JHP for 9mm and .40

[Bigchilli]

Would like some opinions, which bullet weight are best for each caliber?

 

[sxs]

Would like some opinions, which bullet weight are best for each caliber?

Personally? Whatever shoots best in your firearm. I think in 9mm124 gr Gold Dots work well for several of my guns

 

[19smiller]

For a full size gun, go heavier. 124gn in 9mm and 180-200 in the 40. For smaller compact or subcompact, go 115 in the 9 or 165 in the 40. Depends on barrel length and twist overall. Specific gun would help with the debate.

 

[babalou]

Would like some opinions, which bullet weight are best for each caliber?

Ruh roh. 9 vs 40.

 

[smokey]

Depends on the bullet design. For most traditional hollowpoints, 9 will perform best with either 124+p or 147 grain. I personally prefer the 147 grain loads for having more of a push to recoil and not having the loud rapport or snap that the +p has. Heavy for caliber are longer, so they have the potential to open up wider and are efficient in short barrels due to inertia. Heavy loads tend to have more momentum, although they may have less energy than lighter/faster loads. I like loads with more momentum in general for handguns due to less deflection and the potential for more reliable performance across different barriers/media.

It changes for monolithic copper projectiles. For something like dpx, 115 grain performs similar to the 124+p or 147 grain in traditional hollowpoints, but tends to expand more reliably while also penetrating deep. Opening like a starfish allows the petals to each crush a wide channel on the sides, while allowing material to flow bewteen the petals for reduced drag over a mushroom design.

In .40, it could be either 165gr or 180 gr depending on the exact loading. Some 165 gr loads have both more energy and momentum over the 180 and other loads will favor the 180 gr due to an increase in momentum over their 165 gr counterparts. I'm intentionally differentiating between energy and momentum as they are two different things and have different effects on terminal ballistics.

 

[Trm]

For a full size gun, go heavier. 124gn in 9mm and 180-200 in the 40. For smaller compact or subcompact, go 115 in the 9 or 165 in the 40. Depends on barrel length and twist overall. Specific gun would help with the debate.

I have a Taurus G2C 40. Cal and a G3C 9mm I also have a Glock 43x 9mm which would be a good good grain for them ?

 

[19smiller]

I have a Taurus G2C 40. Cal and a G3C 9mm I also have a Glock 43x 9mm which would be a good good grain for them ?

With all three of those being shorter barreled compacts, I would shoot 115grain for the 9, and 165grain for the 40. But every gun and shooter is different, best thing to do is practice and experiment with them all at the range and find out what you, and the gun each like best.

 

[GuitarmanNick]

I am using 124 grain JHPs in all of the 9mms. No problems shooting it in my G26 or G43 builds which are intended to be carried once my permit arrives.

 

[trickg]

I got a pack of 9mm for free with a pistol purchase - Hornady Critical Defense, 100 gr FTX bullet. I have no idea if this is a good defensive load, and I'm not sure it's what I would have chosen if I hadn't gotten it for free.

I think I'd use 124 gr for 9mm, and probably 150 or 165 gr for the 40.

 

[rbird7282]

Ruh roh. 9 vs 40.

I think you mean 9 vs ghey


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[Huckleberry]

9 will rip your lungs out Jim

Fortay will have you drinking a Pina Colada at Trader Vic’s but you’re hair will be Perfect

 

[Kman]

I have a Glock 23 and haven't shot it in years. I think they are Magtech 180 gr hp.
124 gr standard pressure hp out of my small 9mm pistols (3 inch barrel). 147 gr hp out of larger like Glock 17.
Never been a big +p fan.

 

[E.Shell]

For a full size gun, go heavier. 124gn in 9mm and 180-200 in the 40. For smaller compact or subcompact, go 115 in the 9 or 165 in the 40.

Not necessarily true, although I too used to believe that outdated axiom. You may also think that heavier bullets automatically provide deeper penetration, also not always true.

