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View Full Version : 9mm FMJ 115 and 124 grain suggestions?



steve
10-23-2012, 08:57 PM
I am not having good luck with Federal Champion 9mm. Today at the range it seemed very weak and the rounds were impacting the target and leaving a lead trail that is hard to describe other than it looked like a bullet hole with an S mark attached that looked like someone took a pencil and drew around the impact hole.

Blazer Brass 9mm seems a little better. I had good luck with WWB in the past but I have read concerns about current production.

I am looking for input on quality 9mm (loaded hotter than Federal Champion) at a decent price.

EMC
10-23-2012, 09:15 PM
If you want hot, then Sellier & Bellot or Speer Lawman would give you more hotness.

steve
10-23-2012, 09:26 PM
If you want hot, then Sellier & Bellot or Speer Lawman would give you more hotness.

Thanks, I want my glocks to eject stronger than a dribble or as of late my forehead backboard. The Federal Champion and Blazer Brass are not cutting it.

Chuck Haggard
10-23-2012, 11:22 PM
The 124gr Federal AE loading has been top notch for us at work. I bet we have over half a million rounds through our guns so far. I like this ammo.

Just bought some for myself from SG Ammo in OK

steve
10-24-2012, 12:46 AM
The 124gr Federal AE loading has been top notch for us at work. I bet we have over half a million rounds through our guns so far. I like this ammo.

Just bought some for myself from SG Ammo in OK

Thanks, I just purchased some Lawman. I will keep the Federal in mind.

JV_
10-24-2012, 06:01 AM
The 124gr Federal AE loading has been top notch for us at work.I haven't purchased AE 124 recently, but I had 20'ish cases of it, last year, and the QC was severely lacking. A few cases had 15-20 malformed cases where the mouth was folded in during the bullet seating process. If I didn't catch this, it locked up my Glock bad enough that I had to remove the extractor to get the slide pulled back - so I could then pry out the round.

I'll also second the suggestion for Lawman, specifically the 115g.

JMS
10-24-2012, 10:13 AM
Concur on S&B 115; that stuff's got some pop to it (1200fps, out the muzzle, or thereabouts...), and I can't recall having had any stoppages with it in 9k rounds over 2+yrs. Same with Lawman, about 5K.

I'm not going through it at the rate JV is...perhaps 1/3 that in a similar time-frame...but I've not experienced the same conditions with AE 124gr.

Current favorite is S&B 124gr NATO-pressure ball. Sharp but clean recoil, that's close enough to my carry ammo as to make no difference to me.

cclaxton
10-24-2012, 10:59 AM
I practice with reloaded 115gr "Blaster" from Freedom Munitions. I shoot it in a Cz75 Shadow, Glock 34, Kimber Ultra CDP II in 9mm, and Cz 75 Compact. (Do not use it in the Kahr's). I have had one round out of 5000 fail to fire, no FTE's or FTF or other issues (other than gun-related, which I fixed). They make power-factor with a good margin. The Blaster are $169/1000 and if you order 2000, you can get them all shipped and delivered for about $370-390, depending on shipping. The 124gr is $209/1000. Note: The Fedex ground is cheaper. http://www.freedommunitions.com/9mm-Handgun-Ammo-p/b9r115r.htm

THE best place to check ammo prices is a self-service listing. I highly recommend becoming a member (free) and you can submit deals and keep them up to date (they change all the time). http://gun-deals.com/ammo.php?caliber=9mm+Luger&showall=true

I compete IDPA and I use Jack Ross 147gr reloaded ammo, although he is not making that right now. I have also used Freedom Munitions 147gr and it works just as well.

I can also recommend Federal American Eagle and Lawman...both excellent in 115 and 147 (I don't normally shoot 124).

I am suprised you are not happy with CCI Blazer Brass/Aluminum...I have excellent experience with them as well. I don't shoot Aguila and S&B and PMC because they leave too much black residue and I have had a few problems with Aguila feeding ammo.

I recommend trying out the Freedom Munitions reloaded and see what you think...I am getting ready to order another 2000 now.

Full Disclosure: I get no personal benefit from these recommendations. Just passing on my own personal experience....others may have had different experiences and opinions may vary.

Thanks,
CC

Chuck Haggard
10-24-2012, 04:31 PM
I haven't purchased AE 124 recently, but I had 20'ish cases of it, last year, and the QC was severely lacking. A few cases had 15-20 malformed cases where the mouth was folded in during the bullet seating process. If I didn't catch this, it locked up my Glock bad enough that I had to remove the extractor to get the slide pulled back - so I could then pry out the round.

I'll also second the suggestion for Lawman, specifically the 115g.

