Federal 9BPLE 9mm +p+ 115 grain jhp

[DocGKR]

What is the "The Bullet Of The Month" you describe above?

[Sigfan26]

I standardized on 9BP back when it was already old tech versus Hydrashok. But its nice round ogive meant it fed well and it continues to feed well in a variety of guns.
How much of The Bullet Of The Month would I have to shoot to feel as confident in its reliability so as to get claimed better terminal ballistics? A lot, for sure.

Through what platform?


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[HCM]

I standardized on 9BP back when it was already old tech versus Hydrashok. But its nice round ogive meant it fed well and it continues to feed well in a variety of guns.
How much of The Bullet Of The Month would I have to shoot to feel as confident in its reliability so as to get claimed better terminal ballistics? A lot, for sure.

9BPLE is accurate and it feeds well but I can say the same of Speer Gold Dot.

Gold Dot has been around at least 20 years. Winchester Ranger is essentially Black Talons without the Black coating and HST is essentially the descendant of 9BPLE. They've all evolved over the years but none are really new.

If you want to roll old school, I have a box of 9mm Nyclad

[OlongJohnson]

Anybody chrono this stuff out of a G34 or USP Expert or Elite? Or maybe a 9mm carbine? Just curious.

[Hauptmann]

What is the "The Bullet Of The Month" you describe above?

HSTs are a fad, Doc. I will be going back to Winchester 9mm 115gr Silvertips because all this new bullet tech crap is just smoke and mirrors.

[spinmove_]

HSTs are a fad, Doc. I will be going back to Winchester 9mm 115gr Silvertips because all this new bullet tech crap is just smoke and mirrors.

Silvertips....because werewolves.

[Jim Watson]

9BPLE is accurate and it feeds well but I can say the same of Speer Gold Dot.

Gold Dot has been around at least 20 years. Winchester Ranger is essentially Black Talons without the Black coating and HST is essentially the descendant of 9BPLE. They've all evolved over the years but none are really new.

If you want to roll old school, I have a box of 9mm Nyclad

Yes, but what might have evolved out of compatibility with my gun?

I'll pass on the Nyclad 9mm, but do you have any Nyclad Chief's Special type 2?

[DocGKR]

Note that the Federal 115 gr 9BP and 9BPLE were very inconsistent in testing, with insufficient penetration in bare gelatin, bullet fragmentation leading to poor expanded diameter, and a high failure to expand in denim testing.

9mm Fed +P+ 115 gr JHP 9BPLE fired from S&W 5906 (lot # 24C-0684) 5 shot ave:
BG: vel = 1342 fps, pen depth = 11.7", RD = 0.47", RL = 0.21", RW = 67.2 gr

9 mm Federal 115 gr JHP 9BP, Glock 17, gel calib= 9.0 cm @ 596 f/s
Bare Gelatin--vel=1136, pen=9.4, RD=0.62, RL=0.28, RW=109.1

Things got strange with the Denim testing of the 9BP. In every 5 round test, there was at least one bullet which plugged up and failed to expand. The bullets which failed to expand had pen=20+ inches, RD=0.35”, RL=0.52”, RW=115.3.

Glock 17, gel calib= 9.5 cm @ 605 f/s.
Results below do NOT include the bullets which failed to expand!
4 layers of Denim--vel=1139, pen=12.8, RD=0.53, RL=0.41, RW=114.5

Sig P226, gel calib= 9.5 cm @ 605 f/s.
Results below do NOT include the bullets which failed to expand!
4 layers of Denim--vel=1111, pen=11.1, RD=0.55, RL=0.38, RW=114.7

The Federal 115 gr 9BP and 9BPLEhas insufficient penetration in bare gelatin, has 20 to 40% failure to expand in denim testing, and is less than ideal against intermediate barriers like auto windshields. I personally would not choose to use it given all the better options currently available.

--------------------

With the exception of the Barnes 115 gr XPB all copper projectile, in general, most 9 mm 115 gr loads have demonstrated greater inconsistency, insufficient penetration, poor intermediate barrier capability, and failure to expand in denim testing than other 9mm bullets. For those individuals wanting to use lighter weight, supersonic 9 mm’s, I think a better alternative than the vast majority of 115 gr loads is to use the slightly heavier 124 to 127 gr bullets or the Barnes 115 gr all copper bullet.

[deputyG23]

Tangentially, there is a version of 9BP developed for the RCMP SWAT (IIRC) that sits in between the classic 9BP and the +p+ LE iterations. It's catalogued as xm9001 and reportedly specs at 1220fps from 4", splitting the difference between the more widely known BP loads. I keep a bunch of this stuff on hand precisely because it's accurate and cycles in anything I've tried it in. It's a killer match for a G43, in terms of accuracy and modest felt recoil, for example.

I'm not saying carry it over, say, 124gr GDHP+P or anything, but the load meets a need for me, since I seem to be acquiring new "old" 9mms like some people buy blue jeans. The stuff runs like shit through a goose in my recently purchased 3" Colt New Agent, for example. It's nice to have affordable stock on hand that is more likely than not to cycle whatever comes in the door, even if the tech is Reagan-era.

Carry on...

I picked up two boxes of XM9001 some time back and took my son to the range when I visited him this weekend. It shot very well through my G2 G19 and through his P228 which tends to be an ammo queen. I was impressed enough to order a thousand round case of it for $304 to my door. This will be for range training and self defense carry in the G19. I will chronograph some when it comes in sometime next week along with my last stash of Ranger 127 grain SXT from the '90s for comparison.

[5pins]

I got an average velocity of 1161fps with the XM9001 from my M&P compact.