Difference in ammo grain counts

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noob_shooter

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I just picked up a Ruger SR9 (my first gun) and haven't had chance to shoot it yet (was waiting for transport permit, etc,) but when I was at the gun store I asked about ammo, specifically; what ammo does this gun prefer? The reason I asked was that I have heard that some guns do not perform the same/as good with certain ammo. I was told "you can feed any ammo through it". I then noticed that he carried 3 different manufacturers for 9mm; Lellier & Bellot 115 grain, Federal American Eagle 124 grain and Winchester Ranger 147 grain all of which are full metal jacket and the same cost. When I asked what difference the grain count made I was told "in theory the higher the grain count the heavier the round and less velocity" but he added that I "probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference". This didn't sound correct to me so I bought one box of each thinking I'd "experiment" but I thought I'd also ask you guys in case he's right and I can't tell the difference (especially with my lack of experience).

What difference(s) does grain count make specifically in a 9mm round ?

What grain count and/or brand do you recommend and why ? (I shoot at an indoor range)

I appologise if this question seems elementary but like my handle states I am "noob_shooter" so......:confused: Thanks in advance for your responses/help.
 
Congrats on the SR-9! I still waiting for the short term ATT to pick up mine. Did you get the laterest verison? As for the ammo, try American eagle 124gr first because their quality is very consistant. But for long term, start reload to have more fun.

Trigun
 
the 115gr will have the highest velocity which translates in a flatter trajectory but will lose said velocity faster due to low ballistic coefficient.

the 124gr will fly slower but will retain the most energy in the gun's useful range (higher BC)

the 147gr is the slowest and it's energy is lower than both 115 and 124. That's because the bullet is the longest and leaves less room for powder. Yet it is preferred for self defense since it's low energy translates in less over-penetration.

these are statistically averaged findings and as always there are some exceptions.
 
There is little functional difference between the different 9mm FMJ bullets of different weight. Assuming equal price and availability, I would just pick whichever your gun shoots the best.
 
tjhaile said:
There is little functional difference between the different 9mm FMJ bullets of different weight. Assuming equal price and availability, I would just pick whichever your gun shoots the best.
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For informal target shooting and general pleasure shooting, the 147 gr loads tend to have the less muzzle blast and are softer in shooting. Some guns were made with rifling twist to optimize performance with 147 gr subsonic loads, when such loads were all the rage among US police agencies. Since then, most police either agencies either moved to 124 gr (or 115 gr) JHP +p or to .40 SW because of poor performance in gun battles of the 147 gr JHP loads. As a result, now most makers of 9mm choose twist rates to optimize for 115-124 gr ammo. All this means little to you unless accuracy is a big issue and then you have to see what your gun prefers. I, personally, use 124 gr (hand loads) as the best combination of bullet velocity, accuracy and slide velocity that gives me more confidence in avoiding malfunctions due to lower slide velocity (a problem with a number of gun-ammo combinations with the 147 gr loads) in some of my 9 mm pistols.
 
A "grain" is an Imperial unit of measure for weight. There are 7000 grains to a pound.

A 147 grain bullet is heavier than a 124 grain bullet which is heavier than a 115 grain bullet.

I recommend 124 grain bullets for 9mm pistols.

YMMV
 
Trigun said:
Congrats on the SR-9! I still waiting for the short term ATT to pick up mine. Did you get the laterest verison? As for the ammo, try American eagle 124gr first because their quality is very consistant. But for long term, start reload to have more fun.

Trigun
Click to expand...

It is the latest version manufactured Aug 2010.
 
Thanks for the explainations now it makes more sense.

Based on what was said and the fact I shoot indoors at a relatively short range it sounds like any of the 3 grain counts would be fine but like I mentioned in the original post I purchased a box of each so I'll get to see which one the gun and/or I prefer. I'm going tomorrow so I'll report back any feedback I get from the gun, variances in accuracy, etc,. The plan is to first shoot the 115 then the 147 followed by the 124. I'm hoping by going from one extreme to the other followed by the midrange I'll be able to tell any differences more easily.
 
noob_shooter said:
Does the grain count effect how dirty the gun gets ? For example is the 115 "cleaner" than the 124 or 147 ?
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No, that will depend on the powder and primers the manufacturer uses.

Buy the cheapest 9mm you can find. As a new shooter you won't be able to tell any difference between the bullet weights anyhow.
 
Miltiades said:
For informal target shooting and general pleasure shooting, the 147 gr loads tend to have the less muzzle blast and are softer in shooting. Some guns were made with rifling twist to optimize performance with 147 gr subsonic loads, when such loads were all the rage among US police agencies. Since then, most police either agencies either moved to 124 gr (or 115 gr) JHP +p or to .40 SW because of poor performance in gun battles of the 147 gr JHP loads. As a result, now most makers of 9mm choose twist rates to optimize for 115-124 gr ammo. All this means little to you unless accuracy is a big issue and then you have to see what your gun prefers. I, personally, use 124 gr (hand loads) as the best combination of bullet velocity, accuracy and slide velocity that gives me more confidence in avoiding malfunctions due to lower slide velocity (a problem with a number of gun-ammo combinations with the 147 gr loads) in some of my 9 mm pistols.
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Actually, JHP bullets in the 124-147 grain range generally tend to be the best performers for personal defence applications. Most 115 grain JHP loads tend to provide marginal penetration (less than 12" in 10% ballistic gleatin). Bullets can be easily designed to expand with the velocities available from heavier bullet 9mm loads.

