Author Topic: Best 9mm bullet for penetration (Read 4237 times)

Dixie Dude · « **on:** April 01, 2011, 12:07:54 PM »

What is the best 9mm commercial cartridge for penetration?

cwlongshot · « **Reply #1 on:** April 01, 2011, 12:13:01 PM »

Not to be a smart arse...but penetration on/of what?

CW

shot1 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 01, 2011, 02:31:10 PM »

Any FMJ in 9mm will penetrate a lot of things. You don't want a FMJ for self defense against humans. You want a Speer Gold Dot or a Hornady XTP HP or the equivalent from other makes. The Speer Gold Dot 124 gr +P is about as good as it gets for self defense with a 9mm. You are responsible for the bullet no matter where it goes. If you shoot a bad guy and the bullet goes through him and hits somebody across the street of through a wall in another room you are responsible. FMJ's have too much liability and don't have the wounding capability like the good HP does.

highwayman · « **Reply #3 on:** April 01, 2011, 03:43:03 PM »

i use golddots for everything from 38cal to 45cal

Dixie Dude · « **Reply #4 on:** April 01, 2011, 04:24:46 PM »

I knew about the fmj's. I've read that some 9mm's won't penetrate beyond a heavy leather jacket, that they explode when they hit. There are so many out there. I wanted something that wouldn't explode like a varmit round as soon as it hits, but at least have some penetration.

Mohawk · « **Reply #5 on:** April 01, 2011, 07:25:51 PM »

Gold Dots are fine all around. All 9mm penetrate leather and exploding on contact is not correct. Don't feel bad. I deal with young adults everyday that think the .45 ACP is a death ray. They slowly learn.

Dixie Dude · « **Reply #6 on:** April 02, 2011, 05:19:40 AM »

I have a 44 mag, a 357, a 22lr, and a 45 acp in pistols. I recently bought a 9mm because the ammo is so cheap to shoot and practice. I have just read so many stories as to why the LEO's went to the 40sw and 10mm was developed because the LEO's wanted high capacity and the 9mms just weren't doing their job against drug addict perpertrators and cops were killed. I think the 9mm will be adequate but want the right ammo. My wife can't handle the other 3, only the 22, but she can handle my new 9mm with cheap fmjs.

cwlongshot · « **Reply #7 on:** April 02, 2011, 06:15:21 AM »

Assuming personal protection against the two legged varmint is your goal... I am repeatedly told, the best performing 9mm ammo for personal protection is LE 147Gr +P+. Not always available to non LE people.

I like the idea of a heavier bullet and prefer the 124 and better yet the 147Gr slugs in a good name HP or expanding bullet.

CW

Cottonwood · « **Reply #8 on:** April 02, 2011, 05:01:11 PM »

Quote from: Dixie Dude on April 01, 2011, 04:24:46 PM

I knew about the fmj's. I've read that some 9mm's won't penetrate beyond a heavy leather jacket, that they explode when they hit. There are so many out there. I wanted something that wouldn't explode like a varmit round as soon as it hits, but at least have some penetration.

Have never heard this myself, nor read it any where. Here where I live I carry a jacketed soft point since cold weather is still with us, as well as heavy jackets and coats. Even a light 90 gr hollow point will go through both sides of a refridgerator and keep going. There are many hollow points out there, many test to look at for penetration. Shot placement is the key factor in bringing a subject down. I carry a 124 gr bullet, and it is 1150 fps which is plenty for a 9mm round to penetrate and do what I need it to do.

LocnLod · « **Reply #9 on:** April 03, 2011, 07:53:47 AM »

Do a google search for "DocGR recommended ammunition" and follow the AR15.com link.

PAHUnter04 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 07, 2011, 01:32:52 PM »

MY preference is Cor-Bon +P's 115 grain HP's at 1350 FPS. Accurate and hits hard in both my 9's. Especially the 3 in . barrels.

Regards Jim P.

drdougrx · « **Reply #11 on:** April 07, 2011, 04:07:04 PM »

Also have a look at "stoppingpower.net". It's Evan Marshall's site and is very informative.

bubbinator · « **Reply #12 on:** April 10, 2011, 09:12:07 PM »

I carry WW Ranger 127gr +P+ in my Browning(Wolffe Springs) and it has been flawless on the range/drills/and in the field. As close to a 125gr 357 Mag as you can get w/o starting a grassfire with muzzle blast!, + you have 14 rds on board. My agency issued G17s for a while (Fed 147 HydraShok/115 HydraShok until a BG took 19 rds of it and a G21 45 stopped him w/ 1 shot-then we went to Sig P220 45s. The AR-15.com orum has one of the most comprehensive ballistic performance stats pages I have ever seen and in the 9mm-your 124+P+/ 127+P+ rds give the best (IMHO as a 42 yr LEO/FA Instructor/41yr shooter/reloader) performance. My favorite 9mm handload is a 115 Sierra JHC over a healthy dose of Herco(Speer #8 manual) 1300fps+ and expands great!

