9mm, 115 gr bullet or 124gr?

[kennedy759]

I have not owned a 9 mm for many years and now think I may need one if the world goes to hell. anyway, seeing some good deals on bulk 115 and 124 gr bullets, will be using universal powder, which do you prefer?

 

[2in1evtime]

I prefer124 grain, .356 diameter bullets they shoot better for me!

 

[Creedmoor]

We shoot nothing but 124 grain 9mm's that we reload. I dont load them with Universal I use Unique in a +P amount.
I tend to cast my own or I buy from,
Coated from Summit City who is an Industry Partner here on INGO
and Jacketed from,
Rocky Mountain.

9mm 124 Gr. RMR Full Metal Jacket Round Nose Bullets | RMR Bullets

RMR’s 9mm 124 Full Metal Jacket bullets. These bullets are made by us! The more of these you buy, the sooner we will be able to get more machines to make additional calibers!! These bullets are Made In The USA. They are manufactured at our Lewiston, Idaho location.

www.rmrbullets.com

What pushed you into loading with Universal?

 

[bgcatty]

Depends on the pistol. My Beretta 92FS will only shoot 124 grn pills as I believe it was regulated for 124 grain pills per NATO specifications. Same goes for my Sig P226. Had a S&W SD9VE and it shot 115's fine. Again, depends on the pistol.

 

[kennedy759]

We shoot nothing but 124 grain 9mm's that we reload. I dont load them with Universal I use Unique in a +P amount.
I tend to cast my own or I buy from,
Coated from Summit City who is an Industry Partner here on INGO
and Jacketed from,
Rocky Mountain.

9mm 124 Gr. RMR Full Metal Jacket Round Nose Bullets | RMR Bullets

RMR’s 9mm 124 Full Metal Jacket bullets. These bullets are made by us! The more of these you buy, the sooner we will be able to get more machines to make additional calibers!! These bullets are Made In The USA. They are manufactured at our Lewiston, Idaho location.

www.rmrbullets.com

What pushed you into loading with Universal?

I use it in all of my pistol reloads(32 auto,38,40,357 sig,44sp, 45LC) and 16 ga, but since the shortage I am using WSF for 16 ga. It meters great, very consistent, lots of load data

 

[kennedy759]

We shoot nothing but 124 grain 9mm's that we reload. I dont load them with Universal I use Unique in a +P amount.
I tend to cast my own or I buy from,
Coated from Summit City who is an Industry Partner here on INGO
and Jacketed from,
Rocky Mountain.

9mm 124 Gr. RMR Full Metal Jacket Round Nose Bullets | RMR Bullets

RMR’s 9mm 124 Full Metal Jacket bullets. These bullets are made by us! The more of these you buy, the sooner we will be able to get more machines to make additional calibers!! These bullets are Made In The USA. They are manufactured at our Lewiston, Idaho location.

www.rmrbullets.com

What pushed you into loading with Universal?

I have bought from RMR before, good product

 

[BackFromDC]

124gr if you're reloading. It's hard to justify 115gr on cost basis since factory ammo (from reputable companies) are getting cheaper since the corona times. Granted I can still press out 115gr for 14 cents per round, that's not much different than something off the shelf. I've got to 124gr or 147gr just because it sounds better out of a suppressor.

 

[Ziggidy]

It may all be in my head but I think I have better control with 124gr

 

[foszoe]

124 gr here.

 

[d.kaufman]

Also in the 124gr camp here

 

[WanderingSol07]

I tried 115, 124, and 147 grain in my S & W 9mm Shield 2.0. The flash corona at night with the 147 grain was about 3 foot in diameter. Couldn't see anything after the first shot. The 124 was not as big about 1 foot but still hard to deal with. The 115 hardly produced a flash. This was ammo made by Fiocchi. My carry ammo is Hornady or Speer now and almost no flash. I suspect a longer barrel would give more time for the power to burn and create less flash.

