its time to put the black talons back in the box and save them so im looking for THE most powerful 9mm 147g that expands well. I hear XTP Hydra shok ranger t etc... but i cant seem to find anything on which one hits the hardest and still expands well. Im wondering about actual testing not what the manufacturer puts on the box. from what i can find so far the hydra shoks seem to be the most used but from a couple of tests i have seen online it seems to break apart a lot in wet pack. Im open to 124 +p or +P+ but i prefer to carry the heaviest grain bullet in all of my weapons for hunting, and defense. are there any 147 +p or +P+ in 147 that penetrate as good as standard charge rounds? i guess what im looking for mostly is a 147 that will expand to around .6 or more and will penetrate at least 12 inches and from what i have seen the 147 standard penetrates deeper and the +p expands better with less penetration.
most powerful 9mm
- Thread starter austinr09
- Start date
If 12" deep with max expansion is your goal, you might want to look at some lighter bulleted loads. They tend to be more decisive in a fight. For hunting purposes any 9mm HP will require unobstructed entry to reach a deer sized animal's vitals. By the same token, any FMJ regardless of weight will take small game cleanly. A good 115 Gold Dot, Golden Saber, XTP, DPX, hydra-shok, etc in a +P load looks an awful lot like a .357 125gr from a 4" barrel.* A 115 +P packs more Ft/lbs of energy than any 147gr load.
*I said "like", not equal to.
If however, you prefer a 124 or 147, you still should be well armed. Just remember that the 9mm made it's bad reputation on Non-expanding and/or heavy & slow bullets. It began to redeem itself with lighter, faster HPs at +P velocities. Even the mighty .357 was still a so-so fight stopper until the 125gr hollowpoint came along.
I usually try to remain true to the OP's request, but these are my thoughts on the "nine" for your stated purposes.
*I said "like", not equal to.
If however, you prefer a 124 or 147, you still should be well armed. Just remember that the 9mm made it's bad reputation on Non-expanding and/or heavy & slow bullets. It began to redeem itself with lighter, faster HPs at +P velocities. Even the mighty .357 was still a so-so fight stopper until the 125gr hollowpoint came along.
I usually try to remain true to the OP's request, but these are my thoughts on the "nine" for your stated purposes.
.357 Magnum gets my vote 
http://www.chuckhawks.com/ammo_by_anonymous.htm
is a good read if you have time.
He suggests Federal 115grain JHP, with some other good choices and some choices to avoid.
http://www.chuckhawks.com/ammo_by_anonymous.htm
is a good read if you have time.
He suggests Federal 115grain JHP, with some other good choices and some choices to avoid.
Get a Boberg Pistol... Maximum power, minimum size... appears to be well built..
http://www.bobergarms.com/
I have a rifle to purchase next and after that this is my next goal...
http://www.bobergarms.com/
I have a rifle to purchase next and after that this is my next goal...
I don't know about "most powerful" but my round of choice is the Speer 124 gr. Gold Dot +P. You'll find a list of recommended 9mm rounds here: http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=19887. It is not necessarily all-inclusive but all those recommendations were based on real tests and real data.
All modern, factory-produced, defensive ammunition is about the same. The debate about which is better is marketing created by the various companies. Some may be very marginally better than others.
When it is statistically proven that 9mm is the same as .45ACP in real world scenarios, how much difference do you think there is between 9mm 147gr Gold Dots and 9mm 147gr PDX-1?
When it is statistically proven that 9mm is the same as .45ACP in real world scenarios, how much difference do you think there is between 9mm 147gr Gold Dots and 9mm 147gr PDX-1?
I've had 124 GoldDot HP exit deer on broadside shots at 15-20'. Possibly not every time but each time I checked there was an exit. For most purposes, a deer's chest cavity is about the same as a human and a vehicle struck but still alive deer is about as high on adrenaline as you can get. One shot was all any required to immediately stop activity. If more "power" is required, you need a bigger launching device(bigger case or bigger caliber).
Cheapshooter
New member
It's called a 165 grain 40 S&W!!!!
+1 for samsmix. You may want to checkout CorBon's +P JHP #SD09115, 115 gr, 1350 fps muzzle velocity and 466 ft-lb muzzle energy. I don't know of any other weight (124 gr and above) in 9mm with that much muzzle energy. Perhaps at 25 yards a 147 gr bullet may produce more energy.
Remington GS probably the best bet. Does good at the sub sonic load. It will expand at speeds lower than others.
Hand load it up to even better.
Caveat: Its a werid bullet as its a semi bore rider, has a lot of friction that runs slower than a comparable 147 normal and I assume more pressure.
As slow a burning powder as you can find and all over the map on how to load it up.
Note: I got tired of the speculation and bought a box to see what the COAL actually was form Remington factory. 1.140 average. 5 gr of powder in it but no idea what.
There is NO official hand load data for this bullet.
comment: I think the 124s are the right way to go. If you want zip then a 357 Sig in the 124 is the way to go.
Hand load it up to even better.
Caveat: Its a werid bullet as its a semi bore rider, has a lot of friction that runs slower than a comparable 147 normal and I assume more pressure.
As slow a burning powder as you can find and all over the map on how to load it up.
Note: I got tired of the speculation and bought a box to see what the COAL actually was form Remington factory. 1.140 average. 5 gr of powder in it but no idea what.
There is NO official hand load data for this bullet.
comment: I think the 124s are the right way to go. If you want zip then a 357 Sig in the 124 is the way to go.
Glad to see you scrapped the poorly performing Black Talon, especially in 147 gr.
XTP never expanded worth a dang in 147 gr. Use it for hunting something where you need deep penetration.
The HST expands so well, that it doesn't have to be "the most powerful". Not all 147 grain bullets in that caliber are equal. HST may be the best, though others are now using the latest technology in that weight. With better bullet design, there's been a renewed interest in 147 9mm, but I've only comments from LE officers whose departments use HST --all good reports.
147 HST+P chrono's at 1000 fps from my P228.
124 gr. HST, and Gold dot are very good. Again, with better bullet techology, it isn't necessary to drive these bullets at the most max. pressure you can get a hold of. You now have reliable expansion thru clothing with regular 'ol +P.
124 HST +P chrono's at a little over 1200 fps. from the same P228
124 +P Gold Dot JHP chrono's at 1200 fps.
If you have to have the hottest, then look at Ranger Talon +P+. Google around, it's available on line.
If you want a truly hot 9mm, there's the .357 SIG.
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claydoctor
New member
Don't remember the details but several "authorities", including Massad Ayoob, have disparaged the use of 147 gr nine millimeter ammo.
Super Sneaky Steve
New member
http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=120
This is the stuff you want. Anytime you want maximum power, look no further than Buffalo Bore.
This is the stuff you want. Anytime you want maximum power, look no further than Buffalo Bore.
What 147 gr. bullets did you test?
Too much penetration is a product of one thing----lack of bullet expansion.
If you test the 147 HST in the accepted 10% gelatin commonly used to compare bullets, you'll find the balance between penetration and expansion to be excellent.
Even with +P, 9mm is still not a high pressure round. The longer barrel of the Carbine will have the bullet coasting part of the way, after all the powder is burned, and velocity increase over a pistol would be negligible if there's any at all. Same with .45 ACP fired from carbine bbls..
.40 caliber (higher pressure) is a different matter, and there is a vel. increase in the longer bbl.--up to a point.