There is no best.
Try some ammo.
If it works in your gun, it's good. If it's accurate, even better.
That's it.

 

Well ...words to live by...or die by, I am not sure which!

 

I like Black Hills.

Historically, I have preferred Federal and Hornady for factory ammo. But, I don't shoot much factory except in 22lr and shotgun. Most of those two have been Federal over the years. I like Win AA and Rem STS hulls, but Federal just does better in the whole line up.

 

Born and raised in South Dakota Black Hills Ammunition caught my attention back in 2006.

I have the +P in 9MM in both 115 and 124 grain, and also a few boxes of their .223 in 69 and 75 grain.

I moved away from the +P several years ago replacing it with standard pressure HST in 124 & 147 grain.

I have been using the 115 grain +P rounds up breaking in new guns. But am down to a only few boxes.

The 300 rounds of 124 grain +P I have left is in my SHTF - TEOTWAWKI inventory.

Far as target pistol ammo I don't care will use anything that is available.

 

HST 9mm/Mini Mags/AA & Remington slugs, buck/PMC .223

 

I use 124 grain Federal HST in my 9mms. They all shoot it very well. Before that it was Hornady Critical Defense 115 grains. In my 45 ACPs I use 230 grain Speer Gold Dots. The 40’s get Winchester Ranger T Series 180 grain.

I have never tried Black Hills or Buffalo Bore but they sound really good.

 

Underwood, everything i own gobbles them up with no problems.

 

For my Glock 26, 23 and 30SF, Speer Gold Dot (147 gr., 180 gr. and 230 gr.).

 

I carry Federal HST 147 grn 9mm most of the time and I practice with Federal American Eagle 147 grn FP ammo. They have the same reported muzzle velocity, so I practice with something very similar to what I carry. Aside from that, the American Eagle has been very consistent, reliable, and accurate in my GLOCKs. It’s very close to match-grade performance without the match-grade price.

I also use Freedom Munitions 115grn HP 9mm and Freedom’s 200 grn HP 45ACP ammo for competition and/or range use. I also use American Eagle 230grn 45ACP for the range.

 

Federal. If I could only have one brand, it would be Federal.

 

For carry, I currently have Hornady Critical Duty 9mm 135gr +P. For range, as I tell my students, use whatever is cheapest that FUNCTIONS RELIABLY in YOUR firearm. For me lately that has been New Republic 9mm 115gr FMJ. It is brass case, Boxer primed and so far (about 1,500 rounds) been 100%. Picking it up for ~$11 per box. Think it is made in Macedonia.

For .38, .357, .45, .380, .40 range use I reload. WHEN I choose to carry the .45 it is Speer Gold Dot 230gr JHP

 

I'm more interested in the bullet design/construction than brand, with that said, typically, handloads (because I can load for the bullet's velocity window/range, multiple brands) FIRST, followed by in no particular order, Speer Gold Dot, Winchester Ranger T/bonded and Federal HST...but I test what I carry. For instance, 127gr +P+ clogs on four layer denim, per IWBA, works well t-shirt temps. Forum member TNOutdoors also witnessed failure to expand 4LD during his testing, as have others.

Some LE JHP ammunition will not expand when fired from short barrel velocities, or/and short distances.

Current tech all copper JHPs (from Barnes, Double Tap, Underwood, Corbon) tend to expand reliably 1.5xcaliber from short to carbine length barrel velocities.

The shortest 9mm barrel I personally test for is 3.7"/Sig 365XL, Federal 147gr HST and Winchester 147gr bonded expand well and both have been carried; a 124gr JHP from a major manufacturer did not expand, even w/o a 4 layer denim intermediate barrier.

Sig P365XL, Federal 147gr HST +P, 1012fps, 147.9grs recovered weight, 0.573" 6 measurement average, 1.61xcaliber

Double Tap 125gr TAC-XP, left Steyr M40-A1/4", right Beretta CX4-Storm 16" chrome lined barrel. This is a formidable combination for the 40 S&W.

40 S&W 125gr DT LEAD FREE™ SC-HP

This is an excellent choice for CCW. This load really hits hard. Using a bullet that Barnes developed for DoubleTap, we have really hit the mark for what may be the perfect 40S&W personal defense load. Very little muzzle flash and impressive ballistics give you an edge in personal...

doubletapammo.com

For those who believe the 40 is short and weak, this DT load (only company that loads this bullet, the advertised MV from a 4.5" barrel goes heads up with Remington and Federal 125gr JHPs advertised MVs. The Beretta PCC makes for an excellent combination for home defense with this ammunition, w/o the blast/flash of a 357mag, also, DT 200gr WFNs reliably feed through both of these platforms...as does a Beretta 96 (uses same magazine as the Storm) and FNH-40.

Examples of why I choose bullet design over manufacturers, optimize for the environment one is in, like Arizona ranches and not many town visits

 

What are your favorite Ammo manufacturers?
One of the best things (for me) in various gun forums, has been the ammunition discussions. Many of my purchases stuck with a brand when it proved itself with quality, accuracy with stated ballistics, and reliably feeding in a variety of weapons.
For across the board reliability from a mass producer, I like Hornady.
For more "specialty" and higher power ammunition, I like Buffalo Bore and Black Hills.

Do you have an especially good EDC load? - Mine is Black Hills 124 Gr. Jacketed Hollow Point+P (9mm) and Black Hills 185 Gr. Barnes Tac-XP +P (.45acp)
What is yours?

Black Hills
Buffalo Bore

My only ”go-to” types of ammo are 9mm.

