I ordered an M&P Pro Core 5inch in 9mm it should be in in about 2 weeks.

I'm considering ordering up to 1000 rounds to get started. After I determine the different loads and what the gun likes to eat.

But I don't have much experience with what bullet weight to choose for what purpose.

I've heard some guns prefer different weights.

What do you recommend for the 9mm Core?

Thanks,
JCase

I wouldn't buy 1000 of anything until you make sure it will feed fire and function in your particular gun.

Not every gun, even of the same make and model, will function with the same ammo. That includes different brands as well as different bullet weights.
115 grains and 124 grains are the standard weights and would be a good place to start.
Nothing like having a whole bunch of ammo your gun will not function with.
Shoot 50 to 100 before buying 1000.

Gary

what he says!

__________________
Regards from THE Old Fart

The 124gr is the standard 9mm Luger bullet.................

the 115gr did not come in until a lot longer after WWll....
I believe c/o the +P stuff ?

The Luger could not take +P ammo but the German machine guns ate it up since it was made for them.

A 115gr is great for a low target load.........
as a SLOW 124 gr bullet but it all depends if you want target loads, 9mm standard loads, NATO loads or +P loads.

Better read up a little more.........

very good , a very smart move. Good post. More important than weight would be type of bullets. 115/124 grain round nose ball type should work fine but be careful with hollow points. Some autos will not function with hollow points. When loading a different load for my autos, I only load a few ,then see how they function before loading a lot.and NEVER order a large quantity of anything before trying them.

Some guns will group better with 115 gr, some better with 124 gr but
the difference would probably be small and you would have to shoot
from a rest to see the difference. The best buys in 9mm by the case
are 115 gr and 124 gr FMJ. I usually buy 115 gr because it is a bit
cheaper, velocity is higher and seems to work better in general in my
various pistols. There's nothing wrong with buying a case to begin
with as long as you know it isn't watered down like some brands to
the point of not even cycling the action of some pistols. If good FMJ
won't work in your gun there's something wrong with your gun. I've
found 9mm from Speer to be about the best brand in domestic 9mm
FMJ.

I've bought a lot of 9mm over several years, and what works great in one gun may choke another of exactly the same model. I don't have that firearm, but it will be unique to your example.

Shop the specials, big box sporting goods, and WM for varied ammo. Be sure to look first for US SAAMI ammo, lest you accidentally cause warranty issues (the manufacturers may advise against non-SAAMI and reload/reman - check the manual).

Shoot what you find, and keep a range log of the good and the bad.

Agree on the above comment - 124g and "NATO" (123/124g) are good tests. I know it is harder to find. You can order 50 round boxes of a lot of varieties if you watch SGAmmo.

Don't go off buying 1000 rounds so you can spend days at the range trying to trade off 950 instead of shooting.

Thanks for the info

I like to use the bullet weight that a cartridge was made to fire. I like a 124/125gr bullet in the 9mm and a 158/160gr bullet in the .38 Special. Don't be fooled into thinking you need excessive velocity in any ammo to do the job. Light bullets are used to pump up the velocity numbers but the lighter bullet doesn't do the same job as the heavier bullet. ( all IMO of course) Others may disagree but I think the brilliant minds who created the cartridges knew best.

__________________
Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

I am partial to a 147 grain round nose with 3.6 grains of hp-38. I run it in my 9's flawlessly. The Core will do the same.

I have had some problems with 9mm 115 gr.Bullets feeding in My CZ but going to the 124 gr.solved the problem.
I read in a Magazine that the 9mm.115 gr,Luger Bullet was made for the Guns in WW-1 and WW-2 and do not have the oomph so to speak to reliably cycle a modern Hand Gun do to heavier recoil springs in modern Guns. That may be wrong but it makes sense.

It may make sense to you but it most certainly is wrong. I
own several 9mm autos and over the last thirty years I have
fired and chronographed a large variety of imported and
domestic 9mm ammo. Almost 100% of it has been 115 gr
and 124-125 gr ammo. Velocities are all over the place and
may have little relevance to published figures if they are
even available. It could be that 124 gr ammo provides a
little more "oomph" than 115 gr when both are marginal
but I don't know. The problem with a lot of bargain priced
115 gr ammo sold today is that it is watered down to the
point that it just won't cycle some guns. I have
chronographed 115 gr ammo that averaged anywhere from
1275 fps down to 1050 fps out of the same gun. I have also
seen 124 gr ammo that ran from about 1240 fps down to
about 1020 fps. Good 115 gr ammo that is loaded to even
halfway decent velocity, 1150 fps or more, will cycle the
action of most any pistol.

Both my 9mm Tanfoglio 75 series 88 and my Beretta PX4 Sub Compact like 147 grain better then the 115 or 124 for POI .. and my 40c likes the 180 grain better then the 160 grain .. but with the 9mm barrel in it it likes the 124 grain bullet weight .. so every pistol is a little different ..

So you need to try a variety of different bullet weights and make of ammo to find which yours will like .. then look for sales and buy the ammunition it shoots the best .. that might take 400 to 500 rounds before you will know the make and weight ..

Along with all the good comments, I thought I'd throw one specific recommendation your way.

This company is well-priced for 9mm, offers fast service, and ships ammo in nondescript packaging.

1000 round case - 9mm Luger Speer Lawman 124 grain TMJ Ammo 53616 or 53651 | SGAmmo.com

I've switched over to this Speer TMJ ammo, hoping it's technology is less likely to aggravate my already compromised breathing.

In a standard 3" Kahr I have loaded the 115gr plated down to 890 fps with Green Dot without ejection problems but....
With my slowest powder at just 784 fps I did have "stove pipes".

I got the 124gr plated down to 869 fps with Bullseye and did not have any ejection problems and I did not try to go any lower since the bullets were hitting at POA with the "Powder Puff" loads.
My maximum 124gr target load hit 1118 fps with a IMR powder that had a ES of only 27 for the short barrel, that also hit POA.

So ammo depends on how your pistol is set up from the company or owner if it has been sold.
It may or may not shot the low priced, low vel. ammo that is only $14 a box.

Learning a new gun and trying different ammo at the same time would be difficult for me.

My 2 year old CORE eats everything, not one failure of any kind in over 5000 shots.

I reload, and the 124 flat points are a little easier to handle (during reloading) and make nicer holes in paper than round nose, so that's my preference.

I'd suggest trying a few target brands in 115 and 124 grain (Federal is my favorite), once you are repeatable, then try more variety. COREs are not picky eaters !!!

Enjoy, Will

Try American Eagle 147 grain, I'm really happy with the results. That 1/10 twist barrel loves the heavier grain bullets.