9mm Ammo - Day at the Range

[catnphx]

I posted this at MP-Pistol.com forum because 2 of the pistols I own are S&W M&P FS 9 and 9c. Thought I'd post if here too for those with a 9mm. Nothing scientific ... just based on feel. :mrgreen:

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My 16 year old daughter and I spent a couple of hours at Ben Avery Range yesterday blasting various ammo through our FS 9, 9c and S&W .357 640-1 ... great freaking day, beautiful weather and lots of fun. In 2 hours we blasted through about $200 of ammo - about $100 of the Walmart Federal 115gr range ammo (which works great) and $100 of 4 different premium loads (all purchased at Sportsman Warehouse).

Other than having a lot of fun, my real intent was to determine which of the four premium loads worked best in my 9 and 9c. The four brands were:

- Remington Golden Saber 147gr JHP (GS9MMC) - My TOP PICK in FS 9
- Remington Golden Saber 124gr +P JHP (GS9MMD)
- Winchester Supreme Elite PDX1 +P Bonded 124gf JHP (S9MMPDB)
- Speer Gold Dot Personal Protection 124gr GDHP (23618) - My TOP PICK in 9c

I chose these four loads because my research showed they all penetrated 12-15", the expansion results were good and they were all at Sportsman Warehouse. I shot all the 124gr bullets through the 9c and all but the Speer Gold Dot 124gr through my FS 9. I just ran out of ammo ... so next time I'm at the range, I'll try the 147gr in the 9c and the Speer Gold Dot through the FS 9.

Surprisingly, all 4 of these premium loads worked extremely well ... virtually an unnoticeable difference to me. If I had to pick though, they would be the 147gr Golden Saber (in the FS 9) and the 124gr Speer Gold Dot (in the 9c). They just felt good going through the gun.

Again, I just went for feel so this isn't a real scientific test and I would shot any of these brands through the gun in a SD situation. Anyway, just thought I'd pass on my thoughts to you all because these loads would do well for most people and this is all just my simple, humble and very unscientific opinion.

 

[LAZY EYED SNIPER]

Great info,

Thanks for the review.

 

[Rossignol]

Darn good review! I dont have anything in 9mm... I wonder how these rounds translate to .45 ACP?

 

[catnphx]

Darn good review! I dont have anything in 9mm... I wonder how these rounds translate to .45 ACP?

Are you suggesting a caliber war?

These 9mm rounds are excellent and will get the job done though. My full size S&W M&P 9mm has a 17+1 round capacity and the M&P 9c is 12+1. As you know, there is alot of good research on ammo but all these 9mm rounds I tried are some of the very best and meet the standards of penetration and expansion. That said, the .45 produces one big hole with the right ammo.

Unfortnately, I don't have a .45 pistol. When it came down to my next weapon to purchase, my final two choices were a .45 pistol or a 12 gauge shotgun. As you probably know, I am now the proud owner of a Mossberg 590A1 ... the pistol lost out this time. My next weapon purchase will defintely be the .45 though.

One final note ... I have never been to a range before. I've always done my shooting in the desert of Arizona. But Ben Avery is a great 5 star range that is only 1.5 miles from my house and it was about time I use it. I was a little anxious but those fears were quickly erased when the shooting started. I will use it again now and it will get me out much more ... it's a great range.

 

[Rossignol]

haha! No, no... no caliber war!

Nah, just wonderin about the specific brands you tested and if I could expect like results with the .45 ACP of the same brand! I promise, thats all!

 

[catnphx]

If you did upfront research on the brands knowing that they already met certain penetration and expansion results (based on others research), then it comes down to which feels best. If Google wasn't around and we had to do our own research on these types of things then your selections would be all over the board because all pistol loads are not created equal. I knew upfront that these 4 brands would do the job and so my main test was feel.

 

[DHonovich]

Thanks for taking the time to post up a review of your 9mm ammo.