by R.K. Campbell | Contributing Editor
Black Hills Ammunition offers a wide variety of loads with excellent quality control and wound potential. The 115-grain 9mm EXP load is controllable even in light 9mm pistols such as the Ruger LC9.
To many shooters Black Hills Ammunition is an old line company that has been a force in the market for many years. While this is true to an extent, I grew up and began using handguns long before Black Hills Ammunition existed. Their present position is all the more remarkable because of this. They have climbed to the top of the market based on quality control and an understanding of ballistics first and also intelligent choice of components and powder.
I have carried the Black Hills Ammunition 230-grain JHP in my .45 ACP pistols for well over a decade. However, the performance of the 185-grain TAC +P load has proven interesting and may just supplant the heavier bullet in my personal Colts. I consider their 9mm 124-grain JHP +P an ideal service load for 9mm pistols. Reliability and cartridge integrity must come first; next a balance of expansion and penetration. Black Hills Ammunition meets the ideal criteria for my use. Among the loads offered are a broad choice with conventional JHP loads, the +P loads and all-copper JHP loads. There are many good choices. Let’s look at a few standouts and also the newest cutting edge of bullet technology.
9mm loads
The Xtreme copper bullet used in the Black Hills Ammunition .380 ACP load shows excellent design.
The Black Hills Ammunition 9mm 115-grain EXP is among my favorite defense loads. The Extra Power load isn’t a +P rated cartridge but is faster than many factory loads in this bullet weight. As such it is controllable in rapid fire and offers lower weapon wear. Expansion is rapid. The 9mm 115-grain TAC +P is a solid copper JHP with good expansion and excellent accuracy.The 124-grain JHP offers a highly accurate load at modest velocity, safe and reliable in any 9mm. The 9mm 124-grain +P is a good choice for service use. Highly accurate and with good expansion this load is the best choice when penetration in the worst case scenario is needed. These are among the best choices for personal defense and with a bit of study you will find the ideal load for your needs. My choice my 9mm pistols is the EXP load for personal defense and the 124-grain +P for service use. A police agency using the 9mm would be hard pressed to find a better load than the 124-grain +P from Black Hills.
‘Xtreme Defense’ loads
This is the all copper .380 ACP slug.
These loads are based upon a non-expanding bullet. The all-copper bullet features a sharp cutting edge that cuts tissue rather than simply pushing it aside as a round nose bullet may. These bullets do not rely upon expansion but rather pressing flesh aside and creating damage due to the bullet design. They offer reliable penetration as a result. I have often stated that in the minor calibers we cannot sacrifice penetration for expansion. Often we are better off using a non-expanding bullet. The new Black Hills Ammunition loads meet important criteria for penetration but also introduce a cutting mechanism into the wound potential.
I have tested the .380 ACP Xtreme Defense and also the .38 Special Extreme Defense loading first introduced at the January 2016 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show. (These loads are now designated Honey Badger™ loads, which now include 9mm, .45 ACP and .44 Mag loads, as discussed in the sidebar to this article,)
The Baby Rock, top, and Beretta 84, bottom, were used to test the Black Hills Ammunition .380 ACP loading.
The 60-grain .380 ACP loading is an impressive choice in this popular caliber. JHP loads often fail to penetrate adequately in this caliber. The all-copper bullet used in the Xtreme Defense (Honey Badger) line is intended to cause damage by a cutting motion rather than expansion and to offer adequate penetration in all situations. The bullet is actually sharp to the touch and when magazines are loaded take care that you do not cut yourself! I am perhaps overstating the situation but I can see a combination of soft flesh and a strong magazine spring creating such a situation. This load is an excellent choice for personal defense within the limitations of this small caliber. Recoil is mild. This is a very accurate loading in all handguns tested. While the Ruger LCP is a light gun good for perhaps a 5-inch group at 15 yards, the new Rock Island Baby Rock .380 ACP will put five of these into 2 inches at the same distance and the Beretta 94 even better. The low recoil is a result of the bullet’s light weight; 60 grains doesn’t have much momentum. However, this is no lightweight loading in energy. Velocity averages 1,250 fps in the Baby Rock. This is excellent performance and sure to provide good penetration.
The SIG P226 is among the most accurate service pistols in the world. Results were superb with the Black Hills Ammunition 185-grain HoneyBadger™ TAC +P load.
I was also able to test the 100-grain .38 Special +P load using the all copper bullet. I fired this load in both a two-inch Smith and Wesson revolver and a four-inch barrel Colt .357 Magnum revolver. Average velocity was 900 fps from the two-inch barrel and 1,100 fps from the four-inch barrel. Recoil was mild compared to 125 and 158-grain defense loads, but the .38 Special Airweight revolver generates respectable recoil. This load is a viable option and among the best choices for use in the snubnose revolver. The 100-grain bullet strikes to the point of aim with the snubnose revolver at 15 yards. Absolute accuracy is excellent. Firing the Colt revolver for accuracy from a solid bench rest at 25 yards I was able to place five rounds of the .38 Special +P Xtreme Defense (Honey Badger™) load into 1.5 inches. This is clearly a very accurate loading.
This is a recovered bullet from the Black Hills Ammunition 185-grain TAC +P, .45 ACP caliber. The HoneyBadger™ all copper bullets offer interesting performance.
Black Hills Ammunition offers first class service and defense loads. The new Xtreme Defense (Honey Badger) load in particular solves many problems associated with light handguns and pocket pistols. These loads feature excellent quality control and are arguably good enough to bet your life on.
