Question about bullet weigh difference

[cecil]

I just bought a XL650 and will begin to set it up shortly after I build my loading bench... my question is - which bullet will shoot "softer" a 124gr or 147gr 9mm bullet... i have read where a heavier bullet shoots "softer" for the lack of a better term.. anyone have any feedback on my question ? i plan to order some bullets soon and before i do.. i would like to get some opinions on which bullet weight for "range/practice shooting..

tia

[Pensfan]

The biggest difference I have seen in my pistol between the two is the 124s tend to be more snappy and give a slightly sharper muzzle flip, while the 147s give more of a push backwards with less muzzle flip. Both are easily manageable, it really comes down to personal preference. I prefer the 147s, but for cost reasons may switch back to 124s after this current batch.

[mitchiepinoy]

147 because its less powder and you can hit the minimum PF easy.. Get the RAINIER BALLISTICS bullet heads... Goodluck

[Jonathan Taliani]

You are correct that most perceive heavier bullets as having a softer recoile impulse. The snappier feel of the 124s isn't necessarily a bad thing though. While the recoil pulse feels more sharp, it also ends more quickly. Your best bet is to practice with both and see which you prefer. Ideally, you should look at both the timer and your at speed groupings. Your perception of which feels better may not yield better competitive results.

[Torogi]

Ive gone through this route recently. Exclusively shooting 147s for over a year. I experienced tumbling so I eventually ditched 147s.

+1 on felt recoil. 115, 124, 135 or 147, its manageable. Light? its snappy, yeah, but it snaps back quick. Heavy? slow, yeah, but it is still faster than you can see.

BIGGEST thing to consider is accuracy. Use the bullet that gives you the tightest group. I settled with 135 for now. Trying to load up 124s and compare accuracy.

[Hi-Power Jack]

which bullet will shoot "softer" a 124gr or 147gr

Cecil, the 147 will shoot "softer" but you may not like it,

and it may not be accurate in YOUR gun.

Best approach is order small lot of each type bullet

and try them out - see which you and your gun prefer.

[Sin-ster]

There's a lot more to the equation than just "soft vs snappy", and as noted earlier, you really need to run some tests to figure out what you prefer. (Also note that it may change over time...)

I prefer 124's for two specific reasons:

1) 147's feel laggy to me, as if I'm waiting on slide to cycle. In reality, I'm just waiting on the sights to settle down.

2) I can call my shots notably better with 124's, as my eyes perceive the "vanishing" front sight (occurs earlier in the recoil) than the "dwelling" one of the 147's.

Also consider what your PISTOL will prefer, accuracy wise. In my case, the 124 grain Montana Gold JHP's are by far the most accurate projectile of the half dozen I've tried. Couple that with the fact that in my testing, all loads using N320 become more accurate with greater velocities and it's a no-brainer for me all the way around.

[njl]

Ive gone through this route recently. Exclusively shooting 147s for over a year. I experienced tumbling so I eventually ditched 147s.

+1 on felt recoil. 115, 124, 135 or 147, its manageable. Light? its snappy, yeah, but it snaps back quick. Heavy? slow, yeah, but it is still faster than you can see.

BIGGEST thing to consider is accuracy. Use the bullet that gives you the tightest group. I settled with 135 for now. Trying to load up 124s and compare accuracy.

I'm curious which 147gr bullets gave you tumbling problems? I've had that with X-Treme, only from my G34. They shoot fine from my G17...in fact very accurately...but from the 34, they practically alternate between right on, and way off + tumbling. I haven't figured out why...but it appears PD's 147s behave in both guns, so no more plated bullets for me.

[CeeZer]

Pretty much what Sin-ster said.

BUT, some accomplished shooters DO prefer 147gr bullet. It's not just about split times, transitions are even more important!!

Splits= 0.13-0.08sec, while transitions= 0.4-0.2 sec.

0.05 vs 0.2 sec diff?!...

You will know whadda ma taukin 'bout if you shoot 12 stages match, with total trigger time being about 5 minutes, and beating next guy by 0.6sec.

[Torogi]

I'm curious which 147gr bullets gave you tumbling problems? I've had that with X-Treme, only from my G34. They shoot fine from my G17...in fact very accurately...but from the 34, they practically alternate between right on, and way off + tumbling. I haven't figured out why...but it appears PD's 147s behave in both guns, so no more plated bullets for me.

It was a moly coated bullet, Bear Creek. Also experienced it with MG 147gr CMJ. but less occurrence. BUT still..