The "best" bullet weight?

[Corner Pocket]

For a while now, I've been loading .38 Special and .45 ACP. For my .38 loads, I've settled on shooting mostly 148 grain DEWC bullets, and for the .45, 200 grain RNFP. Both of these work very well in my guns and I have a good load worked up for both of them.

I'm about to start loading 9mm Luger. For those of you who reload for this caliber, do you have a "favorite" or perhaps a "preferred" bullet weight for lead bullets that works well for you? All I plan to do with these is to punch holes in paper. Thanks in advance for any insight/suggestion that you'd care to offer!

CP

 

[ambidextrous1]

For target shooting, cheaper is better; and lighter is cheaper. I'd recommend 115 grain; high production volume is also cheaper.

 

[Walkalong]

Ranier 115 Gr RN for years, but they kept going up until I could buy Jacketed for the same price. So now it is Raniers or Berrys or Zeros. Whatever is cheapest at the time. It's just blasting ammo, but all those bullets shoot pretty well.

 

[The Bushmaster]

9mm X 19...Anything in the 115 to 125 grain range works the best in my opinion.

 

[Corner Pocket]

Thanks, folks. I just now bought 1K of 125 grain LRN and will load 'em up and see how they work in a few days...

CP

 

[zxcvbob]

I've been shooting 135's, as a compromise between 124 and 147 grains. I bought 3000 bullets a few years ago (just in time!) and haven't quite used them all up yet.

I just bought a 120 grain bullet mold to start casting my own. Haven't tried it yet. I tend to like heavier bullets in any cartridge, but the 9mm case is awfully small. Also, I think there's a Ruger LCP in my future and the 120 grain bullets *might* be short enough to use in a .380.

 

[highlander 5]

I use a 120 gr rn that I cast and I've got 4-5k of them.

 

[Halo]

I use 124 grain bullets, because my SD load is 124 and I am trying to duplicate it as much as possible. AFAIK that was the original weight for 9mm and it remains the "standard" in most European loads.

 

[NotSoFast]

For target with my 9mm I use 115 gr for practice, mostly because of the cost. But my tightest groups are with 147 gr Speer Gold Dot factory loads.

 

[jimbob86]

Best bullet weight.....

..... for what purpose?

I found out on Sunday that 115gr FMJ does not work wellat all for bowling pins. I'm told 147 HP or Flat point work much better.

115s are cheaper, so that is what I bought for punching paper. Now that I'm shooting pins again, I will have to get som 147 HP....

.... but that is the beauty of rolling your own: you can tailor your load to what you need, instead of just taking what the store has to offer.