So I'm running out of my 9mm defense rounds and needed to order some more bullets. I've been loading and carrying hornady 115gr XTPs in my full size and compact pistols since I first started loading. I also was loading 115gr HAPs for practice and competition shooting. Both bullets are identical ballistically but one doesn't expand (and is a LOT cheaper!). I figured it was a great way of practicing with what I carried really.
I started looking into performance from short barrel 9s and was surprised by what I found. I found a YouTuber named shootingthebull410 (I think) who tested pretty much every 9mm out of a 3" barrel through plain gel and fbi gel w/ heavy denim. Most of the 147gr bullets failed to expand and a lot of the lighter 115s didn't penetrate enough.
Long story short, everything failed but the hornady critical DEFENSE and pretty much every HST load. The light XTPs did ok but the critical defense was just much better. I've ordered up 500x HSTs but all I could get that day was 115gr. Judging by the performance of the 124, 124+p, 147, and 147+p I'm guessing the 115s will do just fine.
Anyone have any experience with the 115gr HSTs? Anyone else even load their own carry rounds?
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I started looking into performance from short barrel 9s and was surprised by what I found. I found a YouTuber named shootingthebull410 (I think) who tested pretty much every 9mm out of a 3" barrel through plain gel and fbi gel w/ heavy denim. Most of the 147gr bullets failed to expand and a lot of the lighter 115s didn't penetrate enough.
Long story short, everything failed but the hornady critical DEFENSE and pretty much every HST load. The light XTPs did ok but the critical defense was just much better. I've ordered up 500x HSTs but all I could get that day was 115gr. Judging by the performance of the 124, 124+p, 147, and 147+p I'm guessing the 115s will do just fine.
Anyone have any experience with the 115gr HSTs? Anyone else even load their own carry rounds?
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