WIN9HMSC/M1152 Winchester 124gr. Flat Point FMJ (Active Duty).
Federal “Law Enforcement” “Tactical” HST 9mm +P.

Typical carry for my Gen 5 G26 is 13rds in the weapon, HST, and two 17rd magazines of same, plus one magazine of 17rds of WIN9HMSC.

When out and about with my two Gen 5 G47 MOS’, it’s both pistols 18rds all up, and two double mag pouches having four 17rd mags, HST, plus two 17rd magazines of WIN9HMSC.

If things are in a SHTF scenario, it’s HST in each weapon, with minimum of 8 21rd mags of WIN9HMSC in four double mag pouches, plus two 17rd mags of WIN9HMSC.

Better to have, than to need, and not have…

 

I'm kind of a plain vanilla gal and fwiw (probably not much!) I like Federal, Hornady, and Speer. I shoot more of the Federal in fmj.

Right now for SD in my 9s I have HST 147 gr standard pressure, for my little .380 Hornady XTP American Gunner, and Speer GD 135 gr +P SB in a .38 snubbie, but I also have some Hornady Critical Defense for the .38. At the range it's usually Federal American Eagle, sometimes Speer Lawman.

 

Other than the regulars (e.g., Federal, CCI/Speer), I like Underwood

 

I like magtech a lot for 10mm and 380. For 10mm it's hard to find a maker that loads to where 10mm should be at or standard pressure. For 380 the same. It's worked great as practice in my g42.

 

I reload the majority of my ammo these days.

However, when it comes to factory ammo, I have always had good experience and results with Federal. I'm particularly fond of their Fusion .223 62gr bonded SP. That's a heck of a good round.

 

Best all around ammunition maker rifle, pistol, and shotgun - Federal. Their Gold Medal rifle ammunition is some of the most accurate I have ever shot, their HST pistol ammo is accurate and has great terminal ballistics, and their Flitecontrol 00 Buckshot is the current state of the art in buckshot shotgun shells.

Best "Boutique" ammunition - Black Hills. Both their new pistol ammo and their remanufactured pistol ammo has been 100% reliable for me. Their rifle ammunition, for me, is about equal to Gold Medal depending on the rifle.

I have been a handloader for 35 years and I have to be on my A Game to load rifle and pistol ammunition more accurate than Federal and Black Hills.

 

What are your favorite Ammo manufacturers?
One of the best things (for me) in various gun forums, has been the ammunition discussions. Many of my purchases stuck with a brand when it proved itself with quality, accuracy with stated ballistics, and reliably feeding in a variety of weapons.
For across the board reliability from a mass producer, I like Hornady.
For more "specialty" and higher power ammunition, I like Buffalo Bore and Black Hills.

Do you have an especially good EDC load? - Mine is Black Hills 124 Gr. Jacketed Hollow Point+P (9mm) and Black Hills 185 Gr. Barnes Tac-XP +P (.45acp)
What is yours?

Black Hills
Buffalo Bore

Underwood for power and variety, Federal mainly because of their HST.

 

For training: Whatever comes cheaper! just stay away from Winchester white box and Turkish ammo.
For defense: Hornady Critical Defense does the trick on my G19.5 MOS...
Enough said!

 

For 9mm practice and self-defense … Federal.

For .22lr … CCI. (Close second: Federal Punch.)

For hypothetical bear defense (in seven decades of camping, I’ve encountered precisely one bear, and it showed me no interest whatsoever 😑 ), I use Buffalo Bore, but I keep reading good things about Underwood, so I need to give it a -ahem- shot.

 

Right now it's HST for carry ammo. Before that if was RGS. My practice ammo is 95% my handloads but if I buy ball ammo, it's usually Fed or Speer/Cci, I prefer their brass for reloading.

 

I'm not nearly as fussy as I was about factory ammunition in past decades. The lines developed for LE/defensive sales from the big 5 American makers are fine for my use.

Given my druthers, I prefer to set the lower cost budget/training ammo aside just for training/practice. I avoid foreign-made ammo whenever possible.

I've long since decided that life is too short to restrict my choices to small custom company products or 'boutique' loads. The exception that proves the rule would be Black Hills.

 

As far as factory ammo goes- I usually buy what’s cheap in bulk that’s brass and in 9mm it’s usually PMC or S&B.

As for .45ACP and .38 Spl, which I reload for, I usually buy the same (PMC and S&B)- I do like Federal ammo but since their .45ACP now uses small primers, I don’t buy Fed when it comes to .45ACP

As far as SD ammo goes, I carry Winchester 115-gr Silver Tips in my CCW Glock 43 and the Glock 21 in my nightstand is loaded with 230-gr Remington Golden Sabers.

I try not to get hung up on ammo too much as it all basically does the same thing. I buy what works, what’s affordable and what I shoot well.

 

Federal HST in 124gr and 147gr is my go-to for 9mm—it’s been consistent, reliable, and feeds great in all my pistols.For range use, I usually grab Federal American Eagle or Speer Lawman, especially since they’re close enough in feel to the carry loads for practice.I haven’t tried Black Hills or Buffalo Bore much yet, but I keep hearing good things about them, especially for hunting or specialty ammo. If you’re looking to stock up or try something new, a Burnsville MN gun store might be a good place to check out.

 

I stick with Federal HST +P, Remington Golden Saber Bonded +P, and Speer Gold Dot +P for CCW and home defense. For the small Shield I prefer the same rounds but standard pressure.

I like the Winchester NATO 124-grain FMJ designated 1200 fps (vs the 1140 fps version) and Sellier&Bellot 124-grain for range, both standard pressure, because they closely resemble the shooting characteristics of the +P ammo I like.