Does bullet grade matter?

L

lakings

Inactive
I recently purchased a S&W 45ACP M&P pistol. I was wondering if it matters/makes a difference whether I use 200 Gr or 230 Gr... Any suggestions??
 
i believe you are talking about grain not grade. and yes it does matter. most firearms shoot different weight bullets better than others. i always shoot a wide range of bullets in any new to me weapon to see what it likes. then i stick with a bullet in that grain to use at the range and for defense.
 
All else being equal (and it rarely ever is) heavier bullets tend to:
  • Penetrate deeper.
  • Hit higher on the target.
  • Cause more recoil.
 
Or pick the one that functions most reliably in your handgun. :)

For best reliability it's hard to beat a 230gr FMJ in any .45 autoloader.
 
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Just some silly factoids about bullet weights (grs. = grains, gr. = grain):

1 pound = 7,000 grs. = 454 grams
1 ounce = 43.75 grs. = 28.35 grams
1 dram = 24.3 grs. = 1.58 grams
*** = 10 grs. = 0.0649 grams
*** = 1 gr. = 0.0649 grams
 
In a 45ACP semi pistol, you might want to run lighter hollowpoints if your barrel is abnormally short. Esp. below 4", some 230gr JHPs won't get up enough speed to reliably expand. Hollowpoints need a certain speed to work right - from a 5" most of the quality 230gr JHPs work, but when the barrel shrinks and speeds drop, you start to see expansion failures. With a 200gr or even 185gr, speeds pick back up, expansion comes back from the 3" class barrels.
 
All else being equal (and it rarely ever is) heavier bullets tend to:
  • Penetrate deeper.
  • Hit higher on the target.
  • Cause more recoil.
Click to expand...
This is correct, but I'll add a few more.

Heavier bullets also tend to:
  • Drop more at long range, but this is rarely a factor at normal handgun combat ranges (i.e. <25 yd).
  • Retain more energy at long range because they have greater momentum. (Momentum is also the reason that they penetrate better.)
  • Leave the barrel at lower velocity.
In the case of handgun rounds that normally operate at low velocities to begin with (<800 fps), the last factor may prevent proper expansion of a hollowpoint or soft-point bullet. .45ACP unfortunately falls into this category of handgun rounds.

Handgun hunters often use heavy non-expanding bullets to penetrate the tough hides and thick, powerful muscles of large game animals. On the other hand, modern self-defense loads in larger calibers tend to utilize relatively light and fast hollowpoint bullets to ensure reliable expansion. Humans aren't as tough as hogs or elk, so the extra penetration would be wasted.
 
The good news is that hollowpoints have gotten better. In a 1911 with a 5" barrel, any of several quality 230s will expand well - Speer's Gold Dot is one. But out of a 3.5" tube? Not sure I'd trust it. I'd drop down to at least Speer's 200 and a case for the 185 can be made.
 
testing

Indicates certain modern-design 230g HP bullets will reliably expand (as if its velocity didn't matter) at impact velocities below 700fps (but only slightly below).

Factory 230g ammo fired from 'short' barrels I'd trust:
Speer Gold Dot
Remington Golden Saber
Winchester SXT / Ranger
Federal Hydra-Shok


(I don't; I make my own. I use the non-bonded 230g Golden Saber.)
 
I agree with those saying that using a lighter bullet in short-barrel .45s is a good thing ... I carry 185gr Golden Sabers in my Kimber Ultra Carry II ... the gun loves them and is very accurate at SD distances ... the gun doesn't like 230gr rounds and I can't get the same accuracy with them ... experimenting with your gun and a variety of bullet designs and weights is the ONLY way to determine what is right for you and your gun ...
 
In a SD situation the bandit isnt gonna know if he's hit with a 200 or 230 grn 45. 45s have a tendency to work with pretty much any bullet.

If you are trying to deside what bullet to use, try a bunch of differant kinds and see which one your gun likes and which one you can shoot.

The only 45 round I have actually used in a combat situations was the 45 Hard Ball. Let me tell you, that puppy works. Feeds in dam near anything and dosnt require magic, expansion or anything else.

Having said that, now the only thing I use in any of my pistols is cast bullets. 230 LRN for my 45s. The exception is 230 RN FMJ that is required in Bullseye EIC matches.

But don't accept what I or anyone else says, all shooters and all guns are differant. Try as many loads as you can and see what works for you and your gun.

An example, I have 4 ea 308 rifles, each one likes differant loadings. You have to develope a load for each and every one of your guns. Yeah I can load up a mess of them for plinking in all 4, but if I want them to shoot properly, the ammo has to be tailored for each gun.

JMHO
 
+1 Webley

a 158 gr bullet is approx 1/3 of an ounce. Thats what I was taught. Therefore
three .357 mag 158 gr bullets fired downrange equal an ounce of lead. This isn't exact but it helps when deciding on bullet weight when in the store.
 
Personally, I would go with 230gr. 45 acp loads. There just arent a whole lot of good 200gr loading out there. 230gr. Federal HST and Speer Gold Dot are two of the best available.
 
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