When it comes to self-defense rounds, two of the most prominent options in the industry are Federal HST VS Speer Gold Dot. Both manufacturers have been around for decades. In fact, CCI/Speer was founded in the 1940s, and Federal dates all the way back to 1916. 

During that time, both manufacturers became incredibly skilled at making high-quality ammunition. But which option is the top choice for defense rounds? We wanted to find out, so we compared these two historic brands head-to-head. 

What Is Self-Defense Ammo?

Before we dive into the face-off, let’s discuss what makes these rounds so great in the first place. While there are many factors that influence the performance of the Gold Dot and HST rounds, the JHP design probably makes the largest impact. 

JHP or jacketed hollow point ammunition is designed to rapidly expand as soon as it hits its target. This increases the effectiveness of the round while also minimizing the risk of over-penetration. The goal of JHP ammunition is to leave a massive wound cavity without endangering whatever is behind your target. 

Unlike FMJ (full metal jacket) ammo, JHP rounds have a distinct hole in the tip of each bullet. This hollow tip is what causes the rapid expansion and makes JHP rounds an excellent choice for law enforcement, hunting applications, and self-defense. However, they are not as effective against hard targets like steel, concrete, or body armor.

Choosing A Defensive Round

Both the Speer Gold Dot and Federal HST are considered JHP rounds. As mentioned above, this is perhaps the most important feature that you should look for in a defensive round. 

Since Gold Dot and HST ammunition have a similar overall design, we decided to assess each on four specific criteria:

Consistent Penetration

The penetration of a round refers to how far it enters into the target. This figure is expressed in inches during ballistics testing. While you want the bullet to penetrate the intended target, overpenetration can be a negative. 

If a bullet over penetrates, then it could potentially endanger whatever is behind your target. This is a concern for both law enforcement and civilians that are deploying their weapons for self-defense. While you have a right to defend yourself, you are also responsible for every round that you fire. If you are using a bullet that is too hot, the overpenetration could strike an innocent bystander.

In addition, a bullet that rips through a target too easily might not leave a meaningful wound cavity. This means that it may not stop the threat unless you strike a vital organ directly. You’ve likely seen this scenario play out in scenarios involving law enforcement where a suspect continues to charge after being shot multiple times. 

Typically, a penetration depth of 15” to 20” is what we are looking for in a handgun caliber defense round. This will give the bullet the opportunity to expand while minimizing the chances of collateral damage.

Reliable Expansion

Due to the design of both the Federal HST VS Speer Gold Dot rounds, they expand on impact. The JHP flares out and creates a large wound cavity. This process also slows the bullet and prevents overpenetration. 

Without proper expansion, the defense round may not perform as desired in a real-life situation. Fortunately, both the HST and Gold Dot rounds are known for their reliability and consistent expansion across all calibers. This performance is part of why these two rounds are so popular for self-defense purposes. 

Compatibility 

Here is where things can get a bit confusing for less experienced shooters. While a particular round may be compatible with your weapon, it may not be the ideal choice for your platform.

For example, Speer offers several variations of the 9mm Gold Dot ammunition, including 115, 124, 135, and 147gr bullets. They also offer a few +P versions. Similarly, Federal HST 9mm rounds are available in 124, 147, and 150gr variants.

Let’s say that your go-to carry pistol is a micro 9mm that is rated for +P ammo. Even though you can use a +P round in that weapon, it might not provide optimal controllability. Instead, you may want to opt for something with slightly less pop so that you can improve your ability to get rounds on target under stress.

Forever looking to improve their product lineups, both Federal and Speer now offer defense rounds geared for use in micro pistols. This allows you to optimize performance without sacrificing controllability. 

Upgraded Casings

The material that your ammo is encased in can often be an afterthought. However, it shouldn’t be, especially if you live in a humid environment like Florida. Traditional brass cases can corrode, which could impact performance or cause a failure to fire. 

