Federal Hydra-Shok 9mm Questions

[Perplexed]

I have an opportunity to purchase some of this 9mm ammo from a friend. He's got 124-grain +P+ loads and 147-grain standard loads, and he'll sell it to me for the same excellent price per round regardless of the load.

My questions relate to the loads themselves. For all-around self-defense AND plinking purposes, is the 147-grain stuff a better choice? What are the drawbacks, if any, to the 147-grain load? Conversely, is there an overwhelmingly good reason to go with the hot +P+ stuff?

 

[FenixTxM3]

Why would you use Hydra Shok for plinking when you get gut much cheaper ammo?

 

[Perplexed]

Why would you use Hydra Shok for plinking when you get gut much cheaper ammo?

Because I can get this stuff for about the same price as FMJ ammo

 

[EFsDad]

Because I can get this stuff for about the same price as FMJ ammo

I'll trade you 1.1 fmjs for 1 hydro-shock. That's right for every 10 you give me I'll give you 11!

PM if you want to take me up on this!!!

 

[Glocktogo]

At that price get all he'll give you. I'd get the 124 +P+ for defense and the 147's for other stuff.

 

[Perplexed]

I'll trade you 1.1 fmjs for 1 hydro-shock. That's right for every 10 you give me I'll give you 11!

PM if you want to take me up on this!!!

Thanks, but he's doing me a personal favor with the price. I don't want to take advantage of his offer unless he'd be cool with me passing along the opportunity.

At that price get all he'll give you. I'd get the 124 +P+ for defense and the 147's for other stuff.

Thanks for the tip - but what are your reasons? Isn't the 147-grain stuff good for PD? Wouldn't the +P+ be hard on a firearm, even if used sparingly?

 

[Glocktogo]

Thanks, but he's doing me a personal favor with the price. I don't want to take advantage of his offer unless he'd be cool with me passing along the opportunity.



Thanks for the tip - but what are your reasons? Isn't the 147-grain stuff good for PD? Wouldn't the +P+ be hard on a firearm, even if used sparingly?

9mm lives and dies on expansion. There just isn't enough velocity in the 147's to ensure reliablle expansion under all conditions. The hotter you drive a 9mm the better (up to the point of bullet fragmentation). In the sparing amounts you'd be shooting, the +P+ stuff wouldn't harm a modern defense pistol. I shoot 115+P+ in my PM9 and it's none the worse for wear.

The 147 HS would be excellent for use in a suppressed subgun or pistol, but for all other applications I'd prefer a 115-127gr driven at max velocity.

 

[ignerntbend]

What do you guys think about the Hydra-Shok bullet design in general? I've got a bunch of it in .45acp but have read (on OSA) that the bullet doesn't performed as advertised.