after years of shooting and reading more (and forgetting) more ballistics tests than i can remember ill chime in.
+p+ are meaningless due to the very few weapons that can fire them safely and the sub 2k is not one of them.
+p is unpredictable due to its nature of being over accepted pressure specs. i wouldnt fire them through a sub gun unless theres no choice.
standard loads are the way to go for a couple reasons. one is wear on the weapon. these guns are designed for standard pressures.
another is recoil.
recoil affects accuracy, training, shot to shot time and accurate placement. over pressure loads do not equate to enough terminal benefit to negate their shortcomings. in defensive situations, ALL that matters is multiple, accurately placed rounds. a standard hp will do almost exactly the same damage as a +p+ load if you understand terminal ballistics. the +p or +p+ bullet will likely over expand and actually be of a smaller diameter than a standard pressure load. the temporary wound cavity is acknowledged as being a non issue in pistols calibers and so only the physical damage done by the projectile is meaningful. this eliminates the perceived idea that higher muzzle energy is effective at wounding in these cases. in rifle rounds the energy is on a different level altogether and stretches tissue to the tearing point where this isnt possible in these pistol loads. normal pressure rounds allow for faster follow up shots and that is more important than higher energy.
as for which ammo i use or advocate using ill say that the federal hst in 124 or 147 is a good choice. federal has demonstrated the hst to be the most consistant performer of all defensive bullets the fbi has tested.
however, i am a huge fan of lehigh defense. they are what took the place of the hst in all my weapons.
