Hi Matt/PA,

An easy local source of relatively inexpensive plinking/range ammo is Winchester "white box". Most WalMart's carry in bulk pack 100 rounds for about $10. for 9mm, $15. for .40 S&W, $20. for .45 ACP. This is newly manufactured commercial ammunition. (You can usually buy former Eastern Block ammo cheaper.....but it tends to burn dirtier....usually has steel non reloadable cases....and of course you need to be aware of quality control....or lack of!) You can also shop around for bulk prices that sometimes are better "by the case". But for most people the easy way to get reliable practice ammo is the "white box" bulk at WalMart.

As for effective carry ammo......there have been books written on that subject alone. The .40 S&W is quickly establishing itself with a good record of "stopping" during shootings. The first criteria for any "carry load" for your particular gun is that it is absolutely functionally reliable. Probably most commercail hollow point (and specialty ammo for defense) will function reliably in the XD. But I wouldn't trust any brand in any of my guns until I'd put a minimum of 200 or 300 rounds of it through the gun without any hitches. And that means check each and every magazine you intend to use or carry. Frequently semi-auto funtioning problems are directly related to individual magazines! (In the premium ammunition brands.....that can get expensive. But it is infinitesimally cheaper than the alternative!) Their are numerous brands of ammuniton that have garnered reputations for providing "good records during actual shootings". No matter which I'd name....I'd be sure to miss a few. But having said that I will mention most of Corbon's dedicated to defensive situations and Federal Hydra-Shok® have reasonably good records. Speer's Gold Dot and the other major manufacturer's have ammuntion with defensive applications and are becoming major players in the that market. (Another good alternative is to check what your local and or state PD are carrying.......and mimic them. Considerable thought has gone into what the LE community carry's these days and it will prove easy to defend it's use in court if heaven forbid....you actually ever do use it!) But in the end.....whatever you carry for serious purposes....make sure it functions well in your gun!

Hope this helps!

Dave