Spirithawk · « **Reply #13 on:** April 12, 2011, 08:52:59 AM »

I carry a Kel Tec PF-9 loaded with Hornady Custom 124 gr JHP/XTP's

Mike in Virginia · « **Reply #14 on:** April 16, 2011, 11:24:56 AM »

Did you know there's never been a documented case of any pistol bullet penetrating a human being and injuring/killing a person subsequently? It just does not happen outside of war situations. If you carry a 9mm (and I do), load it as hot as possible. Mine's loaded with Ranger 124's, +P+. If your grandmother is standing behind the bad guy, go ahead and shoot him. She'll be fine. Statistics don't lie.

cwlongshot · « **Reply #15 on:** April 16, 2011, 04:14:53 PM »

Quote from: Mike in Virginia on April 16, 2011, 11:24:56 AM

Did you know there's never been a documented case of any pistol bullet penetrating a human being and injuring/killing a person subsequently? It just does not happen outside of war situations. If you carry a 9mm (and I do), load it as hot as possible. Mine's loaded with Ranger 124's, +P+. If your grandmother is standing behind the bad guy, go ahead and shoot him. She'll be fine. Statistics don't lie.

I gotta say Mike, I agree with some of what your saying.... But relying on statistics as gospel, for all possible conseviable outcomes is fool hardy. In and of them selves they are of coarse incapable of lying. Statistics are simply what HAS happened, NOT what could happen.
I'll shoot the bad guy, I'll just wait till grandma is clear thank you...

CW

Mohawk · « **Reply #16 on:** April 17, 2011, 05:14:53 AM »

I have seen bullets do weird things that don't agree with stats. Stats and ballistic gelatin says my .38 load fragments into large pieces and penetrates 14" or so. It doesn't on a live aninal(deer) in penetrated about 9" and fully expands and holds together nicely. Given the bullet lodged in the out going hide the penetration depth might be close, the "live" bullet performance was far superior than the "lab" performance. I would be leary of putting a 9mm FMJ into a target with a friendly behind him. Just my experience with an MP5 they don't slow down much unless they deflect off a bone angle(which they often do). They are very unstable bullets. The one thing I learned in terminal ballistics is HP's are not death rays and FMJ's are better than advertised. Our instructor made this very clear. Stats are a good guideline but that's all they are. Stats show the non magnum handgun as a poor choice for hunting deer. I beg to differ and they are as effective as a .243 when placed right. Even better than a bow at the same distance.

Spirithawk · « **Reply #17 on:** April 17, 2011, 05:41:06 AM »

Stats are for those ignorant of the real world.

bubbinator · « **Reply #18 on:** May 03, 2011, 10:56:26 PM »

Winchester doesn't make a 124+P+ 9MM. Could you mean 127+P+? Federal makes a 124+P+ LEO Only round and Speer makes 124 Gold Dot in 124+P. +1 for SpiritHawk-my UC Agts carried PF9s w/ Ranger 127+P+ because they worked(#1- and #2-didn't look like "cop guns" like a Glock etc)

jimster · « **Reply #19 on:** May 04, 2011, 02:16:02 PM »

Quote

If your grandmother is standing behind the bad guy, go ahead and shoot him. She'll be fine. Statistics don't lie.

Bad guy better not move, grandma better not move, you better not move...and you better not miss. Shoot between his legs and grandma will get hurt. Graze his ribs, grandma might get hurt. It's not a target range with a sand backstop. It's a BG with grandma as the backstop.

Just sayin....

LocnLod · « **Reply #20 on:** May 05, 2011, 05:32:48 AM »

Quote from: Mike in Virginia on April 16, 2011, 11:24:56 AM

Did you know there's never been a documented case of any pistol bullet penetrating a human being and injuring/killing a person subsequently?

In the gun digest book of concealed carry, defense loads of choice chapter, there are a couple of references to cases where people were hit by over penetrating fmj loads from the NYPD before they went to hollowpoints. During 1995/1996 15 bystanders were hit by police officers, out of those 5 were hit by bullets that had passed through other people. In the same time 44 officers were hit, 17 of them hit by bullets that passed through someone.
These were FMJ incidents. I don't know if they are still occurring now that they have switched to hollowpoints. But I have read from Massad Ayoob that hollowpoints such as the gold dot 124gr+P 9mm have expanded within and fully penetrated people and been found on the ground behind the perp. Whether or not they had enough energy to hurt someone I don't know. I'd rather not take the chance with Granny's life.