Great blog post on handgun round choice.

[Ben]

My Rock Island is quite reliable, but the one time it just choked was with truncated cones.

However, I was using hybrid-lipped magazines at the time. I returned to the range, and used Wilson 47 magazines (wadcutter lips), and the cones fed just fine. I'll probably, at some point, retire my hybrid-lipped carry magazines, and replace them with the other type.

I've fed truncated cones through the full sized .45s, and they generally fed well, but have had times where I've had one or two FTFs at a 100 round range session. That's nothing at the range, but for "my life depends on it", I shoot (ha ha) for closer to 1 FTF (or other issue) per 1000 rounds fired.

I don't think I ever had a Hydra Shok failure, and even with my reloads (230gr lead RN), since going to a tapered crimp, I very rarely have any type of feed failure. My own thinking is that I'd rather keep the shooters loaded with 230gr RN FMJ and have one failure in 10,000 than to have a magazine full of "expands to ten times diameter!!!" that might FTF on round two in a defensive situation.

I suppose that's similar to "Better the .380 that you have on you than the heavy .357 you left at home", but there I am.

[Perd Hapley]

I don't think I ever had a Hydra Shok failure, and even with my reloads (230gr lead RN), since going to a tapered crimp, I very rarely have any type of feed failure. My own thinking is that I'd rather keep the shooters loaded with 230gr RN FMJ and have one failure in 10,000 than to have a magazine full of "expands to ten times diameter!!!" that might FTF on round two in a defensive situation.

Understood. Given the price of .45, I've not yet brought myself to part with enough cash to really, substantively test my 1911 with hollow-points. So I've been carrying with FMJ. I don't carry the 1911 nearly as often now, though.

[MechAg94]

If you don't mind mail ordering, you can get 50 round boxes of Federal and Speer Gold Dot HP ammo for a lot less per round than most stores.  I haven't looked at Lucky Gunner's site.  I would agree it isn't worth it to spend over $30 for 20 round boxes of HP ammo.

https://youtu.be/tGOTK4hiH_I
I don't know if all of you are familiar with Paul Harrell's videos on youtube.  He does a meat target with some of his ammo testing which is interesting to me.  The main thing I got from his testing is that the high performance HP ammo is great, but it is often only marginally better than the cheaper HP ammo in bullet performance. 

Of course, there may be other factors.  Some of the better ammo is more consistent and might have powder that burns with less flash in low light.  I was shooting some Monarch 357 mag ammo in a couple of S&W revolvers and had a handful of misfires due to light primer strikes.  I figured that stuff has harder primers.  Works fine in my Coonan 357. 

[MechAg94]

I'm going to hate having to run the gamut of defensive ammo to find a replacement with 99.9% reliability in all my .45s, to include the Micro-Compact, which is finicky.  Also my Walther in .40. I tried Critical Defense in it when I first got it, and it turned into a jamomatic, which  I thought was pretty extraordinary for a reliable Walther. Most everything else I've put through it, including reloads, feeds reliably.

 I find for my .45s (all 1911s), and especially the Micro-Compact, the most reliable ammo is always 230 grains with as close to round nose as a hollow point can get. The closer it gets to truncated cone, the less reliable I find the ammo. I'm guessing that's less of a problem in smaller diameter calibers - my Delta Elite works fine with truncated cone.

I have had very good reliability and accuracy with Federal HST ammo.  You have to mail order it to get decent prices though.  Same with Speer Gold Dot.

[MechAg94]

I do tend to agree with earlier comments:

1.  First, have a gun. 
2.  Second, Hit your target. 
3.  Hit them more than once. 

Having the best HP ammo is down the list and getting into the smaller percentages.  The main reason I prefer to use better HP ammo is I want to reduce the odds of hitting someone downrange.

[Ben]

I have had very good reliability and accuracy with Federal HST ammo.  You have to mail order it to get decent prices though. 

Funny, I saw that on sale the last time I was at a Cabelas and picked a box up with Cabelas Bucks. I haven't gotten around to shooting it yet, but will give it a go.

[230RN]

....

My own thinking is that I'd rather keep the shooters loaded with 230gr RN FMJ and have one failure in 10,000 than to have a magazine full of "expands to ten times diameter!!!" that might FTF on round two in a defensive situation.
...

Understood. Given the price of .45, I've not yet brought myself to part with enough cash to really, substantively test my 1911 with hollow-points. So I've been carrying with FMJ. I don't carry the 1911 nearly as often now, though.

As I suggested previously, I sort of resolved that issue (on a DAO auto) by keeping a super-duper whizbang hollow point in the chamber (doesn't have to feed at all) and the rest of the mag FMJs.  Not a total solution, but it'll have to do until I hit the lottery.

(I, too, kinda sorta gave up on carrying the 1911 until I go on a diet and lose 3-1/2 pounds.)

Terry, 230RN

REF:
http://www.armedpolitesociety.com/index.php?topic=55502.msg1127587#msg1127587