I don't shoot 147 exclusively. I do like shooting it, except in my 43X.

147 is my 1st choice to shoot in a new pistol, for couple hundred rounds [124 also does nice job].

147 FMJ is also my SHTF day choice, because of penetration.

Personal favorite/preferred 9mm weight is 124 grain.

 

I reloaded 147 pretty much exclusively for years (and had/have a fairly good supply) shooting IDPA and USPSA. So obviously really liked it.

However I did switch to 135 grain black bullets right before the stupidity drove me out of reloading. Very very happy with those as well. Between the two I’d have to say I preferred the 135’s by a hair.

 

I only shoot 147+gr as well. I shoot suppressed 9mm almost exclusively and it's easier to reload to be subsonic and cycle.

Lately I've been shooting 160gr powdercoated bullets and love them even more than the 147s. They absolutely destroy armadillos as well.

 

I only shoot 147+gr as well. I shoot suppressed 9mm almost exclusively and it's easier to reload to be subsonic and cycle.

Lately I've been shooting 160gr powdercoated bullets and love them even more than the 147s.

Are the 160gr bullets stable when loaded subsonic? Are you shooting these in a Glock?

 

Count me in! I tried 115 grain and 124 grain before I settled on 147 grain for competition and EDC. HD is still .45 acp or .40 S&W.

 

I "carry" 147 exclusively... I shoot (practice) with whatever I have hoarded away

 

My dept. issued 147 gr. when we had 9mms. I carry 147 gr. in my CCW 9mm now but I like to shoot 124 gr. for fun and practice. Hardly 115 unless I have a good deal on some just for blasting.

 

I prefer 147 gr. I will go to the range and burn up some cheap 115 gr though.

 

Usually 124+p Gold Dots for carry. Beyond that I couldn’t really care less what weight it is.

 

Me2👍

 

I have one gun that shoots 147 grain significantly more accurately than any other bullet weight and I only shoot 147 grain in that gun and it is an Israeli police surplus Belgian Browning High power with the spur hammer and recoil is not the issue because it's a full size all steel gun but accuracy is the reason why I only shoot that bullet weight in that gun.

In a Glock 19 or any 9mm, I never shoot 115 grain because I consider 124 grain to be the optimum weight for that caliber and most 115 grain ammo doesn't have enough velocity for me to consider it adequate for self defense with the exception of the Federal BPLE +P+ ammo. And the ammo I like best in a 9mm is 124 grain gold dot or HST which has the same recoil as standard pressure 180 grain 40 S&W which i consider superior to the 9mm.

 

I have one gun that shoots 147 grain significantly more accurately than any other bullet weight and I only shoot 147 grain in that gun and it is an Israeli police surplus Belgian Browning High power with the spur hammer and recoil is not the issue because it's a full size all steel gun but accuracy is the reason why I only shoot that bullet weight in that gun.

In a Glock 19 or any 9mm, I never shoot 115 grain because I consider 124 grain to be the optimum weight for that caliber and most 115 grain ammo doesn't have enough velocity for me to consider it adequate for self defense with the exception of the Federal BPLE +P+ ammo. And the ammo I like best in a 9mm is 124 grain gold dot or HST which has the same recoil as standard pressure 180 grain 40 S&W which i consider superior to the 9mm.

Most 9mm 115gr jhp have more vel than std vel 124. What they dont have is enough mass to support a 60cal+ expansion & drive it deep enough.

 

Me. It’s all I carry in 9mm. 147 gr HST. Range 124 gr

 

I carry 147 grain Gold Dots exclusively in my 9mm pistols. I load my own.

 

I love 147gr for the woods and to run them supressed.

 

Not me, I shoot 165s 99% of the time but I do have some 180s laying around. Every now and then I’ll get a wild hair up my butt and launch some 230s!

In all seriousness I did get two 9mms when I retired from the department but they just sit in the safe. I’m not much of a 9mm man for me but it does make sense for agencies and organizations. our guys did put it to good use though, 147 rangers do their job well….

 

I get 147 for free, so that’s what I shoot.

