If you are in a situation where you would need to draw/fire, how much of a difference would it make if you had the 124 vs 147 vs 124 +p?? I mean, when someone is hit by a round, are we talking a considerable difference here or they are hit by a HP round one way or another and the 23grain difference may not make that huge of an impact?
Depends on where you hit. 147 gr bullets are superior at penetrating deep, even after encountering an arm or heavy clothing. For instance:
http://www.brassfetcher.com/9x19mm147grGoldenSaber.html
147 gr GS penetrated 14.5",
very consistently.
http://www.brassfetcher.com/124 grain +P Remington Golden Saber.html
124 gr +P GS penetrated 12.0" to 13.3", average 12.6". But it expanded a bit larger. Note, however, that despite being a "+P" round, they only went 1100 fps from a 4" barrel.
That's actually a good thing, though, as Golden Sabers are a design which performs better at medium-low velocities than high velocities. At too high a speed, the lead core mushrooms out past the jacketing petals (which are usually smashed almost flat against the side of the bullet, at very high velocities), negating the advantage to using Golden Sabers. 1050 to 1100 fps is about the optimum range for 124 gr ammo, and 950-990 for the 147 gr.
So you basically trade off hole diameter for hole depth. You should prioritize depth over diameter, to a certain point. Hole diameter is practically academic. A 9mm FMJ in the heart and you'll bleed to death in 12 seconds instead of 10 for a .45 JHP. Penetration, however, determines what you hit. It's quite possible to line up a shot perfectly, and fail to hit a vital organ simply because the ammunition failed to penetrate deep enough.
The generally accepted
minimum penetration is 12", which both weights meet. However, according to MacPherson, the
optimum penetration range is 13" to 15", and personally, I'm really starting to think he underestimated the effect of 3 layers of skin, on a shot that's obstructed by an arm (the main reason for the 12" minimum); 14"-16" optimum may be more appropriate, in case you have to shoot someone that's a little more muscular than average.
http://www.firearmstactical.com/tacticalbriefs/volume4/number3/article432.htm
Even that test, with no skin simulant, shows how an arm and a rib can
seriously impact bullet performance. A .45 ACP round, which normally penetrates 13"-14" in bare gel, penetrated only 4.5" into the "torso" block after encountering an "arm." That is definitely not adequate penetration.
I have found the Remington Golden Saber 124gr +p to be excellent ammo. It also has an excellent reputation as a stopper. Now I practice with 115gr because that is what is available. But I have found the 124gr shoots almost exactly the same for POI and POA. The difference is insignificant. Penetration and expansion are both very good for 124gr.
