A friend gave me 500 rds of +P. Is it ok to shoot out of my gun, I have heard mixed arguments. Thanks.
I do not personally have a Kimber Ultra Carry, but I did some research and found this:
You can take the above info for what it is worth ... Now with that being said, I carry Federal Premium .230 grain Hydra-Shok Jacketed Hollow Points in my Colt Combat Commander with no problem at all.http://www.tactical-life.com/online/combat-handguns/best-loads-for-the-kimber-ultra-carry-ii/
Best Loads for the Kimber Ultra Carry II
Written by Chuck Taylor. Author Archive »
A dozen factory .45ACP loads that are combat accurate or shoot better than 1.5-inch groups at 25 meters!
Self-Defense Loads
In my Ultra Carry II, every single 230-grain FMJ load shot to point of aim at 25 meters and printed 3-shot Ransom Rest groups averaging 1.5 inches, functioned perfectly and posed no controllability problems. This, in conjunction with its proven stopping power and minimal penetration, makes them an entirely suitable self-defense load.
Still, what if there were a .45ACP JHP that expanded significantly from the Ultra Carry II’s short barrel? I said earlier that the .45ACP was already large in the first place and has a deserved reputation for excellent stopping power without excessive penetration. If we had a JHP that actually did expand, wouldn’t its stopping power be even better? Simple logic dictates that it would and penetration would be even further reduced.
From the Kimber Ultra Carry II .45ACP, only factory loads utilizing a conventional JHP expanded, Winchester’s Personal Protection SXT 230-grain JHP, and it expanded very well indeed. It shot to point of aim, functioned and fed without mishap, too.
Regardless of bullet weight or whether it was a standard or +P load, none of the other conventional JHPs expanded to any significant degree. All the 230-grain JHPs, however, did shoot to point of aim, as did both the Remington Golden Saber and Hornady XTP 185-grain JHPs. In addition, all fed and functioned perfectly.
Two loads were of the 200-grain +P JHP variety: Hornady’s XTP and Speer’s Gold Dot. Unfortunately, though, I experienced no functioning or feeding problems with either one, but both were noticeably tougher to control in fast shooting drills such as multiple targets, close quarters encounters, small targets at close range, etc. As well, neither one shot sufficiently close to point of aim with the Kimber Ultra Carry II; both printed four inches high in my gun at 25 meters to satisfy my needs.
I’ve always felt that +P loads in any .45 ACP pistol are a less than optimum choice, simply because they cannot deliver the velocities needed to expect significant JHP expansion and generate so much additional recoil that controllability is seriously reduced. Especially from the short barrel of a sub-compact gun like the Ultra Carry II, velocities rarely exceed 950 feet per second (fps) and are usually considerably less, pretty much removing bullet expansion from consideration.
However, to me this issue isn’t the biggest drawback; it’s the reduced controllability of the gun I’m concerned most about. Though it’s too often overlooked, even by professional instructors and writers who should know better, weapon controllability is fully as critical as the more easily defined subjects of stopping power, accuracy, functional reliability and penetration. If you can’t deliver hits to the target because you’re fighting to control the weapon, your chances of winning the fight are greatly reduced. To even try wastes time you simply don’t have to spare in a gunfight.
There were two unconventional loads tested: CorBon’s 160-grain DPX JHP and 165-grain Pow’RBall. Even from the Kimber Ultra Carry II’s short tube, both expanded very nicely, but only CorBon’s 160-grain DPX JHP shot to point of aim. Both were also quite accurate, easy to control and functioned normally.