 

I do like 147 for competition but prefer 124 for SD. Though i would be just fine with good 147gr.

 

Heavy for caliber always.

 

At 1 or 2 bucks a box more (for 500 rounds its like $118 vs $116) I will shoot it lately though i seem to be on those inbetween rounds for CC/SD type rounds like 124-135 and thats for stuff like Gold Dot, hornady Critical Duty etc,etc.. so i tend to use the same grain practice ammo as the difference in price is negligible.

Id probably go Federal HST if I switched fully to 147.

 

I am a fan of 147gr

 

Preference is for 147.

 

I use heavier bullets in my CC ammo - but at the range I shoot whatever it on sale. Because I buy ammo when it is on sale - sometimes it is Federal sometimes it is Winchester sometimes it is PMC or Monarch.

I just counted and I have 14 different brands/loadings of 9MM.

I can tell the difference between 124 grain +P and 115 grain WWB -

But I really can't tell between a Freedom Munitions 147 grain platted HP target loads and a 115 grain Federal FMJ.

Why would you pay extra $ for range ammo? Does it really matter that much?

 

For my concealed carry 9mm 115 grain. Less recoil in the lighter weight carry gun.

For my house gun 147 grain. For me, after a lot of practice with various ammo, 147 grain shoots more accurately out to longer distances, than lighter bullets. Heavier gun, differences in recoil are not important.

Neither “exclusively”. Like to know how to shoot whatever ammo is handy in either gun.

I don’t keep any 124 grain or 135 or other around. Only 115 and 147

 

For my concealed carry 9mm 115 grain. Less recoil in the lighter weight carry gun.

For my house gun 147 grain. For me, after a lot of practice with various ammo, 147 grain shoots more accurately out to longer distances, than lighter bullets. Heavier gun, differences in recoil are not important.

Neither “exclusively”. Like to know how to shoot whatever ammo is handy in either gun.

I don’t keep any 124 grain or 135 or other around. Only 115 and 147

Depends on which 115gr ammo but I find recoil greater than most 147gr loadings in sim platforms.

 

Nowadays 147gr is my 3rd choice when it comes to bullet weight. I carried it as an issued and off-duty load for some years, though, before we switched to 127gr +P+ and later 124gr +P ... and then eventually back to 147gr. I dabbled with some 115gr +P+ somewhere in those years, but mostly used it as range ammo and didn't carry it. After so many years of using all of it for training and practice as an instructor, in 9's with barrels ranging from 4", to 3 1/2" and 3", I can't easily tell the difference in felt recoil and cycling most of the time ... except for the 127gr +P+. It has a bit more snap and bark, especially in the 3" gun, if you're taking the time to perceive it.

Preference-wise, I prefer to carry the 127gr +P+, for it's brisk cycling and the stellar reputation it earned over the years among LE users. My second choice is the 124gr +P. I still have a couple different vintages of 147gr SXT & T-Series, as well as some HST. I haven't tried any of the 147gr Ranger One or the latest version of the G2, yet.

Hell, I've even got some remaining USA 147gr JHP left over from the years when it was really cheap to buy. I mostly keep that for range fodder.

 

No. I'd get bored and find something else to do if I could only use one thing exclusively in my hobby.

 

Do any of you feel that the 147s mimic the backward "push" of 45 ACP or is it more like the "snap" of 40 S&W?

 

The mild push of the 147gr load feels more like a light .38SPL. To me.

The .45ACP, using 230gr loads, has a slower and longer 'dwell time' against the palm and wrist. That slower dwell time, and the usual reaction of accelerating a 230gr bullet, gives the .45ACP a bit more felt/actual recoil. Of course, the weight of the gun affects things, too.

There's a reason that perceived felt recoil is so subjective among shooters.

The .40 S&W, with its brisker felt recoil - but more importantly it's faster slide velocity - typically produces more felt recoil for the average shooter than either 9 (even with +P+ loads) or .45 (although some +p loads can be a bit stiff, like the RA45T, which is listed at 990fps).

 

More of a push without as much muzzle rise. I like 147 gr a lot, but a 124 gr doing 1.200 fps is nice too