Optimizing your 9mm for Accuracy and Effectiveness

American Shooting Journal ^ | 8/22/2016 | J Hines

[w1n1]

Choosing the right ammunition can be a difficult task, even for the most experienced of gun enthusiasts. Without taking on the overwhelming hobby of making your own ammunition, and having your significant other hassle you over those exciting new credit card bills, here are a few tips to help you find the right ammunition for your 9mm.

Regarding Grain and What That Means for You and Your Accuracy

Grain is relatively important when it comes to the accuracy of your carbine or pistol. Truly, most sportsmen can spend an entire lifetime going to the range or hunting and never really worry about the grain of the bullet they are shooting. However, when optimizing the pattern your gun shoots, the weight of your bullet plays a huge part in what is happening down range.

A grain is the increment in which ammunition for guns is measured, and there are 437 grains in one ounce. Most 9mm bullet loads fall into one of a few categories unless built at home. They come in loads that weigh in at 115, 124, or 147grains, and randomly you may find a load somewhere in-between or around this range. Read the rest of the 9mm story here.

[Mr. Douglas]

A friend just told me that advances in 9mm cartridge tech have made it almost comparable to .45 in stopping power.

Did I miss something in the news about this?

[yarddog]

It has been true for a long time. The best 9mm are very effective.

I still prefer a .45 but would never complain about the 9mm, especially with high capacity mags.

[Lurker]

Advances in bullet technology have made 9mm almost as effective as .45 was 10 years ago. Of course that goes for .45 bullets as well. But the truth is all pistol cartridges are marginal at best.

L

[Mr. Douglas]

Well, a 9mm is certainly better than my .380, but I’ve been a fan of a bullet that actually knocks the guy down for a long time. Hence my attitude about the .45.

Plus, when one is being pointed at you it just LOOKS scarier. :-)

[niteowl77]

The pistol in the photo is a Beretta Px4 Storm Subcompact, which is a neat little "bulldog" of a semiauto; a lot of people think it is too big to be a "real" subcompact and too small to be a compact, but it is very controllable in 9mm, and worth looking into if you prefer a hammer-fired DA/SA semiauto that is relatively small but still gives you 13+1 capacity. In my experience, it is less fussy about ammunition and more forgiving of poor shooting technique than the really small 9mm semiautos.

They are sort of hard to find around here, though.

Mr. niteowl77

[Ancesthntr]

This guy starts talking about the remaining power in a 9mm cartridge after 500 yards, then ends by telling us that owning a firearm is a privilege.

Besides, he tells us nothing of consequence about how to optimize your 9mm for accuracy, nothing AT ALL.

Unmitigated crap - pay no attention to this.

[Mr. Douglas]

Well, I’m not carrying my .30-06 in my car or on my person downtown. :-)

Everything is marginal compared to what is better. But if what is better is not a viable option, it’s irrelevant. The best of the “marginal” becomes the best, period. ;-)

[yarddog]

I did not read the article as I sort of knew there was not a lot you can do outside having a master gunsmith accurize it.

I really want a 10mm either a Colt Delta Elite or Glock. If I really could just have anything I wanted, it would be a Sig.

Still I am perfectly comfortable with my old Brownings using Mec-Gar high capacity mags.

[Aut Pax Aut Bellum]

The storm is a POS. First, DA/SA is very hard to master for the novice. You will see most earring the hammer back at the range all the time. What good is that on the street? The storm’s slide is as wide as a battleship in order to contain the rotating locking lugs-there is a reason this 100 year old design was never popular much.
13+1? The G19 is 15+1 and about the same size. The S&W M&P compact is good, as well as the compact Rugers,etc.
Resale on the storm is atrocious. You will lose your shirt. It has many people liking it-until they pick it up.

[Lurker]

You’re quit correct, of course. It’s why I carry a .45 ACP with the best self defense ammunition I can get.

Good luck,

L

[showme_the_Glory]

Unmitigated crap - pay no attention to this.

Could have at least told us how many shells the clips hold?

[Cobra64]

The author is a jerk. He should read a few reloading manuals to get the lingo correct. Bullet weight is different from powder loads.

[InABunkerUnderSF]

Owning a gun is a privilege we should not take for granted.

Odd, I always thought that owning a gun was a right that all law abiding citizens had.

Seems like some editor told the author "Write me 500 words about 9mm ammunition" and the author churned out this article in about 20 minutes.

[AlaskaErik]

I stopped reading after “9 mm”. My primary self defense pistol is a Glock 23. It shoots .40 S&W.

[556x45]

‘A grain is the increment in which ammunition for guns is measured, and there are 437 grains in one ounce’

Not the best written article. A grain is a measure of weight. Ammo can be classified by other than projectile weight.

[Yo-Yo]

From the article:

"Rarely do companies put the weight of propellant on their boxes. This information is typically reserved for enthusiasts whom load their own ammunition. The weight of propellant can have a big impact on how fast your bullet travels and how accurate your shots are. If training for shooting competitions or shooting professionally, such as becoming a sniper, loading your own ammunition may be a very good choice of path."

Uh, grains of propellant is not the only factor. The type of propellant plays a huge factor as well.

"...may be a very good choice of path." Is this translated Engrish, or just clickbait?

[dangerdoc]

bump

[Mr. K]

A .410 Judge with shotgun shells is the best up-close defense weapon

It also fires .45 bullets too.

Best of all worlds

[USMCPOP]

Who needs accuracy? Close is good enough.