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9mm bullet selection


hrdstmax

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I'm getting ready to place an order for bullets from bluebullets and wanted to get some opinions on which ones to buy. I have been shooting berry's 115gr fmj and seem to be getting below average results out of my M&P9 ProL.I am looking to go with a heavier bullet since I heard this gun shoots better with heavier bullets. I'm looking at either 125gr or 147gr. Blue bullets doesn't offer anything but these two and i'm trying to get the most bang for my buck. Any opinions? I use Titegroup since its pretty much the only thing that has been available lately.

Edited by hrdstmax
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I picked up 1200 125's from the SC Sectional match and have been very pleased with them. I had two pounds of Titegroup delivered yesterday so I'll be working up a load with them this weekend. I've tried shooting 115, 124 and 147's (all from Bayou) back-to-back in the same magazine and I couldn't tell a difference. I don't think you can go wrong with either the 125 or the 147's. You could always buy 250 round sample packs in 125 and 147 and give those a try to see which you prefer and to see if one runs better in the gun than the other.

Good luck and let us know what you end up going with.

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Out of mine the 147's were by far the best. I did like the recoil pulse of the 125's slightly better but most folks I know like the 147's a little better.

Just a side note my standard size m&p had awful accuracy with anything but 147's which were ok accuracy. I got the new Smith barrel from midway and now my standard size pistol shoots 125's like a rifle.

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Don't know about blue bullets but both of my pro's, one with a KKM barrel and one with the new twist S&W shoot 115's very accurate.

They both shoot 147 Zero's like a shotgun.

Beware, buy some samples before jumping in.

I bought 5000 of the 147's because they shoot much softer but the sacrifice in accuracy has been killing me at matches.

I've gone back to 115's and love them.

Now, I have 4000 practice rounds. . .

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Every 9mm M&P I've ever tested for accuracy has been best with 124-125 jhps, with the exception of one full-sized I own that is most accurate with 115 jhps.

You have to try different loads in YOUR gun. They all seem to have their own likes, and dislikes.

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Don't know about blue bullets but both of my pro's, one with a KKM barrel and one with the new twist S&W shoot 115's very accurate.

Is there a way you can look at the barrel and know if it's new or old twist rate? My 9 pro was made in May of this year, I think, but I really don't know if it has the new barrel or not.

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Easier to just look for the slower twist... look down the two barrels, 1 in 10" is almost 50% less than orginal 1 in 18". Not sure when Smith changed 9mm barrel twist. 5906 and model 59 were 1in 10". New 929 Smith revolver is also 1 in 10" . KKM 9mm smith barrels are 1 in 20".

If you want to see almost no twist look at a KKM 9mm with a 1 in 32" twist. The best 9mm 50 yard targets I have seen with 115 125 gn bullets have all come from KKM 1 in 32" barrels (1911 and Beretta M9) :yawn:

Tom

Edited by 9146gt
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I use Titegroup since its pretty much the only thing that has been available lately.

Pick up a couple kegs for me, then, will you? I've been scrounging.

I'm fond of the 147s, but push them to the same power factor, and I think you'd be satisfied with either, provided you don't run into the problems with twist other posters have mentioned. You may need a little tweaking of OAL depending on the bullet profile to get it to chamber right, combined with the fact you'll be near max with Titegroup to hit minor.

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I shoot berry's 124gr RN + titegroup and love them. I shoot them with my M&P 9 FS and Pro. The pro I have was manufactured in april 2014 and has the new core backstraps. The pro right out of the box was shooting way better groups than I ever shot with my FS with the berry's 124. Not sure of the twist rate on the barrel but it has one punch on the chamber bottom end.

Edited by rialcel
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  • 2 weeks later...

Just started shooting some Xtreme plated bullets in 135 grain with CFE pistol with good results. I generally like the 147's but thought I would give the 135's a try. Barrel stays pretty clean.

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hi ya, good topic. I think we need to consider what is being shot:

all along I have used 147gn; both my own lead cast, and bought moly and plated.

then I bought some 124gn to see if they are more accurate

however I shoot steel matches and the plates don't fall all the time with 124's

so I am back to 147's

no SW's just XD and CZ in 9mm. fwiw.

cheers,

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I agree with Saab. My Pro core has the newer high twist rate barrel and the 115's were noticeably more accurate than the 124's or 147's. I'm positive someone else posted that the newer barrel liked the 115's better as well, and the older/slower twist S&W barrel did better with the 124's or 147's.

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Mine too. 147's over any of the usual powders is great until about 15 yards, then it turns into a shotgun pattern. 124's are good enough but 115's make a ragged hole at 25 from a rest. Mine has the single dot on the barrel. My old M&P Pro with the original barrel shoots 147's incredibly.

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So I have since received my 125 and 115's from blue bullets and it appears that my pistol favors the 115's... After reading every ones advice on the 147's I opted to go with the 115's... i have used bayou bullets in the past and I seem to like the coating on those better. Nothing wrong with the blue bullets but the coating just seems thicker and more "paint" like. Either way bullets shoot great and an overall great product. I think I'm going to stick with blue bullets for a while. Thanks for the advice....

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have shot their 125 RN and their 147 FP out of a CZ. All worked great. The 147's were the second most accurate of the 10 or so bullets I tested from many manufacturers. I went with them because I get measurably better splits from 147's over 124/5s. CZs, like M&P's, are notorious for needing to be loaded short. You can get 250 bullet batches from Blue Bullets. Work up loads for both and see what your gun likes.

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