 

[chadm]

I tried 115, 124, and 147 grain in my S & W 9mm Shield 2.0. The flash corona at night with the 147 grain was about 3 foot in diameter. Couldn't see anything after the first shot. The 124 was not as big about 1 foot but still hard to deal with. The 115 hardly produced a flash. This was ammo made by Fiocchi. My carry ammo is Hornady or Speer now and almost no flash. I suspect a longer barrel would give more time for the power to burn and create less flash.

Interesting. Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[42253]

124gr

 

[Crandall Crank]

I must be the odd one here...115 grain for me

 

[CB1911]

I have never tried Universal but have loaded 9mm with lots of different powders. I have used a variety of 115/124/147 grain bullets to develop satisfactory to excellent loads. Between 115 and 124's, I would lean towards the 124's just based on my personal experience out of my pistols. Like a lot of things in life, sometimes in the middle is the sweet spot.

 

[ECS686]

I’ve had better accuracy with 124 and 147 so I tend to keep somewhere between those 2 as my go to in 9mm. Just been my experience

 

[Amishman44]

I tried 115, 124, and 147 grain in my S & W 9mm Shield 2.0. The flash corona at night with the 147 grain was about 3 foot in diameter. Couldn't see anything after the first shot. The 124 was not as big about 1 foot but still hard to deal with. The 115 hardly produced a flash. This was ammo made by Fiocchi. My carry ammo is Hornady or Speer now and almost no flash. I suspect a longer barrel would give more time for the power to burn and create less flash.

In shorter barreled pistols, I prefer 115 grain simply because they generate a tad more velocity and are slightly easier to handle, felt recoil-wise. In a duty-sized pistol, I prefer 124 grain and in the EPC-9 with the 10.5" heavy barrel, it absolutely loves standard pressure 147 grain for accuracy!

 

[kennedy759]

thanks for your responses, looks like I need to buy a 9mm gun first, try it out with some factory ammo and proceed accordingly

 

[foszoe]

thanks for your responses, looks like I need to buy a 9mm gun first, try it out with some factory ammo and proceed accordingly

That is what I ALWAYS do. It costs me some money, but i go buy 10 or si boxes of self defense ammo, various grains, and shoot groups of 5. Then I carry what is best. For me 124 hr Federal HSTt or Hornady usually groups best. Is it enough to REALLY matter, on paper, yes, IRL probably not but psychologically it does.

That said ask the manufacturer what they tested the gun with.

For my Beretta 92 that I bought as a teenager because it was all the movie rage, I always bout 115 because it's all over the place. When I got into my 30s, I got a little more serious and did some research. Beretta tested that gun on 124 gr so I tried it. They were right!

 

[ECS686]

That is what I ALWAYS do. It costs me some money, but i go buy 10 or si boxes of self defense ammo, various grains, and shoot groups of 5. Then I carry what is best. For me 124 hr Federal HSTt or Hornady usually groups best. Is it enough to REALLY matter, on paper, yes, IRL probably not but psychologically it does.

That said ask the manufacturer what they tested the gun with.

For my Beretta 92 that I bought as a teenager because it was all the movie rage, I always bout 115 because it's all over the place. When I got into my 30s, I got a little more serious and did some research. Beretta tested that gun on 124 gr so I tried it. They were right!

While all guns have their loads they like. The issue with 115 factory loaded range ammo is a couple things.

1st 9mm 115 ball target range fodder is made or put together about as cheap as it can be. 2 while no it’s not a sniper round or anything I also believe the mass on 115 ball can sometimes be just enough less than 124-147 that you can see some diminishing accuracy. Nothing that makes it unsuitable to put it in a A zone but not match grade either.
Now I use to be issued Federal 9bp 115 JHP and it was a lot more accurate than any ball 115 so if it’s a premium load it should (should) shoot better than ball no matter the grain weight

I have. Early S&W M&P that shoots like a laser with 115, 124 and 147 and probably would of loaded white rocks in a case too LOL

My Sig 226 Legion while is pretty accurate with anything a 124 and 147 is night and day difference better!