147gr JHP for 9mm

[Al W.]

I was poking around on a couple of sites and saw that some folks liked the accuracy of 147 gr rounds in the 9mm SA's .
Thats a big jump from 115 but I took the leap and ordered some 147 JHP and loaded up 40 rounds , 20 of 4.4 gr of Power Pistol and 20 of 4.6 Power pistol.
I ran the 40 through my gun and think I do like what I see , I was grouping well . I like the round.
Have any of you folks loaded this grain weight in your 9mm's ?
Folks talk about this projectile as a self defense round. I understand that that's of interest to some folks.
I'm more interested in target accuracy .
Ready to receive wisdom.
Meanwhile I'll load some more of this and see how that goes.
The projectile weight seems to effect recoil impulse in a way that I like and the Lee manual states that this is going down range subsonic below 900fps. Has a whole different feel . Seems fun to shoot.

 

[Erich]

I have found VV 3N38 (A max charge behind a 147-gr Federal HST over a Remington 1 1/2 is what I carry in a couple of my guns - in fact, it's what's in the gun I'm wearing right now) to work very well, and it gives a lot more velocity than what other powders will - it will actually enable you to make Major with the 9x19. I get single-digit deviations with it and these rounds are more accurate than I am. Check out the Vihtavouri page for more info:
Handgun reloading - Vihtavuori

 

[Al W.]

I see you have a 1.14 OAL
I'm running the 1.13 OAL , which did fine on the range.
I had been running 1.142 when I was shooting HAP 115gr.
Might see what the .010 buys me when I load a few more rounds later this week.
I'm OK with the low velocity with the Power Pistol , I'm shooting targets.
Thanks ...

 

[BE Mike]

I've been toying with the Zero 147 gr. bullet for shooting through suppressors. The load I've been using is 4.0 grains of Alliant Bullseye. I haven't really checked the velocity, but it is subsonic out of the carbine. The accuracy out of my FX-9 suppressed carbine seems very good at 25 yards. I haven't checked it out in my pistols, but plan to load up some in the near future and see how they do. What gun are you shooting it out of?

 

[PPCSHOOTER]

I'VE SHOT A LOT OF 147GR 9MM AT 50YDS FOR PPC. THE MOST ACCURATE BULLET WAS THE 147GR XTP. THE 147GR XTP IS A BOAT TAIL BULLET. NOTHING ELSE WAS CLOSE. ALL TESTED FROM THE RANSOM REST AT 50YDS. TESTED IN SEVERAL PPC 9's BOTH 6" AND 5" AND SEVERAL CUSTOM 1911 9MM PISTOLS WITH THE CORRECT RATE OF TWIST. BELOW ARE THE 2 BEST LOADS.

4.2 GR VV330 OAL 1.142" CRIMP .377
4.0 GR WSF SAME AS ABOVE

THE BEST THING IS HORNADY SELLS A 147GR FMJ WITH A BOAT TAIL ALSO. IT'S NOT AS ACCURATE AS THE XTP; BUT I USED IT FOR THE SHORT LINE TARGETS 25YDS AND IN. THERE WAS NO WORRY ABOUT RE FOULING THE BARREL. THEY ARE MUCH CHEAPER THAN THE XTP. JP

 

[Al W.]

I ordered from Everglades .
Not a boat tail but there is a slight taper.
I was grouping well at 25 yards off hand.
We have a RR at our club but not the right insert for my pistol.
So I was shooting off hand. Which I'm OK at.
I had some Power Pistol in my powder measure and I had data for that . So away I went.
Interesting that you were/ are using that 1.142 oal. Guess thats max for a 9mm and gets close to touching the other side of my magazines, but shoots well in the 115 gr HAP .
Some very avid target shooters talk up that 115 gr HAP round. I had increasing good luck with it my self ,but get the distinct impression that this 147gr projectile waddling down range subsonic is going to allow me to tighten things up considerably.
Or so I hope !

 

[Al W.]

I've been toying with the Zero 147 gr. bullet .What gun are you shooting it out of?

I ordered from Everglades. I've found that their Jacketed rounds work well for me in a few 380's I have . Some milsurp stuff. So I though I would give them a spin with the 9mm.
I'm shooting a Dan Wesson PM9.
I find its the gun I shoot worst , actually, so I'm trying to like it by finding a round that gets we where I want to go.
I shoot in a little PPL league and am used to shooting pretty well with a .22LR, my accuracy degrades when I go up in caliber.
I shoot .38 sp revolver and have a M52 that shoots well, but the 9 as a target gun has never worked out for me.
The 147 seems like it might make things work though , hopes are high !

