload and shoot the guy.

June 15, 2005, 02:27 PM	#2
Sleuth Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2002 Location: Arizona Posts: 445	Step back? You have increased the odds of a round overpenetrating. RNL rounds penitrate much better than JHP. And consider that the odds of you getting in a shooting are tiny. Now, of all the shootings that do occur, the number that have an overpenetration are tiny. Of those, how many actually hit an innocent? Now, multiply the three numbers times each other, and you have a figure many, many, zeros to the right of the decimal point. Go back to the 125g JHP, train; and practice. Dont worry about such a small risk - after all, you have to be alive to worry about getting sued. Not even rifle rounds 'definitly go through the criminal'. You are worrying about the wrong thing. __________________ Sleuth