We burned 200,000 rounds of it last year and had one or two of those.

I'm glad they shipped you all the bad rounds.

JV_
10-24-2012, 04:54 PM
I'm glad they shipped you all the bad rounds.No joke. I was at the range with a friend of mine, and he found one and thought it was cool enough to keep. I started digging through my range bag to find him more, I must have pulled out a a few dozen that had accumulated. Here's one ... and another ... and another .... it went on for a few minutes.

Kyle Reese
10-25-2012, 10:29 AM
We burned 200,000 rounds of it last year and had one or two of those.

I'm glad they shipped you all the bad rounds.

I ended up with 4 of them too, out of 100 rds, IIRC.

Chuck Haggard
10-25-2012, 11:16 AM
You guys get ahold of anyone from Federal or ATK? I've found their CS to be awesome.

JV_
10-25-2012, 11:18 AM
You guys get ahold of anyone from Federal or ATK? I've found their CS to be awesome.
No. I should have notified them, but never got around to it.

TNK
10-27-2012, 09:40 AM
If you want hot, then Sellier & Bellot or Speer Lawman would give you more hotness.

I agree with this recommendation.

JConn
10-27-2012, 03:22 PM
The Lawman 124 is stout but very good ammo. They advertise it as being the same pressures as the Gold dot 124 standard pressure I believe. I've put a few thousand of it down range but I prefer the ae load or something similar for competition.

steve
11-06-2012, 02:32 PM
I shot the last of my Federal Champion yesterday. I will NOT buy that crap again. It is only dribbling out of my guns and leaving weird circular burn marks on the target. (Might even be lead marks.) I did get some lawmen in and shot some of that; good stuff, thanks everyone for the advice.

JV_
11-06-2012, 02:36 PM
(Might even be lead marks.)IIRC - It's plated and not jacketed ammo.

GJM
11-06-2012, 02:54 PM
Between my wife and I, we have shot about 50,000 rounds of Aguila 124 ball in the last year or so. Love it -- inexpensive, clean and accurate:

http://www.sgammo.com/product/aguila/1000-rd-case-9mm-luger-aguila-124-grain-fmj-ammo-0

steve
11-06-2012, 05:32 PM
IIRC - It's plated and not jacketed ammo.

So is the plating so thin that it is coming off?

Cheap Shot
11-07-2012, 12:57 PM
Between my wife and I, we have shot about 50,000 rounds of Aguila 124 ball in the last year or so. Love it -- inexpensive, clean and accurate:

http://www.sgammo.com/product/aguila/1000-rd-case-9mm-luger-aguila-124-grain-fmj-ammo-0

I'm also happy with the aguila 124. Prior to that I shot Lawman 147 which I was also happy with. WWB not so much

pangloss
11-10-2012, 03:58 PM
Between my wife and I, we have shot about 50,000 rounds of Aguila 124 ball in the last year or so. Love it -- inexpensive, clean and accurate:

http://www.sgammo.com/product/aguila/1000-rd-case-9mm-luger-aguila-124-grain-fmj-ammo-0

This is my preferred ammo now. I've shot ~1K of it over the past year and I haven't had any problems. I just ordered another 1K this week.

JV_
11-10-2012, 07:23 PM
So is the plating so thin that it is coming off?I have no idea, I was just offering a data point.

Spr1
11-24-2012, 09:49 AM
Federal Champion shot like crap in my HK, I will never buy that plated stuff again.

I have been having increasing frequent problems with WW115's. I have a lot made 3/12, that has yielded a couple failures to feed due to insufficient recoil stroke and yesterday, one that went pop instead of bang with the slide only opening about a 1/4" and closing again on the case. I had to check for a bore obstruction, which thankfully had not occurred. I won't be shooting any more of it.

1986s4
11-29-2012, 09:24 AM
I have some Win 124gr NATO spec stuff that I got at GT. Seems hot enough in my Beretta. Have you tried the Hornady Steel Match? I ran a few boxes and found it accurate and reliable, just not cheap...

SGT_Calle
11-29-2012, 05:56 PM
I have some Win 124gr NATO spec stuff that I got at GT. Seems hot enough in my Beretta. Have you tried the Hornady Steel Match? I ran a few boxes and found it accurate and reliable, just not cheap...

I was looking at the steel match today at academy. They use the Hornady Action Pistol bullet in those, which is what I've been reloading for my .45 for a while. It's a great round but that steel match is pricey.

will_1400
12-02-2012, 11:30 PM
I'll second the Winchester NATO spec. It's fairly inexpensive (when NOT compared to junk bulk packs) and my M&P seems to like the hotter stuff. So for the time being, it's my preferred practice load.