 

[Nevada Ed]

A Speer TMJ 147gr bullet in my 3.5" C9 is loaded from 825 to 975fps
and a 5" pistol goes from 851 up to 1042fps with different powders
that get good accuracy for me.

Overall length will be from 1.11 to 1.165" with the light flat nose.
The longer 147gr RN Berry minimum is 1.13" so I don't bulge the mixed cases that I use, since the long 1.165" did not work with this bullet in my pistols for accuracy.

890fps seemed a good overall vel. for the 3.5 and 5" weapons for target practice.

My 147 Factory HST measure out at ........ 1.13" +/-.
Underwood +P+ hits 1155 in a Glock 4".



So how fast is a 147 Major load, if you please.......... ?

never mind, found it..................
it is above SAAMI pressures, any way.

 

[Rogeronimo]

I load a max charge of Herco under a Remington 147gn JHP. It makes me happy.

 

[BE Mike]

I ordered from Everglades. I've found that their Jacketed rounds work well for me in a few 380's I have . Some milsurp stuff. So I though I would give them a spin with the 9mm.
I'm shooting a Dan Wesson PM9.
I find its the gun I shoot worst , actually, so I'm trying to like it by finding a round that gets we where I want to go.
I shoot in a little PPL league and am used to shooting pretty well with a .22LR, my accuracy degrades when I go up in caliber.
I shoot .38 sp revolver and have a M52 that shoots well, but the 9 as a target gun has never worked out for me.
The 147 seems like it might make things work though , hopes are high !

In a former life I was a bullseye pistol shooter. I once owned a Tony Kidd accurized Beretta 92FS with BarSto barrel and BoMar sights. It would shoot Hornady 115 grain FMJ at 50 yards in under 2" ten shot groups. We had to drive them very fast to get accuracy and my load was 6.2 grains of Power Pistol. Back then the CMP leg matches limited 9mm bullet weights to 115 and 125 grain. I really never shot those leg matches better than I did with a 1911 and factory 230 gr. "hardball" ammo, even though the 1911 wouldn't group anywhere near the Beretta from a machine rest at 50 yards. Looks like the gentleman who shot PPC with the 147 gr. bullet is the "go to" guy! Different barrel twists in 9mm handguns can affect how one handgun shoots one load and bullet weight better than another.

 

[PPCSHOOTER]

BE Mike,
I KIND OF SHOOT BULLSEYE ALSO. EVEN HAVE KIDD BERETTA. SHOT MY BEST 50YD SCORES WITH IT BUT ALWAYS SHOT THE 1911 MUCH BETTER ON THE SHORT LINE. HAVEN'T SHOT IT IN YEARS . THE 147GR IS GREAT IN THE FASTER TWIST BARRELS UP TO AND INCLUDING 1-16". I'VE USED THE 115GR HAP ALSO. VERY GOOD BULLET IN ALL BARRELS. BUT I'VE FOUND THE 115 AND 124 GR XTP WERE BETTER. HORNADY USED TO MAKE A 121GR HAP. BOY THAT WAS A SHOOTER.
LOADS FOR THE 115GR WERE AS FOLLOWS.
115GR XTP OR HAP 5.0 VV330 OAL 1.142" CRIMP .377, 5.3 WSF WAS GOOD ALSO BUT NOT AS GOOD AS THE VV330.

121 HAP AND THE 124 XTP ARE 4.8 GR VV330, I NEVER TRIED THEM WITH WSF.

 

[Al W.]

BE Mike,
I KIND OF SHOOT BULLSEYE ALSO. EVEN HAVE KIDD BERETTA. SHOT MY BEST 50YD SCORES WITH IT BUT ALWAYS SHOT THE 1911 MUCH BETTER ON THE SHORT LINE. HAVEN'T SHOT IT IN YEARS . THE 147GR IS GREAT IN THE FASTER TWIST BARRELS UP TO AND INCLUDING 1-16". I'VE USED THE 115GR HAP ALSO. VERY GOOD BULLET IN ALL BARRELS. BUT I'VE FOUND THE 115 AND 124 GR XTP WERE BETTER. HORNADY USED TO MAKE A 121GR HAP. BOY THAT WAS A SHOOTER.
LOADS FOR THE 115GR WERE AS FOLLOWS.
115GR XTP OR HAP 5.0 VV330 OAL 1.142" CRIMP .377, 5.3 WSF WAS GOOD ALSO BUT NOT AS GOOD AS THE VV330.

121 HAP AND THE 124 XTP ARE 4.8 GR VV330, I NEVER TRIED THEM WITH WSF.

I have liked the results of the 1.142 OAL in the DW. Its got the 1:16 twist rate so I'll run those 147's for a while.
The Everglades come in at about 13 cents a round so I'll stick with that for the moment.
The VV is tempting , but I have pounds of the PP and Unique. So until I'm shooting qualifying matches I'll go with what I know.
Great info and thanks for the tips and help.

