Help me pick carry load for short barreled 9mm

Help me pick carry load for PPS M2

  • Speer GD 115gr

    Votes: 8 14.0%

  • Speer GD 124+p

    Votes: 6 10.5%

  • Speer GD 124+p SB

    Votes: 4 7.0%

  • Federal HST 124gr

    Votes: 25 43.9%

  • Federal HST 147gr

    Votes: 12 21.1%

  • Remington GS 124+p

    Votes: 4 7.0%
  • Total voters
    57
  • Poll closed .
S

Slimjim9

New member
This is for my new PPS M2 and I'm running this same poll over on the Walther forum, but it probably holds for any 3-3.5" barreled 9mm (G43, G26, XDS, Shield) so thought I'd run it here too.

Help me choose a carry load. I shot a variety of FMJ loads in my first hundred including 115,124,135, and 147gr weights. The first 3 were from Freedom Munitions and the last was Winchester Train. No problems with any but I could feel the differences.

Of course the primary considerations for a carry load is that it has effective penetration and expansion from a short barreled pistol. Beyond that I'd prefer that it be available in 50-round boxes (I.e about $0.50/round), not be overly harsh on the gun(or shooter), and not overly flippy with the flush fit mag.

Comparing the Lucky Gunner testing and SG Ammo inventory, I think the contenders are:

Speer GD 115gr (16.4"/0.55"/1143fps)
Speer GD 124+p (16.8"/0.52"/1141fps)
Speer GD 124+p SB (18.2"/0.51"/1160fps)
Federal HST 124gr (18.3"/0.61"/1135fps)
Federal HST 147gr (15.2"/0.61"/973fps)
Remington GS 124+p (18.2"/0.66"/1170fps)

Just looking at the numbers I think the Speer 115gr and Federal HST 124gr look as good as any of the +P loads. Can anyone comment on the "flippy factor" of any of these? Others I should consider?
 
Oops, I clicked the wrong Speer load. Meant to click 124gr SB. Speer's published ballistics for 3.5" barrel look good and it shoots well out of my PPS. Easily controllable and accurate. Zilch on the flip factor for me. It is what I use when I am carrying the PPS.
 
Yeah, I had forgotten that series. From my choices, he likes the standard pressure HST better than any of the Gold Dot loads, though all on my list would be OK (just not the 124 standard pressure which failed to expand).
 
Not on the list or the chart, but I still carry Federal 9BP plain hollowpoint.
No doubt you can do better on ballistics, but you cannot beat my 30 years of experience with its accuracy and reliability. I am not willing to spend the time and money to prove out another load.
 
Buy a box of each and try it in your pistol. Use the brand/bullet weight that you and your pistol shoot best. The price of the ammo means nothing.
 
Bump up for any other input. My order for HST 124 and 147 came in today and I happened to have a box of HCD 115 FTX in the closet so I hope to give those a go tomorrow.
 
V crown does look like a good option. There are some places online with the 50-rd boxes. Will have to check those out of the HSTs don't pan out.

Unfortunately I didn't make it out to the range today - looking like Sunday afternoon now. :(
 
The Sig is also a lot less expensive for the moment. They want to gain market share against all of the big makers. Normally the only big competitors for A grade ammunition are rem, fed,win, but for ad pistol, there are also Speer, hornady, and a few others. Then there are over a dozen small makers like buffalo.

The bullet is from Sierra.
 
The Sig has the big, wide open hp, and I can see how it would cut a plug through a 4play denim, but I've never really felt that that test really mattered to me.

The second test, did he really fire only one round? He also failed to show the calibration results.. neither of the rounds performed normally, and neither of them performed like other testing has.

I've seen other testing that gave good results. Frankly, I'm going to just ignore the second video. Nothing about it looked right. The first video was exactly as it should perform, consistent with other test, but the four ply denim, not surprisingly, sucked. I don't know how other rounds perform in that test, but if weather patterns led me to expect such heavy clothing I'd probably carry hornady
 
If you ever do shoot someone, be certain to post lots of pics, demand access to the autopsy, and post pics of the wounds and recovered rounds.

I have a handful of books from police academy days about death investigation and other dead people subjects that I could put on eBay for a fortune.
 
And the winner is...?

Federal HST 124gr ! :) :cool:

Just a little more controllable than the 147 for me. Plus I found a pretty reasonable practice round in the Freedom Munitions 124gr NATO round which is a bit hotter than their standard 124gr RN load.

I also had a few Hornady Critical Defense 115gr FTX. I only shot 5 of those. A tiny bit softer than the HST 124 but the HST seems to have enough better ballistics to go with that. I'm not sure which I'd pick second between the HST 147 and HCD 115 FTX.

Still no issues with any load I've thrown down it - from 115, 124, 135, 147gr - round nose, flat point, two kinds of hollow points. Only 200 rounds total so far but I can tell this is going to be a favorite. Now I'm just waiting on the rest of the carry rig to come in.
 
Ammo Quest found the Federal HSST124gr standard pressure performed perfectly. That is my carry load in short barrels.
 
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