Hell in a Handbasket

I Heard That Wadcutters Will Expand. Are They Hollowpoints?
Wadcutters have a flat nosed which is designed to punch a perfect circle out of paper targets. They will often flatten out when they strike something more substantial, but the construction of the round isn't specifically designed for them to act in this way. This means they expand with much less reliability than hollowpoints.

Why Should I Use Hollowpoints, Anyway?
Bullets that expand utilize their energy more effectively. According to my own experience, they increase the effectiveness of your defensive handgun between 15% and 60% over standard ball ammo.

Why did I say "15% to 60%"? Because there are a great many brands and designs of hollowpoints on the market, and some are better than others. The main thing to keep in mind is that just about any defensive ammunition will make every one of your shots more effective.

Which Hollowpoint Brand is the Best?
Everyone has their own opinions and favorites, but I would have to say that the best is probably anything put out by a company named CorBon. The only problem is that I can't recommend them.

You can become a good, effective shot if you practice with reloads or cheap bulk ammo. But each load causes your handgun to have different handling characteristics. Muzzle flash, muzzle flip, noise, bullet placement. All are unique to the type of ammo you use.

This means that it is important to occasionally shoot whatever you choose as your defensive ammo so you won't be surprised when the worst happens and lives are on the line. In my opinion, you should fire off 100 hollowpoint rounds before you start to carry, and then another 50 every six months or so. This is, of course, in addition to the 100 rounds a month of cheap practice ammo that you should use at the range every month. (And more if you can afford it, but that is a subject for another post.)

CorBon might put out a good product, but they are so expensive that many of my students balk when it comes time to buy the more than 100 rounds needed for both testing and everyday carry. If you can afford them, great!

What Brand do You Use?
It really doesn't matter, since my preferences and needs are different from your own. I am not trying to dodge the question, I just think that it is vital that you approach this very important decision with as few prejudices as possible. Another thing to consider is that I try very hard to avoid advocating one brand over another in order to maintain a modicum of integrity.

If your curiosity starts to nag you, then Email me or leave a comment with your own Email address and I'll tell you.

Are Hollowpoints Reliable in Autoloaders?
Reliability is dependent on the design of the gun and the shape of the ammo. It is an imperfect world, and no gun will feed every ammo design 100% of the time.

This means that the 100 test rounds I mentioned above are even more important than ever when an autoloader is chosen as your defensive arm. If a new gun in good working condition won't cycle those first 100 rounds without jamming, then you have to keep trying different hollowpoint designs until you find something that will pass this simple test.

Do I Have to Use Hollowpoints?
People have been using handguns for defense for centuries, long before hollowpoints were invented. There simply isn't any reason why your own firearm cannot be an effective and reliable self defense tool if you restrict yourself to ball ammo.

Like I said before, the only thing hollowpoints do is increase the effectiveness of every shot. Considering the stakes in a life-or-death confrontation, my opinion is that any advantage should be embraced. The criminals won't play by any rules, so we shouldn't give them a handicap.

UPDATE
Chris gives us a heads-up to an essay he has already written about ammo choice, although he admits that it goes into more detail than my students probably need since they are beginners.

Well worth a read, though. He goes through the various brands available on the market, something I try to avoid in favor of streamlining my work.