Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 9mm 115gr vs 124gr bulk purchase

Seems like prices on bulk ammo are lower than I've seen recently. Thinking about stocking up a little. I've mostly shot 115gr in my 9s for no particular reason except they were probably on sale.

Any reason to go 124gr over 119gr in cheap bulk FMJ ammo?

I'm phasing out my 115gr stuff for the 124gr. Most of my 9mms can tell the difference.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Overall, I think, 124s (the original 9mm weight/loading) is probably a little more accurate than the average 115gr. loading, if you're talking about factory ammunition. Most 115 loads are pretty light, and can cause function issues in some pistols, too. I know that 1911 9mms function better with the heavier bullets, as they move that slide mass easier than the 115 loads do. When I bought my Springfield Range Officer, it wasn't happy with CCI 115s, they just weren't loaded hot enough to cycle that mass. Switching to 124s fixed that quickly enough.

That said, and because I'm NOT talking about factory ammo here, I just bought another 3000 Hornady HAP bullets to load in my handloads for 9mm and .38 Supers, and they shoot fine, but if you're stuck with factory ammo, I'd buy 124s. Most ammo makers have both weights available, and given the choice, I'd pick the heavier bullets.

My carry ammo is 124 gr. so that’s what I load for practice.

I’ve only shot 124s. They shoot to point of aim in all of my 9s, and I’ve just never saw the need to try anything else. If what you’re shooting works for you, why change?

(Fixed)Sights and what they are probably nominally regulated for.

This is it in a nutshell if you have a 9 with no elevation adj rear sight..mb

If cost isn't a factor I prefer the 147 gr. ammo. The 147 feels softer shooting and always seems to be more accurate. However, it does cost more than the lighter bullets and isn't as readily available.

None of my pistols seem to care. Just look for something that's comparable to the defense loads you want to shoot in it.

This is my reasoning too.

You should come as close as possible to matching bullet weight with what you carry.

The bullet weight makes no difference, but look at ballistics and buy higher velocity ammo loaded to NATO or +P levels. One example is Winchester M1152 which in addition to excellent velocity also features crimped bullets. Another useful feature found in some military ammo are sealed case mouth and primer which gives you at least 15 years of storage ability.

This brings up another topic.......the Hornady HAP bullets I have bought are 125gr instead of 124gr and they are .356" diameter instead of the normal .355".
I started using them in my 38 Supers and they were more accurate than any .355" bullet I had tried in any weight
I then tried them in my 9mm's, I dont see ever going back to .355" bullets

Given that most 9 bores (and .38 Super) are .3565" that makes sense, doesn't it? Barsto's barrels used to be that .3565" number, but I think most 9mm pistols use that number.

I found the Brazos coated 147gr sized .357 to work well in all but one of my pistols. I like the recoil impulse, little more of a slow push instead of the snap with lighter wieghts.

I haven't fooled around much with 147s, but I've got a half-case or so left of Federal factory FMJFPs that shoot well in all my pistols, it's pretty good stuff. I like it, but still mostly shoot 115s or 124s. They're cheaper and easier to find, the 147s can be difficult to find when I want them.

Doug Koenig, the pistol shooter, favors 125gr. .357" XTPs in his .38 Super for his match loads. I'm no longer competitive in the shooting sports, so I'm just loading for my own fun. I'm happy enough with the HAPs, as they're only a couple cents/apiece more than cast bullets or plated. I'm only plinking around and messing with my pistols, not competing any longer. The .357s might shoot better, but I'm not good enough to tell it. Mostly I'm loading middle of the road loads anyway, I'm not trying to make a power factor or anything except being reliable and reasonably accurate.

I have a bunch of 125 gr Remington bulk jhp's for .38 &.357 I bought a long time ago, the ones with the scalloped jackets. On a whim I sized a few .356 in a Lyman sizer and tried them in a 9mm, they fed and shot great. So, I loaded a few unsized, once again they worked perfectly and no noticeable signs of pressure. I was a little worried about the huge amount of exposed lead, but they have fed fine.

I mostly shoot 124's but sometimes use 147's. I find the recoil impulse of 115's to be snappier and prefer a little softer feel. I shoot reloads almost exclusively, generally a 124 grain FMJ over 4.0 grains of Titegroup.

The differences between bullet weights aren't huge but I shoot a lot of IDPA and USPSA matches and try to optimize my loads for that.

I like 147's for shooting spinners in 3 gun as they have a bit more momentum and move the spinner a little more.