Been ringing out my MP Compact 9 with 147 gr. lead & 3 grs. of Promo. I need a good jacketed bullet, one that would work for defense. Never been a jacketed shooter, never read much about 9's as I've always been a sixgun shooter. I'm open to suggestions for a bullet. Thanks & God Bless.

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Joshua 1:9

Any of the big names. Gold Dots, Golden Saber, XTP, Federal Hydra Shok, etc Problem is finding them.

I prefer 124gr

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Still Running Against the Wind

You can even look up bullet and ammo test on you tube to get an idea of how the ammo does...........
then buy what you think might work for your needs.

Seeing as how this is the reloading section, I think the OP is referring to what jacketed bullets he can use while reloading, not what ammo to buy.

True. I was thinking something like a 120-130 grain JHP or JHP. It may be best to just purchase a HP mold & make a bullet myself. This will be my carry piece & I need to shoot this thing many more rounds than I have before I put it on my belt.

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Joshua 1:9

LAH - I agree with the post above that any of the 'big names' will work very well for you. I favor the Hornady XTP and Speer gold Dot for no other reason than they have worked well for me - great quality, consistent, bullet design works well in all my four of my 9mm's (no FTF, jams, etc.), and have a devastating effect on targets downrange. The fact is, bullet designs and technology have made quantum leaps in the last ten years, and some of our historical notions that 'such and such a caliber in not good for self defense' are no longer valid. Most any of the self-defense bullets you can buy now will do the job. Most importantly....whatever bullet you decide on will work flawlessly in your pistol.

I found some XTPs so maybe I'll began there.

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Joshua 1:9

The new Hornady technology as in the Critical DUTY (not defense) seems promising. I bought some factory ammo (yes I know I'm bad) The 135 gr Critical Duty +P seems pretty potent!

It has that goober in the HP to add in expansion.

I do not think the bullets alone are available.

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Still Running Against the Wind

+1;
That is the problem with most of the top of the line SD bullets...................

They are not available to the public for loading.

Federal, Winchester and Hodgdon know how to keep sales up.............
but there are others that will work for you.

You might try some 147g XTPs, or 125g Gold Dots.

I "think" no actual proof that the XTP bullets have to have a good velocity to actually expand. Just due to the design of the bullet. Gold Dots appear to have a wider mouth.

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Still Running Against the Wind

Georgia arms has options available for reloading. Fmj and jhp.

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Tapatalk

For self defense in a 9 I like a 115-124 gr bullet. That gives you the velocity to take advantage of an HP. The 147 gr is heavy enough it is reduced to 38 special speeds and probably will not open unless it is fired from a carbine length gun.

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Front sight and squeeze

As the 9mm operates at higher velocity than a .45 or .38 SPL, bullets need to be hard cast to help reduce leading. I'd recommend plated bullets such as those by Berry's, then follow the advice here regarding effective SD loads. I personally do not use lead bullets in my various nines.

So far I've fired nothing but cast in my two 9s with no problems but they are 147 grain. I have a bunch of HORNADY 115 HP/XP coming & a few 124 Gold Dots.

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Joshua 1:9

First, Speer Gold Dots. IMO there is not a finer bullet available for a reloader for use in a Defense application. They are also a great choice in factory assembled ammunition. Finally, they are the ONLY premium level SD bullet available as a reloading component. The main downside is the demand for them is high so they aren't real easy to find. However by using Midway's Notification system I have been able to pick up 6 boxes of 165 grain Gold Dots since the first of the year. Second downside is they aren't cheap, average cost for the 40 and 45 calibers is in the range of 30 bucks per 100.

Second option is the Hornady XTP. It's a rather dated design that doesn't expand as well as the first tier bullets but one positive is that they also seem to be rather resistant to tip clogging. One big plus is they are a good bit less expensive than the Speer Gold Dots, average for 40 and 45 caliber runs about 21-22 bucks per 100. Another plus is they are easier to find. Downside is they don't expand nearly as much as a first tier bullet so penetration tend to run deep, in some cases as much as 18 inches in ballistic gelatin. However, they are an excellent choice of you want a mirror load of one of the premium SD commercial loads because the bullets can take any pistol velocity you can generate and they are relatively cheap.

I reload the ole simple Winchester 115grain Hollow point, I buy in bulk, I have never had any trouble finding them. Some of those MEGA rounds are like pretty fishing lures, everyone wants them and goes and buys them and they are no better than what you had. Heavier bullets in the 9mm to me is a huge turnoff, and some of the self defense are sub sonic....NO way I want those. I also buy the 115 grain ball from Remington, I shoot both on the range a lot. Both perform well out to 100 yards. I can't mention on the cast or solid lead bullets for I have never fired or reloaded any of those.

What he said. Exactly.