It is far more correct to say that it ALL depends on bullet design.

Go to the Lucky Gunner gel tests (9mm conducted with a 3.5" barrel) and have a look at what really happens:
https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/#9mm

I am using 124 HSTs or GDs in a 3.1" barrel, and will likely go to 147 HSTs when I run low on those.

There is also the fact that heavier bullets can be easier to shoot from smaller guns, having a different recoil response that is not so 'snappy' as lighter bullets that aids in rapid recovery from recoil.

As a somewhat related example, I have also had numerous T/C Contender barrels chambered for rifle cartridges (.22 Hornet, .30-30, .35 Rem, 45-70) and those loads that tend to perform best in full-length rifle barrels also performed best in 10-14" pistol barrels.

Depends on barrel length and twist overall. Specific gun would help with the debate.

?
Where did you find factual information on rifling twist rate being important to pistol-length barrel bullet expansion/penetration performance?

 

[ground chuck]

Golden saber

 

[alucard0822]

tends to be heavier bullets have more consistent performance in different barrel lengths, and all else being equal there is less powder to burn, and more time to burn it in a given barrel compared to lighter loads. Bullets are designed to work within a velocity range, something like a bonded gold dot might not expand all that well at low velocities from a short barrel, and can actually penetrate more than the same bullet from a longer barrel. HSTs seem to be more forgiving at lower velocities, and being found in affordable 50rd LEO packaging they are my choice.

There is more than just terminal performance to consider, cost, availability, recoil, accuracy and function all can be more important than relatively small differences in terminal performance. 124-147gr 9mm +p and non and 165-180gr 40 perform pretty close in test, so there really isn't a "bad" choice in that range with major brands of LEO duty ammo. I don't care for lighter 115gr 9mm or 135gr 40, they can have a ton of muzzle flash in some brands, most are loaded really hot +p, they don't tend to perform as well as the heavier bullets. The theory with higher velocity +p is that a short barrel can push the bullet to the same velocity as a standard pressure in a longer barrel, but IMO it just means more blast/recoil for little increase in performance. In 9mm I like 124 standard pressure HSTs for a couple reasons. While 147s and 124+p might outperform them, the 124s have lighter recoil in the small pistols, and mild muzzle blast, they were also cheaper and easier to find in bulk, so I stock them and use them in all my defensive 9mm pistols.

I no longer carry 40, but when I did, it was a GLOCK 27, and that choice was a bit easier, 180gr HSTs were the easiest to find in 50rd LEO packaging. 40's snappy recoil is largely from 165gr loads, and they have quite a bit more flash/blast/recoil than the 180gr loads, especially out of shorter pistols. Most gel tests show almost identical performance, so it's an easy choice to stick to 180gr loads in 40. In any case get enough to test a few hundred rounds, and replace ammo as it gets beat up from carry. If your chosen ammo isn't available or you can't afford to shoot a couple boxes before you carry, and from time to time after you carry it, then no matter how good it might perform, it isn't the best choice.

 

[babalou]

I think you mean 9 vs ghey


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ooops sorry for the typo

 

[Bigchilli]

I'm shooting a Glock 19 and Glock 23 mate.

For a full size gun, go heavier. 124gn in 9mm and 180-200 in the 40. For smaller compact or subcompact, go 115 in the 9 or 165 in the 40. Depends on barrel length and twist overall. Specific gun would help with the debate.

 

[Docster]

Ruh roh. 9 vs 40.

Yep, this again

 

[Bullfrog]

Yep, this again

Actually it isn't.

His question is 9 vs 9 and .40 vs .40... ie, which bullets perform best in each firearm.

Of course, it will most likely drift in that direction.

 

[babalou]

Actually it isn't.

His question is 9 vs 9 and .40 vs .40... ie, which bullets perform best in each firearm.

Of course, it will most likely drift in that direction.

that is my fear. The suspense....