I need some forty-five, they might say.
As just one point of comparison: their 115-gr.
American Eagle load has an advertised velocity of 1,180 fps; their 150-gr.
Hollowpoint bullets are one popular type of projectile used in pistol cartridges. But do you know how weight differences between them can impact your shooting? Image: Hornady
Syntech Action Pistol load is rated at 890 fps.
I picked these two loads arbitrarily, but youll observe similar patterns across all of the big players.
Consider this: When a firearm is discharged, the entire gun begins to recoil typically backwards and upwards.
A variety of ammunition was tested by the author. He tested bullet weights from 94 grains up to 158 grains in 9x19mm Parabellum loads.
Still, I wanted to verify this through testing.
The maximum distance of my indoor range is 50 feet exactly.
For the tests, I chose a firearm with a 5 tube.
The author used the 5” XD-9 Tactical to test the ammunition. The shape of the sights offered optimal precision, and the longer slide and sight radius helped maximize testing consistency.
As a result, an XD-9 Tactical seemed a more fitting choice of ballistic platform.
S is a competition shooter and a police officer.
Id like to think the four of us know what were doing.
At 7 yards offhand, nearly all rounds were inside of 2” regardless of bullet weight. These targets are 3” stickers.
Lets start at 50 feet.
Federal Subsonic bullets being about 70% heavier than the 94-gr.
Norma Frangible rounds, I just didnt see much difference on paper one way or another.
Another run of grain weights at 7 yards (top) and 50′ (16.67 yards, bottom). At either distance, the author was inclined to attribute any differences to him and relative inconsistencies in technique than anything else.
Oppositely, M shot a few of them and remarked, Weird.
He commented the expected difference in recoil was different enough to disrupt the automaticity of his shooting process.
Incidentally, his pet load for his tuned 9mm Springfield Prodigy makes use of 147-gr.
Targets shown set at 50′. It’s more challenging to get good hits this far out than some people may think.
S, in particular, noted that while the Federal 124-gr.
E shot heavy and light loads equally well and didnt express a strong preference either way.
Clearly, there was no literal or figurative magic bullet that produced atypical results on paper.
Bullet weight differences can have a larger effect on impact location the farther from the muzzle it is. Imperceptible differences at 7 yards can be much more obvious at 100 yards.
Of Course, Theres a But…
I punched in the data from the 94-gr.
Norma rounds and the 158-gr.
Your choice of ammo load is important for concealed carry. However, it is not likely to have a substantial impact on your accuracy or precision. Hellcat Pro shown here.
Yes, but only slightly: within 20 yards, the 158-gr.
subsonic load will impact less than half an inch lower than the 94-gr.
Even theoretically, thats not enough to matter with a pistol.
At the End of the Day?
Id argue the results are worth what you paid for them.
With that said, and so long as it reliably cycles your gun, shoot what you like.
(And, of course, not every load is equally affordable!)
At least for me, I find that knowledge to be a relief!
Go to forum thread
XD5" Tactical Model
HellcatPro Series