Federal HST and Speer Gold Dot are both encased in nickel-plated brass. The nickel plating protects them from corrosion so that your rounds will perform as designed in virtually any climate. Federal goes as far as to put a sealant on their primers to make them less susceptible to corrosion.

Ballistic Matchup

Since Speer and Federal manufacture their defense rounds in a variety of calibers, we had to narrow things down a bit. If we’re going to pick a self-defense champ, we wanted to make sure that our competitors were in the same weight class. We chose the Speer LE Gold Dot 124gr 9mm round, and the Federal HST 124gr 9mm round for our matchup. We also added in the +P version of the Federal HST, to see if a hotter round could best the standard cartridges. 

In terms of penetration, the Speer Gold Dot is known for its consistency. Federal HST on the other hand is generally considered as the most consistent when it comes to expansion.  Both of these rounds are highly regarded in both the civilian self-defense and law enforcement communities. 

However, if both rounds expand as intended, this comparison is going to be a lot more interesting. Consistent expansion is a great sign that they would produce an effective wound cavity. In addition, all Federal HST VS Speer Gold Dot rounds are inspected before shipping to ensure reliability. To say that this will be a close race would be an understatement.

Let’s take a look at how things went down below. 

Ballistic Testing: Federal HST VS Speer Gold Dot

Federal HST

In our HST ballistic test, we fired five rounds using a Glock model 45 pistol (chambered in 9x19mm) with a 4″ barrel. The ammunition used was Federal Personal Defense HST 124gr JHP. We used the FBI standard distance of 10ft, shooting into two gel blocks with a four-layer fabric barrier. All five rounds expanded and captured some of the fabric material in the well. The HST had an average velocity of 1116 FPS. The ammo experienced an average penetration depth of 17.2″ with 18.5″ being the deepest point. The ammo had a 1.3″ difference in grouping distance when at rest inside of the gel block.

Federal HST +P

In our HST +P ballistic test, we fired five rounds using a Glock model 45 pistol (chambered in 9x19mm) with a 4″ barrel. The ammunition used was Federal Personal Defense HST +P 124gr JHP. Again, we used the FBI standard distance of 10ft, shooting into two gel blocks with a four-layer fabric barrier. All five rounds expanded and captured some of the fabric material in the well. The HST had an average velocity of 1150 FPS. The ammo experienced an average penetration depth of 16.87″ with 17.5″ being the deepest point. The ammo had a .63″ difference in grouping distance when at rest inside of the gel block.

Speer LE Gold Dot

In our Gold Dot ballistic test, we fired five rounds using a Glock model 45 pistol (chambered in 9x19mm) with a 4″ barrel. The ammunition used was Gold Dot 124gr JHP. As usual, we used the FBI standard distance of 10ft, shooting into two gel blocks with a four-layer fabric barrier. All five rounds expanded and captured some of the fabric material in the well. The Gold Dot had an average velocity of 1079 FPS. The ammo experienced an average penetration depth of 16.1″ with 16.65″ being the deepest point. The ammo had a .55″ difference in grouping distance when at rest inside of the gel block.

Federal HST VS Speer Gold Dot: Edging Out The Competition

During our head-to-head comparison, neither round faltered. In fact, in terms of consistency, both rounds performed incredibly well. The HST had superior penetration depth, giving it a slight edge over the Gold Dot when shooting through barriers. Both options showed excellent expansion, with minimal tumbling in the ballistic gel. In order to choose a winner, we also had to also look at compatibility and versatility.

When it comes to those criteria, the Gold Dot gets the edge with more available options. While Federal HST ammunition is available in a variety of calibers and bullet weights, Speer Gold Dot just offers more options. Speer offers Gold Dot ammunition in 14 unique calibers while Federal only carries HST in 9 calibers. No matter which handgun platform you are running, either of these options are great for self-defense ammo.

As always, remember to run a test box of ammo through your carry gun to ensure compatibility. If you’re looking for additional ammo comparisons, check out our review of Federal HST VS Hydra-Shok.