 

[Al W.]

Well, 147gr is a winner in 9mm.
I got 4.6 gr of PP at 1.142 OL to group well and keep me in the black at 25 yds.
Shot 30 and 30 of 4.4 and 4.6. The the 4.6 charge won .
I'll do some 4.6 and 4.8 and why not a few 5 gr. which is the limit for PP.
I don't really want the racket. I was hopping for the 4.4 but there was no way.

 

[Funflyer]

Well, 147gr is a winner in 9mm.
I got 4.6 gr of PP at 1.142 OL to group well and keep me in the black at 25 yds.
Shot 30 and 30 of 4.4 and 4.6. The the 4.6 charge won .
I'll do some 4.6 and 4.8 and why not a few 5 gr. which is the limit for PP.
I don't really want the racket. I was hopping for the 4.4 but there was no way.

Looking through my excel database for 9mm Power Pistol loads, I see all bullet weights are most accurate when loaded to max, or near max charges, with my best being a 147XTP loaded to Hornady's max of 5.1 grain @ 1.125" OAL. Also, I see BE-86 loads near max, in every bullet weight are even more accurate than PP.

For the best of both worlds (accuracy and mild recoil), lower charges of Unique and Titegroup are at the top of my favorites list.

 

[Al W.]

Looking through my excel database for 9mm Power Pistol loads, I see all bullet weights are most accurate when loaded to max, or near max charges, with my best being a 147XTP loaded to Hornady's max of 5.1 grain @ 1.125" OAL. Also, I see BE-86 loads near max, in every bullet weight are even more accurate than PP.

For the best of both worlds (accuracy and mild recoil), lower charges of Unique and Titegroup are at the top of my favorites list.

I've got some Unique. After I run through this PP , I'll give that a try. I would not mind a low charge. The lower the better .

 

[BLUEDOT37]

I ordered from Everglades .
Not a boat tail but there is a slight taper.

Exactly which one did you order? I see some of them are Zero bullets.

Did you get these? : 9mm 147gr JHP Reloading Bullets


They're Zero brand & they're cheaper if you get 1000 or more direct from them. I bought some & the recessed base (~.350" dia.) seemed odd. Their 125gr JHPs don't have that feature.

In looking thru some manuals recently I realized that Sierra doesn't make/sell a 9mm 147gr bullet. Isn't that strange?

.

 

[Al W.]

Exactly which one did you order? I see some of them are Zero bullets.

Did you get these? : 9mm 147gr JHP Reloading Bullets


They're Zero brand & they're cheaper if you get 1000 or more direct from them. I bought some & the recessed base (~.350" dia.) seemed odd. Their 125gr JHPs don't have that feature.

In looking thru some manuals recently I realized that Sierra doesn't make/sell a 9mm 147gr bullet. Isn't that strange?
.

Yes sir , thats them.
I do some ordering from zero which operates as Roze distributing I think.
I checked and thought the numbers were about the same between the everglades and them , but I might have been mistaken.
I'll look it up again. Checked, yep, cheaper from Zero. Thanks for the heads up !
I like the Zero 147gr HBWC, they shoot the best for me in my revolvers.

 

[Al W.]

Shot a bit this last week.
The 4.6 gr of PP with an OAL of 1.142 is allowing me to stay in the black at 25 yards off hand .
Really the best result I've had with 9mm .
I'll stick with this load for a minute.
May work up some PP in 4.8 and 5 which is max for PP in the manuals I have .
Very pleased with the 147 gr projectile , finally have 9mm results that I was hoping for in the first place.
Sort of relieved to not have to flog the gun.
I was not able to get it to shoot like this with 115 gr FMJ or HAP.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

I'm glad that bullet/powder combo is working out for you.

No doubt, every pistol is different on what it likes the best. While I was researching load data for the 3356 I found an old article on the S&W 952-2 that said it preferred the 115gr bullets the best.

The P-P@ 5.0grs you mentioned is with a COAL of 1.115" (Lyman #50). Your 1.142" gives you some breathing room.

In fact, if you're looking for more, the 2004 Alliant Reloading Guide lists the 147gr XTP with a max of 5.7gr/P-P for 1095fps, with a COAL of 1.140" at 34K psi. (Yeah, back when they still listed pressures.)

I've never loaded it so work up slowly if you try it.

.

 

[fredj338]

The vast majority of gun games guys/gals are running 147gr at about 860fps to make power factor. Recoil is soft & accuracy is there. Its pretty much all I run in my competition guns. I have some 147gr SD ammo, but tend to run with 124gr +p there. Though there is a lot of merit in good 147gr jhp.