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Post by CXM on May 19, 2017 13:30:53 GMT -5
What is your favorite 9x19mm ammo for use in HPs.
General wisdom is don't use +P ammo in pre MkIII pistols and sparingly in the MkIII.
I've never seen much need for +P ammo so I have been satisfied with Federal 115gr no. 9BP. This is a JHP ammo that has been around a good while and has put in very good performances with quite a few police departments.
What is your choice?
V/r
Chuck
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Post by gt40doc on May 19, 2017 15:29:50 GMT -5
I have been a handloader for more years than I care to admit to, so the majority of the 9mm ammo going through my HPs are my own loads. I do keep a good supply of PMC 115gr FMJ ammo for some of my " ammo cranky P08 Lugers", and it runs 100% through my HPs as well. It is inexpensive, and not difficult to find....at least in my area. I usually purchase it by the case on line, and save more $ that way.
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Post by jaypee on May 19, 2017 16:10:42 GMT -5
For a number of years I used Gold Dot +P 124 grain JHP exclusively, but got tired of the +P stuff requiring heavy recoil springs and stressing my arthritic hands to the max. So, reading that apparently the new bullet technology has made +P unnecessary in the 9mm, I went looking for a new carry load. After a lot of research, all of my 9mm defensive pistols are now fed a diet of standard pressure Federal HST 124 grain JHP's. I've tested it for functional reliability in six pistols and it functions flawlessly and is darned accurate ammo.
JayPee
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Post by huntershooter on May 19, 2017 19:24:22 GMT -5
I also carry the 124 HST round, in addition to Standard Pressure 124 gr. GD. I shoot probably 300 reloads (124 gr. Precision Delta JHP @ 1140 FPS) to every factory round however.
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Post by CXM on May 20, 2017 11:32:38 GMT -5
I'm with you... hand loading is not only economical, but a careful knowledgeable hand loader can make ammo that is superior to today's run of the mill factory ammo. I"ve been hand loading for the best part of 60 years... I not only save money and can shoot more, but it is an enjoyable hobby by it's self. The use of hand loaded ammo for self defense is something that has been argued for a long time... sort of like the .45ACP vs the 9mm... Some of my friends among the 'cognoscenti' say hand loaded ammo for carry is pure poison (in terms of legal liability) and others say it makes no difference... we all buys our ticket and takes our chances. FWIW Chuck I have been a handloader for more years than I care to admit to, so the majority of the 9mm ammo going through my HPs are my own loads. I do keep a good supply of PMC 115gr FMJ ammo for some of my " ammo cranky P08 Lugers", and it runs 100% through my HPs as well. It is inexpensive, and not difficult to find....at least in my area. I usually purchase it by the case on line, and save more $ that way.
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Post by chris623 on May 21, 2017 14:14:06 GMT -5
I'm with you... hand loading is not only economical, but a careful knowledgeable hand loader can make ammo that is superior to today's run of the mill factory ammo. I"ve been hand loading for the best part of 60 years... I not only save money and can shoot more, but it is an enjoyable hobby by it's self. The use of hand loaded ammo for self defense is something that has been argued for a long time... sort of like the .45ACP vs the 9mm... Some of my friends among the 'cognoscenti' say hand loaded ammo for carry is pure poison (in terms of legal liability) and others say it makes no difference... we all buys our ticket and takes our chances. FWIW Chuck I have been a handloader for more years than I care to admit to, so the majority of the 9mm ammo going through my HPs are my own loads. I do keep a good supply of PMC 115gr FMJ ammo for some of my " ammo cranky P08 Lugers", and it runs 100% through my HPs as well. It is inexpensive, and not difficult to find....at least in my area. I usually purchase it by the case on line, and save more $ that way. I've a good friend who is a criminal attorney. (but aren't they all criminals? ? ) I asked him about that one time and he told me to buy a commercial bullet for carry and then practice with my own reloads that are "tuned" to the same recoil. He said what he does is uses the same weight bullet (but in lead) and then matches the powder charge and recoil as closely as he can to the commercial load. That's what I've done with my 40 S&W Glock 27 and it's worked well. I find that I've been much more accurate with my carry loads that way. I'm just getting my Hi-Power worked up for daily carry and I'll get some reloading dies and do the same with it.
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Post by BHP940 on May 21, 2017 21:59:04 GMT -5
For sd, 147 gr. HST or HydraShoks. For target 115 or 124 gr. PMC Bronze or Magtech, sometimes white box or Federal if it's on sale.
