Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Federal HST 9mm - 124 vs 147

Here, 147's are impossible to find. 124's are sorta common but the Gold Dot's easily found.

22.50 a box of 50

http://www.bonefroggunclub.com/products/9mm-147gr-federal-premium-tactical-hst-jhp-50rds-p9hst2

124 for every day carry , 147 if using a suppressor

After the FBI team was shot up by two serious perps during the Miami Massacre of 1986, the FBI ballistics people thought it was all about penetration, penetration, and penetration...
The original 147 grain bullet load was made for suppressed subsonic use in pistols and the MP5 sub gun. Expansion wasn't an issue.

Famous battle, my takeaway, bring a rifle to a rifle fight, but no doubt penetration to vitals must be the priority before expansion. Of course we have FMJ....but...

Yes, before better ammo, the 147 was not known to both penetrate and expand well.

I would not want to be limited to a typical handgun against folks with 223s and in body armor.

The FBI wasn't going admit to poor tactics or choice of weapons

Of course a standard pressure load has less snap than a +P load. That doesn't prove anything about bullet weight, you're just comparing a hot load to a mild load.

I carry hand-loaded 147gr XTPs, at 1100 fps from my Glock 17.

Buffalo Bore has a +P+ 147 that is going faster than many standard pressure 115s and 124s...

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=120



As to the question of stretching the range to 100 yards...Buffalo Bore has charts attached to each of their loads that shows velocity, energy and drops.

This load at almost 1200 fps is still over a 1000 fps at 100 yards...the MV of most 147s...

But a 124 +P+ at 150 fps faster is only going about the same velocity at 100 yards because the lighter bullet has a lesser ballistic coefficient...

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=119


Bob

That'll do to ride the river with.

just an fyi

https://youtu.be/i67WILeK66Y

HST 147+P chrono at 1086 out of a 4" barrel glock 19

Bob, yes I was looking at fast fall off in speeds and energy with several loads on the federal website. Gives credence to the 10mm and 41 IMHO The 357 and 45 fare well with heavier bullets as does a 40, but it seems the 10 and 41 come into their own as the range stretches out.

I may try a box of 147s just to try the feeding and may just run them across a screen. The 124s seem to be preferred by alot of compact/sub-compact guns. I would want 950 or better MV in a 147 for expansion confidence...Still low vs a lighter bullet especially in a longer barrel, or better yet say a 357. For the purpose of a SD gun, more than likely any SD scenario will likely be up close it would seem, statistically speaking.

No doubt many 9s are just to get one out of a tight situation and they likely will do a decent job assuming marksmanship. Cheaper ammo might encourage more practice than say a 40 or 45.

I recon the G43 and 950 FPS would expand one of the 147's. Looks better in the shorter gun, less expansion more penetration.

147's in gel from 3 inch barrel

Good to know, thanks Jimmy. I could well be satisfied with the best of the major 3 weights, though leaning on the 124 and 147. I could see the reputation of the old hot Federal 115s and similar weight higher pressure loads, and likely they show their best in longer barrels.

Appreciate all the input folks. Likely will try a few different loads for POI, accuracy, and reliability in feeding given a few reports that certain guns do not like some ammo due to how they approach the feed ramp.

What length barrel are you trying these in? From,everything I've seen, the standard 147 should get you 980-1000 in a 4"

Ballistic gel is great for testing but how many feel the heavier 147 would fare better when bone is thrown into the mix?

3.5" - I think bone might promote more bullet upset and the 147 IMHO would be expected to punch thru heavier obstacles, based on reports a 45 does the same.....

The 124+P Gold dots seem to hold up well against bone and tissue

The better 9/147's are comparable to a 38 +P/158/LSWCHP. That round settled a LOT of hash and developed a good reputation in the process.

I would definitely take the 147.

I shot these out of a Shield this evening. Both went through 3 gallon water jugs. It was too dark to chronograph but I like what I'm seeing.