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Favorite weight 9mm bullet in M&P9


Derrel

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I started with 124's then switched to the magic 147's. Sold them and went back to 124's for good. I suggest you order smaller quantities of some various 147's and try for yourself. Not everybody likes 147's plus they cost more bullet for bullet.

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What is the reason for the 147 vs lighter bullet debates? in my M&P9L (5") i have been loading 147gr berry's under 3.4gr titegroup to a 1.150 OAL. these feel great to me.

Doesn't the 115's and 124's actually have a snappier recoil pulse?

I have been curious about this for a while now, because everytime i ask 3 people this question, i seem to get 4 different answers

Edited by DsWright
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What is the reason for the 147 vs lighter bullet debates? in my M&P9L (5") i have been loading 147gr berry's under 3.4gr titegroup to a 1.150 OAL. these feel great to me.

Doesn't the 115's and 124's actually have a snappier recoil pulse?

I have been curious about this for a while now, because everytime i ask 3 people this question, i seem to get 4 different answers

The common response to this that I find is people talking about the softer recoil leaving them waiting for the slide to return to battery. Some prefer a slightly snappier round so it cycles things faster?

This is just from reading others comments though, so take it with a grain of salt. I'm in the 'research' rounds/loads/thoughts phase.

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I'm a fan of the heavier weight bullet's ability to knock down steel poppers with more authority.

Wouldn't 2 bullets at equal power factor have the same knock down "authority"?

Seems like a pound of feathers vs a pound of nails type of thing.

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I'm a fan of the heavier weight bullet's ability to knock down steel poppers with more authority.

Wouldn't 2 bullets at equal power factor have the same knock down "authority"?

Seems like a pound of feathers vs a pound of nails type of thing.

I think that the heavier bullet retains the same energy for longer than the lighter bullet so it more capable of "pushing" the steel over rather than "popping" it over.

Edited by DoubleA
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I've always heard that the M&P 9s favor heavier bullets over lighter, for accuracy-- with 115's being on the light side, and 124's being the start of "good groups". It's even more so for the Pro's, apparently.

FWIW, I've only put ~500 rounds of 115 (factory) through my 9 Pro and observed the same thing, upon switching to 124 MG JHPs. Given, the JHP's are more accurate by default (through more consistent construction), but even prior to fully developing my load, the improvement over the 115's were visible even free hand at 15 yards. Not sure how it might work out for 147's, but it's something to consider at least if you decide to test them all out.

I can't stand 147's loaded to ~130 PF, in any platform. I know I'm not mechanically outrunning the slide, but it definitely feels like I'm waiting around. Most importantly, the sights disrupt in a way that I'm not used to and my timing seems dramatically off. I shot so much factory prior to setting up for reloading, and so much 124 since then, the "snappy" recoil is simply what I must have-- or go through several tens of thousands of rounds training to something new.

FWIW, my load:

MG 124 grain JHP

4.1 grains VV N320

1.140 OAL

Federal SPP

And it feels like a squirt gun. DRASTICALLY less perceived recoil than with even the slowest factory 115s. In other words, I feel like the "snappiness" of 124 grain Minor handloads is overstated, provided you're using a fast burning powder. FYI-- I'm running a fairly worn 15# recoil spring, which drops the flip-and-dip down a bit more without the risk of the gun not going into battery (at least, not yet in my experience). I've got a 13# to try, just haven't gotten around to it...

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I tend to get better groups with 124gr bullets so that is what I'm sticking with.

Which reminds me-- every gun, even within a certain make and model, will be different in what it prefers.

I lucked out, and mine likes the same bullets that I do! :lol:

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Agreed, was shooting 147's but I am now getting better groups with 124's. The 147's shot very soft but after changing powders the 124's are about the same in the recoil dept. Compared to the 147's the 124's are more accurate, just as pleasant to shoot, and are cheaper. And my range bag is lighter. What's not to like?

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