Bored already

Bandit01 · August 9, 2004, 03:01 PM

My first pistol purchase was the Walther P99 9MM. It was great in the beginning but now, I hate shooting it because it's so boring. It doesn't feel like it has any power to it. Funny thing though, my CZ97B .45 cal has a kick to it but I love shooting it, plus I'm more accurate with it.

Are there any bullets that I can use to give my 9MM a little more pep.

RWK · August 9, 2004, 03:37 PM

It is difficult to answer your question without first knowing the type(s) of 9x19 cartridges you are currently using. Once we learn that, we certainly can suggest rounds that are more potent.

Also, by the way, the appropriate term is cartridge, load, or round -- not bullet. The cartridge is composed of the bullet, the primer, the powder, and the cartridge case, whereas the “bullet” is ONLY the projectile that impacts the target.

Dusty Miller · August 9, 2004, 04:21 PM

Try a box of 115 gr. +P loads and if the gun STILL does not jump in your hand to your liking then make plans to move on the a .357 mag. or a .45 ACP.

Bandit01 · August 9, 2004, 05:13 PM

Thanks Dusty, I'll pick up a box.

Hard Ball · August 9, 2004, 05:28 PM

Get a ,357 Magnum. That will put some bounce in your shooting!

Handy · August 9, 2004, 05:55 PM

I've found that if you shoot enough, recoil comes down into two categories: "Can't remember if it kicked"; and "OW! I'm not shooting that again! Are you nuts!"

Unless it is from a Scandium snubby, .45 and .357 will also likely be just as boring once you are used to them.

I would suggest finding a different way of challenging yourself on the range.

Bandit01 · August 9, 2004, 07:50 PM

Hard Ball, I already have a .357, as well as a .45 as well as a 12 Gauge. I was speaking about my 9 MM

Hard Ball · August 9, 2004, 10:18 PM

All right.

Hotbarrel · August 9, 2004, 10:24 PM

Dynamit Nobel. It's more expensive than Win White Box and more common brands, but it's hotter and has more "snap" than "push". Reloaders will also appreciate you leaving the fine brass behind at the range. I own a P-01 and found my accuracy shot up going to a hotter load. It actually helps me when shooting that lightweight gun. I'm still more accurate with my 97B also, and it IS more fun!

IanS · August 9, 2004, 11:05 PM

+P and +P+ rounds will definately give more snap to the gun but its much more expensive to shoot on a regular basis compared to .40 range loads. Hence the existence of rounds like the .40 and .357 SIG; for people who like that reassuring feeling when they feel more umph when shooting a gun.

I felt the same way about a few years ago. After years of shooting a 9mm SIG P229 I wanted something with a bit more "bang" for the buck. I traded it in for a Glock 27 and got that extra kick that I wanted. Of course that started me on the Glock path (but that's another story

) So maybe trade your 9mm P99 for a .40 caliber P99 if it bores you that much?

I've come to appreciate the soft shooting qualities of the 9mm. I got a P228 to replace that P229 and loaded with Winchester Ranger or Remington Golden Saber 147's I know I can do double taps and Mozambique drills much more effectively than with any .40 or .45 handgun. I hope you can appreciate your P99 9mm for what it is. Everyone needs a good 9mm.

And I agree, definately take some of the more advanced handgun courses if you can. Defensive pistol craft is certainly more exciting than target shooting with any gun any day.

45 Fu · August 9, 2004, 11:23 PM

You can shoot it with every load under the sun but won't change the fact that it's a 9mm and a 9mm will only kick so much. If you want pep the .454 Casull and .475 and .500 Linebaugh are right up your alley.

Omaha-BeenGlockin · August 10, 2004, 10:04 AM

That lack of recoil is the beauty of the 9mm----allows you to stay on target----and shoot em again---if needed.

Chris W · August 10, 2004, 11:17 AM

Find the IDPA or IPSC match closest to you; take your 9mm and shoot in Stock Service Pistol division; try doing this with both 'wimpy' ammo and 'hot' ammo. You'll find out why folks who shoot fast appreciate the mildest 9mm that is allowed by rule. A gun like the P99 is about controllability, not a big boom or fireworks display.

