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How to determine the best 9mm round

7K views 49 replies 31 participants last post by  agalindo 
#1 ·
The thread by DaltonGang "the best 9mm round" got me thinking of what determines the best round.

I just got done making a spreadsheet that shows 170 of the more popular rounds with weight, muzzle energy, and velocity.

Assuming everyone would fire flawlessly from my gun, what do I look at first?

Does weight determine the spread?
Does energy determine the knockdown force?
Does velocity determine accuracy?

And how much does my shorter barrel affect these factors ?

Can some ammo guru help me understand?


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#39 ·
Just curious.......

I carry Winchester PDX1 Defender 9mm 124 gr. +P BJHP in my ccw. I was talking with a retired LEO the other day about this very subject. He suggested, for the 9mm, the Black Talon. It has a tip in the hollow point. He was saying pretty much the same thing....even well placed shots with a sub-par bullet will not have the stopping power, especially if the BG is under the influence of narcotics. He said my rounds are not bad, per se......but there are definitely better options........
 
#45 ·
Any of the premium ammo that work in your gun is personal chose because all of the major manufactures that pas the FBI protocal are good rounds. In my full sized MP 9mm it is Gold Dot 124+p more police departments use Gold Dot than any other. But in my Shield I prefer 115+p and also in my Ruger SR9c. In my MP 40 I use 165gr Gold Dots because a lot of police were having pass through with the 180gr. I have never liked the 147gr never could see what good a sub sonic rd that lite and slow was good for. Police dropped them like a hot potato because the were acting like a FMJ not expanding and would pass through the BG and could hit someone else. When you see a good round that has been used for 20 years or longer it has to be doing a good job. Now with the 9mm 115gr pushing real close to 357 mag velocities is why I like the 9mm with a lot better bullet design. To determine the power of any rd use this formula( velocity squared times bullet weight in grains divided by 450240). This formula was used way before the Taylor factor which is the formula that gamers use to determine knock down power. Hope this helps to clear the water a little bit.
 
#46 ·
Lots of Ranger T and PDX1 talk, yet I have seen many videos of them not expanding through denim. Not that denim is the end all be all, but other rounds don't have that issue. Even the 124 +p+ failed to expand in a few tests. I have shot them, they cycle fine, but those videos are in the back of my mind when carrying them.
 
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#47 ·
No HP, not even Hornady's Critical line will expand 100% on gel or gel with denim or real tissue.

PDX1 and Ranger T have been chosen by Federal LE after doing extensive testing, U tube vids are not the end all to SD ammo selection. Chose on that has passed FBI or IWBA protocol vids are useless since the majority are not conducted using FBI or IWBA protocols.
 
#49 ·
This is the reasons why I am currently looking into switching my HD setup from a G19 to a G21.

A 9mm might expand but a .45 will never shrink.

People will say that the 9mm is now better than ever and hits as hard as the .45, well guess what? Those same technological advances in bullet technology have ALSO happened to the .45 ACP! And guess which one of these cartridges most people 20 years ago wanted in there fightin' pistols?

.45 > 9mm.
 
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