Do you prefer 120gr or 147gr bullets for accuracy in your 9mm?

[tazman]

I have been using 105swc and 120tc boolits in my 9mm taurus pt92. My question is do 147gr boolits tend to group better than the smaller ones?

I would like to get some input before spending the money on a different mold.
Thanks

[DRNurse1]

There is a LOT of stuff that precedes the group, practice being one and the tool being another. That said, IMO sending the biggest piece of rapidly expanding lead alloy to the POA/ POI is the point. So I use the 147's but I practice with them as well.

If your Taurus does not like the 147's or you cannot arrive at a load you can shoot, that might be the limiting factor.

[scattershot]

I find that the 147 grainers show a slight edge, but it's not much, and varies from gun to gun. My advice would be to buy 100 or so, and try them before you jump in with both feet.

[Jupiter7]

I like 124's. Jacketed I like the hollow base winchesters in 124grs, same thing army marksmanship team uses.

[Groo]

Groo here
I had best luck with 147gr.

[DrCaveman]

I doubt the accuracy is inherent to the boolit weight. More likely the gun and load. Ive been finding good accuracy with 120 gr in my imi baby eagle, but only at certain velocities...high, and low. Not mid speed so much.

If you matched the powder choice and charge to be optimal with your barrel twist and boolit, then 147 would prob do better. If you did the same for the 124 gr, then it would prob be just as good. Clear as mud?

[tazman]

DrCaveman wrote: If you matched the powder choice and charge to be optimal with your barrel twist and boolit, then 147 would prob do better. If you did the same for the 124 gr, then it would prob be just as good. Clear as mud?

My barrel has a 1 in 10 twist. What velocities would be optimal for 120 and 147 grain bullets?
I have no idea how to figure this out.

[rintinglen]

I find a slight--maybe non-existent--advantage in shooting 147 grainers versus 125 grainers.
I have not done enough side by side testing to be sure. We are talking maybe a half inch at 15 yards, but to truly test, I need to shoot 10 5-shot groups of each, from the same gun, alternating loads, cleaning and re-fouling after 30 shots to make sure no leading was going on. Then I'd have to carefully measure each group, determine Standard Deviations for each load, then test for significance, and then I'd have a 9 out of 10 chance of being right on the out come, for those two loads, in that gun.

[Treeman]

1 in 10 should stabilize anything you can cram into a 9 at just about any speed that will cycle the slide. I like 124grain bullets because that is what the cartridge was designed to shoot over a century ago .....but I've shot 88-147 grain bullets and, while point of impact changed, none of them refused to group. There isn't 1 pistol shooter in a thousand that can outshoot a typical 92 or other full size 9mm pistol offhand. There may be a load that just won't group out of your gun but most likely if you choose a load/bullet weight that you like ,assure that it functions and sight the gun for it then you should be just fine.

[.5mv^2]

Randy, I like to keep the bullets subsonic or supersonic. Bullets that start supersonic and then go sub have to feel some turbulence as they transition.

[Artful]

Well, my most accurate boolits are

LEE's 105 SWC
http://www.fmreloading.com/images/358-105-swc.jpg
I know it's listed as a 38/357 but works well in 9mm's I have tried it in.

a group buy 135 grain RN (actually pointy) with beveled base
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4952&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1251127025
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=20249&highlight=9mm+135

I have used the lyman RN 158gr 38 spcl bullet 358311
http://media.midwayusa.com/productimages/large/339/339823.jpg

and truncated cone 125 grainers.
Rapine made my Truncated cone mold number on my 4 cavity is 357606
if you like that style I'd look at the Lee 356 120 TC

I have Lyman's 147 grain FNBB but tend to use plated for that weight in subsonic loadings of 9mm.

Have you read the sticky on 9mm?
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?121607-Setting-up-for-boolits-in-a-new-9mm&highlight=Setting%209mm%20boolits

[jimb16]

124 RNs work best in my Hi Power.

[FergusonTO35]

All my 9's love the Lee 356-120-TC with 3.5 grains Bullseye and Remington primer, seated to 1.055. I don't even bother to size 'em anymore, just pan lube with 50/50 beeswax-alox and load up. Clocks a very consistent 980 fps out of my Ruger SR9c and is easy shooting and accurate.

[tazman]

Thank you all for your input.
It looks like the lighter bullets have the advantage here. Since I already have the 120 tc mold I believe I will stick with it and save my money to buy powder and primers with.
I need to spend some time working out my form issues on the range anyway.
Again, thanks for the input.

[Thin Man]

Always ready to experiment and learn, I recently loaded a small batch of 9mm brass with boolits I had cast from a Lyman mold #358480. My interest in this mold pattern is the larger than normal meplat of this boolit as compared with most 9mm boolits. These boolits are supposed to cast at 133 gr. but mine drop out of the mold at 138 gr. with ACWW. I sized these boolits at .358 to use in both an auto and revolver and loaded them over a charge of HP-38. My test firearm was a Kel-Tec P11 with the traditional heavy DA trigger. All shots were fired with a 2-hand hold with the hands rested on a bench to remove the human element. The groups this boolit produced were tighter than many of the lighter boolits have produced from this pistol and were exactly spot-on for the sights. Both the handloads and the pistol functioned flawlessly during this limited test. I am encouraged by this first test and will work to refine the final powder charge weight. My quick summary is that this pistol likes this boolit, and that makes me happy. Your mileage may vary.

Thin Man

[Groo]

Groo here
The heaver/longer bullets have a longer bearing surface ..
This will help with the 9mm biggest problem,,, bore variations ..........

[bedbugbilly]

FergusonTO35 is the one who suggested his load to me - I followed his advice and love it. Works great out of my SR9. My mold drops them a little bigger so I size 'em to .357. I just hot TL them in Alox/Paste Wax and they work fine - no leading. Like him though, the next batch of 'em I'm going to try some just as they fall from the mold as I think they'll work just as well without the sizing.

I'm getting good accuracy with the 120 gr. so if it works, I don't see the need to change things up. In the long run though . . . it depends on the individual handgun.

[FergusonTO35]

Glad I could be of assistance! The 356-120 is one of the best out there I think. I really would like the same boolit with a somewhat wider and longer ogive at 135-140 grains, be dandy for both .38 and 9mm.