About 40 minutes drive from my home is a small ammo manufacturer. They concentrate on loading 9mm target, .223 and .308 target and hunting ammunition as well selling loading powders for both pistol and rifle reloading.

Some time ago I bought a quantity of their 124 gn JRN 9mm which shoots very accurately in my Kimber Stainless II 1911.

I have a comp coming up at the end of the month and several weeks ago, not knowing if I would be able to stock up on this ammo for the comp, I picked up 500 rounds of Winchester 115 gn 9mm.

In my Kimber the Winchester load is just not as accurate. Whereas I can keep 80% of my shots with the 124 gn loading in the A zone of an IPSC target out to 20 meters I am lucky to make 65% with the Winchester ammo. The dispersion seems to be vertical, a bit low, but also horizontal in spread. The Winchester 124 gn load may be better but there was none available when I made my purchase.

Today I turned up at the range for my annual work qualification shoot. In the past the ammo we use to qualify in our Glock 17's has been Federal's 147 gn American Eagle load, to match the weight of the 147 gn Hydrashock ammo we carry on duty, but today I was given a box of the same 115 gn Winchester FMJ ammo.

I qualified (100%) but grouping was a lot more widely spread than usual for me (heck we only shoot pistol out to 15 meters and the target is large male torso sized) just like in my Kimber. I am wondering if this is normal for the Winchester 115 gn load or is it just me needing some more practice with the load (and maybe raising the rear sight on the Kimber a click or two)?

We buy Winchester White Box because it is cheap. Something has got to give to keep the price low. You simply can not expect it to be match quality.

Here it's just range fodder ammo. I never bother checking accuracy on range ammo as long as it's hitting where I'm pointing.

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Hello Kiwi Cop, I've used quite a bit of the Winchester white box 115 9MM over the years. It shoots well, sometimes surprisingly well, in my guns, including Kimbers. That being said, within my humble experience every gun, even of the same model, is unique. And ammo, like WWB, that performs well in my guns, may not in yours. Ammo that performs better for me than WWB as to accuracy, is the Federal 115 JHP. I use the 9BP, XM9001 and 9BPLE versions. All three types function flawlessly, and display excellent accuracy in my guns......ymmv

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NRA Life, COTEP 640

I have found that the 124gr loading of Winchester ammo shoots
better in my weapons, than the lighter 115gr ammo.

Ammo from Brazil, Mexico and Euro does just as well, if I can find
it at a good price but I try to buy ammo from the USA if possible.

In my area we seldom get low prices on Rem or Fed target ammo
for some odd reason. Just glad that Winchester helps out.....
at least the cases can be reloaded if you can retrieve them.

Funnily enough the locally manufactured 124 gn ammo not only groups much better than the Winchester 115 gn load but it is 2/3 of the cost $100/250 rounds compared to $300/500 for the Winchester.

I'd certainly have to at least try the local ammo for that kind of price difference.

I'm confused. I'm seeing Winchester 9mm 115 grain ammo on line for $25 per 100 rounds which, if my math is right, is $125 for 500 rounds.

True enough for us in the USA, but the Kiwi isn't on our side of the Pacific, and pays NZ import duties.

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Science plus Art

Yikes. Is the trajectory different down under?

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

Personally, I have never found a 115 gr load that shoots as well as 124-130 gr fodder in my collection of 9mm pistols. I find the 115 is usually a little "snappier" too. FWIW, I've had mixed results with 147gr.

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Dave

In my Shield and Ruger 9mm 1911 I shoot better with the 124 or 147grain. For some reason I am not as accurate with the 115 grain.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

That's probably what the importers pay ex US. Add in freight to the Southern Hemisphere, a 15% Goods and Services tax (GST) to the government and the fact that our dollar is only worth about 72 US cents, and a price of just under $70 NZ/100 or $300 NZ/500 is the result.

Winchester 124 NATO is the best of the white box stuff. It functions the best in my Shield 9 and my Canik TP9SF Elite. It’s a little more (find online for $20/100, locally about $26/100) but is pretty accurate for me.


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