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Post by chris623 on May 23, 2017 7:42:30 GMT -5
After looking back at this thread, I realized I failed to answer the original question of the thread. Oops! (short attention span) I have also chosen the Federal 147 gr HST for my Hi-Power. If anyone is interested in a little research on the subject of finding the right bullet for your needs, here's the best site I've found for that. www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/ When I spoke with them on the phone, they said the easiest way to use their test data was first to find the bullets for your caliber that showed to be in the deepest part of the FBI penetration tests. Then look for which(all)of those bullets that looked the same after impact. Next was to look at largest expansion of those bullets in that batch, and how much original weight was retained after expansion. And lastly, consider recoil felt by heavier bullets. Like they told me, if the recoil is too high for accurate placement, then one needs a different bullet. I chuckled when he said it, but he said he'd rather use a .22 lr in a fire fight if it allowed the first shot to be perfectly placed between the eyes. But I remembered back when I loaded up some .357 rounds really heavy once with heavy lead and heavy charge. Never could hit accurately with them because of flinching. Went back to my regular load, at the time, and could easily hit and kill a coyote at 75 yds.
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Post by HRFunk on May 23, 2017 14:03:11 GMT -5
I have good luck with standard pressure 124 gr. Speer Gold Dots. In my testing, they perform quite well in terms of expansion and penetration and they don't beat up my pistols.
HRF
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Post by che on May 23, 2017 15:04:09 GMT -5
I have been carrying Remington 115 JHP (R9MM1) it seems like forever. It has a very round profile and is 100% reliable in my 1981 BHP.
I had a chance to try Winchester 147 JHP recently and it was 100%.
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Post by rock185 on May 26, 2017 16:32:38 GMT -5
I do tend to use the higher velocity 9MM ammo in my guns, whether the FN/Browning Hi Powers or other semi-autos, revolvers or carbines. The 9's claim to fame has always been respectable velocities in a relatively small cartridge. Otherwise the 9X19MM would likely have become just another obsolete 9MM cartridge, instead of the most popular centerfire pistol cartridge on the planet. FWIW, I loaded thousands of rounds of 115 and 124/125 grain 9MM back in the day to velocities 0f 1200+-1300+ FPS. I was trying to knock down steel targets in some of the "combat matches" of the day. Didn't have sense enough to use a .45 ACP like most competitors. Wanted to use my Hi Powers. I still use +P, and sometimes +P+, in my 9MM firearms. Lately, I've been using the Federal 9MM 124+P HST. Never shot anything but targets with it, but it reportedly is a top performer in ballistic testing. So I guess the HST +P is my current choice. Also like the 115 grain Federal 9MM XM9001 and 9BPLE, similar to the Federal 9BP, but higher velocities with the same old tec bullet used by all three of these Federal loads. From what I read on the internet, there is much concern by 9MM owners about damaging or prematurely wearing out their 9MM pistols using 9MM NATO, +P or +P+ ammo. I've used these types of factory ammo, and equivalent reloads, in a variety of semi-autos, revolvers and carbines for many years with no negative issues that I can detect. But then my 9MM pistols,revolvers and carbines have not proven to be delicate flowers with a propensity to self destruct due to use of of the more energetic ammo....ymmv
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Post by vis35 on May 26, 2017 18:38:24 GMT -5
Hornady Critical Defense 115 gr. JHP
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Post by CXM on May 30, 2017 12:30:44 GMT -5
In our sometimes 'robust' discussions of ammo and what's best we sometimes forget that shot placement is still the most important factor in how well any ammo will stop a target. Correctly placed a .22 short will stop the biggest of E.D.s... Still, it is interesting to hear what others have to say about a particular ammmo... So far I have not run into any first hand experience with what ammo works... and a pray none of us ever have to find out... V/r Chuck
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Post by thomgetch on May 30, 2017 13:25:55 GMT -5
In our sometimes 'robust' discussions of ammo and what's best we sometimes forget that shot placement is still the most important factor in how well any ammo will stop a target. Correctly placed a .22 short will stop the biggest of E.D.s... Still, it is interesting to hear what others have to say about a particular ammmo... So far I have not run into any first hand experience with what ammo works... and a pray none of us ever have to find out... V/r Chuck Well said Chuck, what I find interesting is the ammo tech in bullet design recent years and the move toward hydrostatic (I think that is the right term) tech. Example the underwood defender, penetration and retention of a fmj but creating a massive wound channel, or the DRT going through bone/muscle but basically exploding when hitting the soft stuff. Really better than the basic hollow point? Who knows and I hope I never really have to find out.
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Post by jonnyc on Jun 12, 2017 9:22:13 GMT -5
I'm partial to 124 grainers, so my go-to JHPs are Standard and/or +P Gold Dots. I buy whichever I see on sale, but choose the Standard if there's no difference in price.
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