If a bullet over-expands, it will under-penetrate. If it under-expands, it will over-penetrate. All these self-defense loads are made to perform consistently and reliably.
Sometimes you should want to pay more for stuff. Defensive ammunition is a great example. I’m not talking about the ammo you shoot at normal range outings; I’m talking about the ammo you put back into your self-defense gun after the practice is done.
Why? Let’s touch briefly on the reasons you do not want to use practice ammo for self-defense. Then we’ll look at why self-defense ammo is more expensive, but well worth it.
Practice Ammunition
The purpose of practice ammo is pretty basic. Of course, it has to go bang, but after that, all it really has to do is punch holes in paper or perhaps make noise when it smashes into a steel plate. With such simple requirements, manufacturers use basic powders, inexpensive brass, or alternative metal cases, and the cheapest, simplest bullet that will fly reasonably straight.
The cheapest bullets to manufacture are either all lead or full-metal jacket designs. Since they only need to make holes in paper, they’re not designed to do anything fancy when they hit an organic target. The result? They make small holes and carry a risk of passing right through your intended target without causing much fight-stopping damage. Worse yet, those pass-through bullets might hit something or someone you don’t intend.
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