quote:

Originally posted by tigereye313:
124gr +p Gold Dot.

This is what I’ve been carrying for years in my Glock 26. I just picked up a Sig P290RS and have been carrying standard pressure Federal HST 124gr.

9bple. 115gr +p+. Cheap and effective.

Nine grains is barely over one thousandth of a pound. Does it really make that much difference?

I practiced with the 124 and 115 and can't tell a difference in recoil. I will use 124 for self defense Gold Dot.

quote:

Originally posted by ds1962:
I practiced with the 124 and 115 and can't tell a difference in recoil. I will use 124 for self defense Gold Dot.

My carry ammo is 124gr Gold Dots, but on the range it's usually 115gr ball as they tend to be cheaper.

Also 147 grain HST

In any of the major self defense calibers, shot placement is what matters. Next is penetration. Next is wound channel, which is reliant on the percent of weight retained until terminus (does the bullet break up?) and through consistent expansion across several mediums

Most people can make faster and more accurate shots with non +p ammo (which is also harder on your gun)

The heavier loads in the new generation rounds (like the 147 grain gold dot 2s and the 147 grain HST) have equal to or better penetration through a variety of mediums than do their lighter, faster breathren (especially when it comes to barrier penetration, like glass).

And the expansion in the newer, modern bullets is consistent generally across the grains (a 124 and 147 grain HST expand fairly similarly) but the heavier bullet generslly maintains its weight more consistently even with the same bullet type (a 147 grain HST maintains more weight through some barriers than do the 124s)

So if you can make faster, more accurate and consistent shots, while putting less wear on your firearm, and obtain equal to or, in most cases, superior results, wouldn't that be the round you chose?

It is for me, which is why any modern, quality hollowpoint in 147 grain is my choice

For the most part, that's the 147 grain HST, although I do have some 147 grain G2 stuff as well

It's no coincidence that when the FBI switched back to 9mm, they went with a modern 147gr round

I understand. Explain the wear issue better. Plus, is there much more recoil with the 147 gr.maybe it's like the 40.

If you can shoot 124gr 9mm loads, you shouldn't have a problem with 147gr ammo. It's definitely not at .40S&W level recoil. If anything, you might even have less felt recoil. Heavier, slower loads typically have more of a "push" recoil while lighter, faster loads typically have more of a "snap" recoil, if that makes sense.

As for wear, +P means that the cartridge operates at a higher pressure level, which means higher velocity, which means more recoil, which means the slide will be moving faster, which can accelerate wear. Personally, I don't think 9mm +P will cause a dramatic increase in wear-and-tear on a gun. Hypothetically speaking, if a gun will go 80,000 rounds of standard pressure 9mm before wearing out, it might go 78,000 rounds of +P 9mm.

However, I do agree that with modern bullet designs, like Gold Dot or HST, +P isn't really necessary unless you just prefer it. Some people like having a little extra velocity when shooting the smaller 9mm guns.

147gr. Winchester Ranger in my 9mm.

I generally shoot +P (again in 124 gr). Goes back to emulating NATO, which is basically a +P loading. A little extra velocity doesn't hurt terminal ballistics, and also flattens trajectories a bit. Extra wear and tear on the gun? I mostly shoot a P229, original in 9mm and not a conversion from .40 or .357SIG. This gun was designed for those larger calibers, so feeding it a hotter nine is well within its operating spec even on a regular basis.

124g Speer Gold Dots.

The 9mm shooter has never had a better range of excellent options for carry/SD ammo.

124gr standard pressure Gold Dot will work just fine. In fact, DHS/ICE just picked that load as their 9mm duty round and signed a big contract with Speer after what was assuredly a lot of testing.

I like 147 HST myself, but once you get to the top tier of current generation hollowpoints (Speer Gold Dot, Winchester Ranger T/Ranger Bonded, Federal HST/Tactical Bonded, Hornady Critical Duty), it's hard to make a bad choice.

Ive posted before this issue, but 115gr will not eject properly out of my SP2022. The slide will slam forward and catch the round before exiting, so I'll get a FTE.

Edit cuz I forgot to finish the thought. THat means I carry 124 and above.

124gr HST

Ranger 127gr +p+ RA9TA

I don't feel a need to use +p ammunition with what's currently available. I carry 147gr HST in my primary magazine and 147gr Gold Dot in secondary magazine.

124gr Federal HST

Speed gold dot 147gr.

The LE type folks seem to use 124+Ps in Speer Gold Dot (NYPD), Federal HST or Winchester Ranger or 147 GRN from the same maker. But, you need to test your rounds with your pistol to ensure accuracy and reliability and which round you shoot the best with.

I recently switched to 147 GR as I found it more controllable in a small frame pistol than the 124+P. YMMV.

quote:

Originally posted by Cous2492:
9bple. 115gr +p+. Cheap and effective.

This....and accurate.