Are JHP generally more accurate than FMJ?

Yes, though with clarification, flat nose bullets (JHP, JFP) are generally more accurate than round nose bullets. But as you note, it is bullet specific.

Yes

JHP are more accurate.

brewer12345 said:

Hornady 124 grain FMJ

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Looks like the base has a piece added, so there is no exposed lead? The base is more important then the nose. A base with exposed lead is less accurate.

brewer12345 said:

Winchester 147 grain JHP

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The base is more solid, the lead core being placed in the jacket from the top, before forming the HP.

The hollow point gets an extra forming die pass, then a FMJ.

243winxb said:

Looks like the base has a piece added, so there is no exposed lead? The base is more important then the nose. A base with exposed lead is less accurate.

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So FMJ with a covered base are more accurate than FMJ with exposed lead?

I shoot a ton of different pistol bullets and am an accuracy junkie. I shoot at 25 yards, with a rest, and record EVERY group.

The most accurate bullets I have found are the Hornady XTPs. Second place are Speer TMJs. But, since TMJs have been impossible to find for years, I just stick with the XTPs.

I've never been able to get FMJ to outshoot JHP or SWC. Don't have an explanation as to why.

fxvr5 said:

Yes, though with clarification, flat nose bullets (JHP, JFP) are generally more accurate than round nose bullets. But as you note, it is bullet specific.

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Is there any data backing up all the claims of what pistol bullets are more accurate than others? And, are we talking about accuracy or precision or both? Is it really due to the bullet, or the gun, or the combination of components, neck tension, COL, or the shooter? I’m really curious since I’ve shot a lot of all kinds of bullets, but haven’t seen a remarkable increase of precision or accuracy with a jacketed.

243winxb said:

The base is more important then the nose. A base with exposed lead is less accurate.

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Why?

Just gut feeling here.
_ JHP bullets tend to be made as specialty items (serious self defence, big game hunting, etc).
_ FMJ bullets tend to be mass production, think government issue at lowest bid price.

"For consistent accuracy, a bullet's base must be square to the body. Bases which are not square induce excessive yaw at the muzzle as the bullet uncorks unevenly. Holding bullet squareness in a bullet formed on the heel is much easier than one formed on the tip. Hollow-point bullet cores are inserted from the front and the point formed using the flat heel of the bullet as a base. With this method, holding base squareness is easy. Cores for FMJ bullets are inserted from the rear and the bullet formed on the tapering bullet ogive. This makes it difficult to hold base squareness consistently."

https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2018/8/19/why-are-hollow-point-rifle-bullets-more-accurate/#:~:text=Many shooters feel the sharp,design, the difference is minimal.

Can be hard to see the accuracy difference in a handgun. The rifle makes it much easier to see, what is most accurate. Not all fmj are equal. Some better then others.

fxvr5 said:

So FMJ with a covered base are more accurate than FMJ with exposed lead?

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Needs testing. i appoint you as the head scientist.

Is the 9mm test gun a spray & pray model? Or a finely tuned match gun? Makes a difference in accuracy.

My Taurus G3C doesnt know the difference between good and bad ammo. Or its me?

fxvr5 said:

So FMJ with a covered base are more accurate than FMJ with exposed lead?

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As we like to be "technical" around here
A FMJ with a covered base would be a TMJ But then it it is also a Full metal jacket

https://ammo.com/bullet-type/total-metal-jacket-tmj

brewer12345 said:

The JHPs are noticeably more accurate than the FMJs. This could be the specific bullet, the heavier weight, or who knows what, but it does make me wonder if JHPs are generally more accurate than FMJs. Is this typical?

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This has also typically been my experience.

lordpaxman said:

Is there any data backing up all the claims of what pistol bullets are more accurate than others? And, are we talking about accuracy or precision or both? Is it really due to the bullet, or the gun, or the combination of components, neck tension, COL, or the shooter? I’m really curious since I’ve shot a lot of all kinds of bullets, but haven’t seen a remarkable increase of precision or accuracy with a jacketed.

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One article that I know of with handgun ammo that looked at this was this one (https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2019/1/18/38-different-9mm-loads), and they found the FP bullets were more accurate on average than RN bullets.

That author has said in another article that flat point bullets are more consistently accurate than RN bullets, here:
https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/super-accurate-38-super-loads/326242

I don't think it's a secret that FN bullets in handguns tend to be more accurate, but, as noted, it depends on the bullet and powder combination.

The general idea is that some bullets have a reputation for being accurate, and you'll see the same bullets referred to on multiple forums of competitive shooters, i.e. Bullseye forum, Brian Enos. in the 9mm caliber, Hornady HAP and XTP bullets are often mentioned. In the 45 Auto, Nosler and Zero 185 JHP bullets are often the choice of Bullseye shooters.

But I also have loads that are especially and consistently accurate in my 1911 that don't do so well in my polymer framed production guns, and that's from testing in a Ransom Rest. That said, my polymer framed production guns aren't great shooters in the first place. It's very possible that my expectations from them are not realistic compared to my 1911 with a Kart barrel.

Carl N. Brown said:

Just gut feeling here.
_ JHP bullets tend to be made as specialty items (serious self defence, big game hunting, etc).
_ FMJ bullets tend to be mass production, think government issue at lowest bid price.

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JHP handgun bullets from Hornady (HAPs), Montana Gold, and Zero are mass produced.

Rule3 said:

As we like to be "technical" around here
A FMJ with a covered base would be a TMJ But then it it is also a Full metal jacket

https://ammo.com/bullet-type/total-metal-jacket-tmj

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A 'total metal jacket' is used by Speer to denote their plated bullets. Montana Gold uses the term complete metal jacket for their FMJ jacket with a base covered with a copper cap. Hornady's former line of FMJ bullet with a copper cup covering the base were called 'encapsulated' FMJ.

Walkalong said:

As far as the Hornady “encapsulated” FMJ offerings go (do they still make those?),. . .

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I don't think they do. I haven't seen them for a about a decade.

Well, just to throw some more grease on the skids while this train tries to chug uphill, what's also been observed is, double-struck plated RN tend to be more accurate than single-struck jacketed hollow-point, depending on the gun and shooter. It all really seems to depend on how many times the bullet gets sized and squared. Sierra's FMJ's are every bit as accurate as any JHP I've tried, including XTP's.
I think this might be yet another situation where you get what you pay for.
Then again, the bullets RMR makes are low dollar/high quality so, that rule's got exceptions (don't they all?)

I would simply say that bullseye shooters are big fans of the 185gr JHP from Hornady and Zero. If 1-2in handgun groups at 50y aren't good enough for you, good luck!

Bullet accuracy does change from lot to lot. The Sierra 243 85 gr hpbt #1530 can do 1/2" or almost 3" (bad batch) @ 100 yards.