What is the "The Bullet Of The Month" you describe above?
What is the "The Bullet Of The Month" you describe above?
Facts matter...Feelings Can Lie
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
Anybody chrono this stuff out of a G34 or USP Expert or Elite? Or maybe a 9mm carbine? Just curious.
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.
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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.
Facts matter...Feelings Can Lie
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.
I got an average velocity of 1161fps with the XM9001 from my M&P compact.