most powerfull 9mm luger round for shooting steel targets
- Thread starter agent00
- Start date
- Status
Jim Watson
Member
Winchester Ranger T +P or Federal 9BPLE
But why? Geco is good stout European ammo and should ring plates as loud as anything.
But why? Geco is good stout European ammo and should ring plates as loud as anything.
JAV8000
Member
find some 147 gr. flat nose FMJ.
General Geoff
Member
Unless the targets are knock-down or swinging type, there's not much reason to use hotter ammo.
BMF500
Member
I don't think the "hotness" of the load matters as much as the projectile. I would shoot W/C's for this. A good friend of mine is 85% blind in his right eye from a sliver of copper jacketing hitting in the eye, shooting JSP @ steel targets @ 25 yards. Yes he was wearing eye protection.
LubeckTech
Member
For steel cast bullets would be my choice. If you just need to ring the target 115gr - 124gr should do but if they were knock down targets 147gr would be better. Cast bullets are much safer for steel targets and (depending on their content) softer than jacketed ammo which means they will then to flatten out when hitting the target and empart most of the energy into it. Jacketed ammo tends to bounce around more and fragment thus wasting the bullet's kenetic energy. You should check with the range before you go as they may require you to use cast bullets. If you decide to load cast bullets a slower burning flake powder would be advisable to help prevent leading and 9mm being a small volume case flake powders are compressable where grainular powders are not.
jfdavis58
Member
I shot 115gr JHPs (Winchester) handloaded to about 1160fps for years at steel plates and steel pepper poppers in USPSA/IPSC matches with no problems. Targets as close as 11yards and out past 40. Eye protection in the form of wrap-around shooting glasses and a long billed hat.
Three things are important in shooting steel:
it must be square to the shooter, it must be angled down (top closer to shooter than bottom) and it must not be pitted. It also helps to have a lip on the stand to insure that plates fall and don't twist. Having a responsible person who understands the calibration procedure for poppers is a big plus. With targets set properly, most handgun bullets-regardless of construction--simply disintegrate on impact; a telltale sign of this is the splatter line that forms in front of and directly below the target (on the ground). This line does extend to the left and right as well, and is the reason course designers don't put paper targets to the immediate left or right of a steel target. This splatter is also the reason for the side berms in most action pistol shooting bays/berms/ranges. It can fly over the top of the dirt berm and that's the reason eye protection must be worn at all times on the range. I know from personal experience that hits from the over the berm spatter sting and may cut--back-up two giant steps and the risk fades considerably.
Three things are important in shooting steel:
it must be square to the shooter, it must be angled down (top closer to shooter than bottom) and it must not be pitted. It also helps to have a lip on the stand to insure that plates fall and don't twist. Having a responsible person who understands the calibration procedure for poppers is a big plus. With targets set properly, most handgun bullets-regardless of construction--simply disintegrate on impact; a telltale sign of this is the splatter line that forms in front of and directly below the target (on the ground). This line does extend to the left and right as well, and is the reason course designers don't put paper targets to the immediate left or right of a steel target. This splatter is also the reason for the side berms in most action pistol shooting bays/berms/ranges. It can fly over the top of the dirt berm and that's the reason eye protection must be worn at all times on the range. I know from personal experience that hits from the over the berm spatter sting and may cut--back-up two giant steps and the risk fades considerably.
- Status
