Bullet Weight

[Mr. Ed]

I have a newbie question that I need help with.

I have read on this forum that different folks like different bullet weights for the way the pistol recoil reacts to it.

For instance 9MM comes in 115g, 124g and 147g. I have read that the recoil feels less with the heaver bullets.

I don't understand this and need an explanation.

Thanks, Ed

[G-ManBart]

Here are a couple to read...you can search for many more.

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=119555&view=findpost&p=1352707

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=118083&view=findpost&p=1337181

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=117992&view=findpost&p=1336374

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=110817&view=findpost&p=1258140

[CJDOUBLETAP]

Lighter bullets will make the slide cycle faster than heavier bullets, thus making the sights track at different speeds. The amount of "recoil" is the same. It’s all visual...

I prefer lighter bullets to heavier because everything seems to happen a bit faster. Just personal preference...

[G-ManBart]

Lighter bullets will make the slide cycle faster than heavier bullets, thus making the sights track at different speeds. The amount of "recoil" is the same. It’s all visual...

You do realize that the first two comments you make are contradictory, don't you? If the slide travels faster, it has more energy. That energy transfers to the frame when the slide stops at the end of it's travel, and then it gets transferred to your hand. More energy to your hand = more recoil.

It's pretty hard to argue with Newton

The other thing is that I actually only know two or three people who have ever done slide speed measurements with various weight bullets, and they aren't competitive shooters...everybody else is just guessing. The testing came up after Glock told a major law enforcement agency that they didn't know what the proper slide speed was/should be for any of their 9, 40, or .45 models. So, some folks I know set out to solve that riddle. The short answer is heavier bullets don't always make the slide cycle slower. R,

[superdude]

bullet weight and bullet velocity do not always translate into predicting recoil. the other factor is the gunpowder charge weight and burn speed, which can dramtically affect recoil.

see:

http://www.38super.net/Pages/Recoil.html

[CocoBolo]

This looks like a fun post. I don't really worry much about slide speed, mostly I concern myself with how well I can control the gun when attempting to shoot fast. Still have not managed to go too fast, but faster than 2/3's of the other competitors. I first shot good old fathifull walley world ammo, cheaper is better. As I progressed thru the abiss known as practicle shooting I soon discovered that the 125gr bullets knocked the steel down bettter, well when you hit it anyway. I was very content to just shoot 125gr for a long time and pondered many times why so many were seemingly obsessed with wasting more money and piling up more lead with 147gr. Being an avid reloader one day at the gun shop there on the shelf was a box of 500 i47gr Zeros calling me, try me. So I got the 147 JHP's and decided to give them a run at the next match, grabbed a black bottle out of the powder fridge and loaded up 200. Well while I thought my Shadow was the closest thing to recoiless and flipless shooting with the 125gr I was again wrong, the 147gr was like shooting a 22 conversion. After the match I cronoed the rounds and sure enough they made powder factor with room to spare.

Now for the abiss part, each shooter percievies recoil and flip in his/her own way/mind. That mind changes over time with more expierence and imputed skill. There are enough factors for a Tolstoy novel but suffice to say that plastic guns and steel guns IMHO seem to react differently to powder ignition. One basic universal shared truth amog expierenced shoots is that with the non compensated gun heavier bullets and faster powder produce less perceived recoil and flip. This would tend to run amok with how shotgun and rifle experts talk about a slower powder extending the expended energy from the ignition over a longer period of time. Unfortunatley we can't put one of those high density celluar butt plates on a hand gun.

In factory ammo none of the rules apply because we don't know what kind of powder they are using or how they came up with the advertised velocity, its just more of a T&E process, try one if it works stick with it.

Nobody has mentioned it but, the recoil spring rate is something we change when our percepiton of recoil needs a change, if it is hitting you in the palm like a Louisville Slugger then increase the spring rate, but be ware that energy has to go somewhere so its up in more flip. It is finding the right combination of slam and flip that intersects with your shooting style.

Bottom line try some of each find out what works for you, we can only tell you what works for us.

[paul788]

One thing that was left out of the other replies is that the heavy bullet/fast powder=less recoil is true only if you are concerned about power factor. Power factor is 125 for minor which is what a 9mm will be unless you're shooting open and then you wouldn't of asked this question. The absolute least recoil load will be the lightest bullet at the lowest velocity. For power factor of 125 a 147 gr. bullet needs to be moving at 850 feet per sec. while a 115 gr. needs 1087 fps. Most people perceive the heavy bullet/fast powder combo as having less felt recoil.

Clear as mud?

Paul

[CJDOUBLETAP]

The short answer is heavier bullets don't always make the slide cycle slower. R,

How so?

Say you are shooting 9mm, you have a 95gr bullet load and a 147gr bullet load, both with the same type of powder loaded to the same power factor. The 95gr bullet, I'm pretty sure is moving the slide faster, I've tried it. I have not actually used some type of instrument to measure the speed but from what I can see with my two eyes the 95gr load definitely tracks faster than the 147.

Maybe I'm wrong and the lighter bullet just shoots a little flatter and is tricking my eyes into thinking that it is actually cycling the slide faster...?

Could you please explain?

Thanks

[njl]

Simple solution is buy a few hundred of each bullet weight, load them to minor PF, and see what you think. I thought my 130pf 124gr load was much lower recoil than factory 115gr ammo...then I loaded some 147gr bullets to about the same pf and was amazed by how much less perceived recoil there was.

I started out with 1000 147gr Extreme's and quickly ordered another 2k.