Has the 115gr fallen out of favor?

Has the 115gr defensive ammo fallen out of favor?

  • Yes

    Votes: 60 38.7%

  • No

    Votes: 87 56.1%

  • Other

    Votes: 8 5.2%
  • Total voters
    155
  • Poll closed .
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I am not too fond of it. For practice yes, for duty, <deleted> no!!
 
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I don't think you can say it has fallen out of favor...I believe it is still the most popular weight sold as range/practice ammo.

While I have gone more toward the original design weight for the cartridge...124gr...for SD/HD (124gr Gold Dot or 127gr Ranger), I always have a supply of Federal 115gr JHP ammo as a known quality for testing new 9mms for accuracy and function
 
The only 115gr ammo I shoot is ball on the range and in training. I prefer a min of 124 +p but I carry 147gr HST. Ammo tech has come a looooooooooooong way and we now have some 147gr ammo that has fantastic barrier performance, major penetration numbers, WITH incredible, consistent expanision.

Whats not to love!?!

-Drew
 
The only 115gr ammo I shoot is ball on the range and in training. I prefer a min of 124 +p but I carry 147gr HST. Ammo tech has come a looooooooooooong way and we now have some 147gr ammo that has fantastic barrier performance, major penetration numbers, WITH incredible, consistent expanision.

Whats not to love!?!

-Drew
Click to expand...
indeed
although I prefer 147gr+P
 
115 grain bullets as a Defense load

Wondering what the logic is for going to heavier bullets. Most of the experts I have read recommend the Federal 115 grain JHP as the best defense load for the 9MM. This is of course a non +P load and I also have read that, in general, +P ammo should not be fired from the polymer framed guns. The sources I am citing are articles I found on the net.
 
I would be hard to address the sources without knowing who they are...both to the advocation of the 115 gr as the best defense load or the warning to not use +P in polymer guns.

The first thing that comes to mind it that these are either dated articles or that their opinion is based on dated data. At one time the 115 grain slugs were all the rage, but modern bullet (hollowpoint) design has made the expansion of normal weight bullets just as reliable. The longer bearing surface of heavier slugs usually make them shoot more accurately

Polymer frames generally are more tolerant of higher pressure rounds and and hold up better to wear because of less contact area with the slide
 
I voted no. I carry it sometimes. But it is in a longer barrel. I prefer 124+p, but I got a good deal on some speer gold dot 115 grain.
 
Decades ago 115 was all the rage. Bullett tech was not that advanced yet and one of the only ways you could get expansion was with really fast speeds. 147 g were very prone to clogging and not expanding long ago, Not the case these days with the heavy for caliber loads. There are 2 basic camps: light and fast or slow and heavy. I am in the latter as I believe you need penetration to reach vitals. Not every sht will be straight on. My have to traverse outstretched limbs, quatering shots ect where you are going to need the mass to take the round deep.

I have never heard not to run +p in poly framed guns. I have a feeling you were reading some REALLY old outdated stuff.
 
Without having any scientific reason I have always come back to 115 gr 9mm.

I've tried the heavier bullets. I have a bunch of 147gr and a couple thousand 124gr loaded and recently finished shooting a thousand 124gr lead.

I have some thousands of 115gr 9mm loaded.
I just like the 9mm better.
 
Drew78 summed it up nicely.

Heavier is always better. With todays bullet performance and the heaviest round you can load you have the best for self defense.

For practice, anything will do!
 
9mm 115 gr JHP's have a problem, that is they tend to expand to quickly and then under penetrate, up the pressue levels to +P or +P+ and they tend to fragment and then under penetrate! Either way, they tend to under penetrate...

In my opinion they are just fine for home defense/ccw applications, if however you're a LEO, where barriers such as automobile windshields and doors are a very real obstacle, I think they are a very poor choice.

We now know conclusively that the 147 gr JHP's are at a minimum, no less effective then the hyper-fast lightweight, and middleweight 115, 124, & 127 gr +P, or +P+ loads actually are. In fact there is solid data emerging, gathered by real professionals that clearly establishes the superiority of heavier loads in 9mm...
 
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Heavier bullets use less powder and tend to be more efficient in shorter barrels. I like 124gr +P. They are closer to the original design.
 
I do not think that they have fallen out of favor. I think if you were to poll the "real" shooting population not just enthusiasts like you find here on this site you will find the vast majority are still using 115 gr hollows.

The reality is 9mm like any pistol caliber requires one to put lots of little holes into the target causing enough tissue damage to cause rapid blood loss or hit a critical artery, organ or spine.

115, 124, 147 can all get that done. For me personally I like 124gr +p. It is in the middle. It is fast enough to penetrate and it expands at a reasonable rate. I perfer Gold dots and I buy them in bulk so they are not too much. They feed in each of my defense guns.

All that said I would not feel under gunned if I had 115 gr JHPs.
 
I buy CCI 115gr Blazer factory ammo because it's the cheapest I can find for training courses where factory ammo is required.

I buy Speer 124gr GDHP ammo for SD/carry, and I reload Hornady 124gr FMJ-Enc and Montana Gold 124gr CMJ because I can duplicate factory hollow point ammo performance for much less cost (which means I can afford to practice more).
 
For defensive ammo, sort of. For practice ammo, no. I do wish there was more 124 grain target ammo available though.
 
Buy in bulk online.....
Click to expand...

I like to buy mine in store, I guess I'm old fashioned. I also hate to put down that kind of money all at once for ammo. I have to buy in small amounts to avoid the watchful eye of my keeper. :D
 
I just bought 250 rounds of it at Walmart, made by Federal ...Less than $11.00 a box for 50...Good price, in Elk Grove CA:D

I have numerous weight recoil springs, for my Glock and can dial it in, to shoot just fine if needed:) As a rule stock spring is fine...

Any ammo can be used for defense if that is all you have:what::D
Regards
 
I like to buy mine in store, I guess I'm old fashioned. I also hate to put down that kind of money all at once for ammo. I have to buy in small amounts to avoid the watchful eye of my keeper
Click to expand...

Walmart a while back had some nice 124 gr Swiss ammo from RWS. People did not buy it because they did not know the name. I bought every single box I could get my hands on at under $10 which is what it was marked down too... LOL
 
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