Take a look here at a list of some of the loads recommended by Dr. Gary Roberts, who studies wound ballistics professionally, and note what weight range most of them fall into.
http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=19887
 
Lower grain count usually means less recoil. because it is less mass to shoot out. So less resistance.

I find the 147Gr kicks harder than the 115 Grain.

I Love my 95 Grain i have it shoots so smooth and low recoiling, (great for competitions) but may not cycle in all pistols. :D:D

As for defense.... seriously, We all live in Canada, how much defense do you need against paper targets or the occasional apple or tin can? :D:D

If you are in the US...Well, you need a .45 1911 :D:D Or a 3" Magnum Judge
 
Stevo said:
Buy the cheapest 9mm you can find. As a new shooter you won't be able to tell any difference between the bullet weights anyhow.
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you are many thousands of rounds away from being able to tell what in the end will be a minor influencing factor on your shooting results.
Shooting skill is the single most important thing to develop now (and likely forever) and all of this information will, in the end, confuse you as much of it is contradictory.
Shoot lots with relatively cheap ammo and study the vagaries of grip, stance, trigger pull and.....well, especially trigger pull.

even if you get into reloading, buy a bullet, buy a reloading manual, create a load that works properly in your firearm and with decent accuracy, and load them by the thousands.
 
Another thought is point of aim VS point of impact. Different weights will change this. If your sights are not adjustable, pick the one that is matches these as close as possible. Especially out to 25 m.

Self defence is mostly irrelevant, as stated, for Canadians. As an aside, if you need a self defence home gun, you will probably be shooting <5 m so POA is not going to matter.

Cheers.
 
Noob. The correct way to ask the question is "Which bullet weight is best?"

This is a good question for a noob to ask.

First, each gun is different, so you won't know the answer until you try varous brands and weights.

Second, as has been pointed out, it takes time to shoot well enough to be able to see the difference.

Three, differrent weight shoot to a differnt place. You are looking for the weight that will print holes where you are aiming (or above where you are aiming.)

Four, some ammo might not function well in your gun, but I would not make any conclusions until you have fired 500 or so rounds to break in the gun.

Can you buy commercial reloads? They cost less than $10 a box and the lead bullets cause very little barrel wear. My guns like the Wolf 135 gr Lead Round Nose.
 
The range I shoot at is only 17 yards long and I have no plans on using the gun for self defence or shooting ballistic gel so penetration is a moot point. I simply had no idea what difference the grain count made to the round ie did it give more "kick", did less grain fire cleaner, is one used for certain circumstances like distance over another, etc,. I think I get the idea although some answers seem to contradict each other. I guess what I was hoping for was a simple "use this grain count for this......use that grain count for that because......" and the pros and cons of each. The rear sight on my gun is adjustable, I'm shooting a relatively short distance and as mentioned above penetration is not a concern so it sounds like it simply comes down to what brand and grain count cycles best through my gun and the only way to find that out, as I suspected, is to experiment so that's what I'm gonna do. Actually I'm headin out in about an hour to do just that. If there are any obvious differences like trouble cycling, etc, a particular brand and/or grain count I will report my findings for other SR9 users to hopefully benefit from.
 
Like I said, don't say "grain count". Say "Bullet weight".

Many of us will think in terms of the powder charge, which is also measured in grains.

I have a number of 9mm pistols, and they tend to shoot better with heavier bullets and moderrate powder charges. That is, full power is not as accurate as 3/4 power (in my guns).

I get the distinct impresson that the heavier bullets kick less. They are less snappy.

Aim at the 6 oclock of the bull, with a band of white showing under the bull. This is a more consistent aiming point than putting the sight in the black, where it tends to get lost.
 
Heavier bullet will require either smaller powder charge or/and slower burning powder. So, in the end you get 'smaller blast' or/and 'slooower blast' resulting in less felt = not as snappy recoil.
Accuracy with subsonic velocities is better due to not having to break sound barrier that 'wobbles' bullet. Ideally, barrel twist rate should 'match' bullet weight and velocity for best accuracy too.
 
CRAZYLOCH said:
Lower grain count usually means less recoil. because it is less mass to shoot out. So less resistance.

I find the 147Gr kicks harder than the 115 Grain.

I Love my 95 Grain i have it shoots so smooth and low recoiling, (great for competitions) but may not cycle in all pistols. :D:D

As for defense.... seriously, We all live in Canada, how much defense do you need against paper targets or the occasional apple or tin can? :D:D

If you are in the US...Well, you need a .45 1911 :D:D Or a 3" Magnum Judge
Click to expand...

Maybe self defense is irrelevant to you( I guess you are the type to just lie down and take it), but if I choose to unlock the gun safe beside my bed every night and "other" necessary steps to be prepared(and I'm not saying I do), that's my choice.
 
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