I agree with your impulse; standing and chucking out 9mm rounds is boring. But try and do it on the move, or at a moving target, and faster than the next guy, and still on target--or better, faster than your own previous performance--and you'll come to appreciate it.

FirstFreedom · August 10, 2004, 11:56 AM

Sounds like you need a titanium .44 mag smut & weasal - then you won't have any complaints about it not jumping in your hand.

Quite a few sellers out their with these that were "only shot once". :evil:

If I get bored with handguns, I immediately go to reactive targets, or try to hit a 150 turkey or 200 ram with it (full, not 1/2 size), standing, freehand. My Taurus RB in 44 mag hits the 200 yard Ram about 3 out of 4 (but that's rested, not freehand), and my CZ75 in 9x19 hits it about 2 out of 3 (rested). Damn springfield 1911 won't hit it but about 1 out of 10 - grrrrr.

OrangeSkies · August 10, 2004, 04:03 PM

cas · August 10, 2004, 07:27 PM

Boredom is the key to accurate shooting.

"Establish a routine. From routine comes boredom. What is boredom? The lack of excitement. What are we trying to do? Keep from getting excited."

If you are truely bored, your targets must be too large and or too close.

Jim Watson · August 10, 2004, 08:26 PM

Boredom is the main enemy of plinkers and "range shooters."
Take up some form of organized competition. An NRA/IPSC/IDPA scorekeeper will wake you up.

If I had not been taught to shoot ATA trap about two years after I graduated college and had the money to spend on guns, I would be playing golf by now. Breaking rocks was getting dull.
Since then I have done trap, PPC, IHMSA, IPSC, IDPA, CMP Sporter, skeet, BPCR, and am now looking at adding F class highpower. So I don't play golf or watch football games. I shoot, reload, and read about shooting. Kind of a monomaniac. Good enough for Mr Toad, good enough for me.

Arc Angel · August 11, 2004, 02:58 AM

Please accept this post in the spirit that it’s given. Yup, I’d have to agree that you’re, ‘playing’ with that pistol – a dangerous thing to do! You’re asking for your skill level to decrease and all sorts of bad habits to creep in. I’ve been shooting for many years; and this is the first time I’ve heard of someone who thinks a 9mm is, ‘tame’ and, also, shoots better with a, ‘stronger’ recoiling pistol ???

It’s possible me and a few of the guys I hang around with have missed something along the way; but, all of us agree that there ain’t a heck of a lot of difference between the way a 9mm or a 45acp kicks! A certain level of skill and control is required in order to manage either one efficiently and to shoot, both, quickly and straight. You probably shoot that 45acp, ‘better’ (as you say) simply because the recoil feels like a, ‘long slow push’ that you are more able to control. Around here the 9mm has a reputation for recoiling with a, ‘hard fast jerk’ that gives you less time to react and, consequently, is often harder to control – especially on double and triple taps.

I suspect that you’re, somewhat unconsciously, leaving the real world of serious combat shooting and starting to become a certifiable plinker/weekend warrior. I gave up postal shooting many years ago and have had several real life occasions to actually need a gun in the interim. As far as I’m concerned, if you don’t consider recoil to be a, ‘tool of the trade’ that you teach yourself to skillfully manipulate in order to consistently blow, ‘one ragged hole’ in the center of whatever you’re aiming at, then, you’re just not practicing to, either, win or survive.

If you said; ‘I had five pepper poppers to put down in under 5 seconds; and I had to hit 3 of them twice because I was shooting a 9mm, well, I’d understand – That makes sense! ‘I’m bored with my 9mm because it doesn't kick enough.’, however, does not. No matter how much fun we like to think that it is, you need to remember the real reasons, ‘Why’ we go to the range in the first place!

Handgun recoil is a, ‘tool of the trade’; the better you learn to manage it, the more effective you’re going to be with a pistol in hand. ‘Bored’ has little to do with it. The challenge to control that muzzle, keep it down, and regain the front sight picture as quickly as possible is always there. If you’re shooting any other way, with any other attitude, then, should the day ever come when a serious need to defend yourself suddenly arises, you will discover that YOU FIGHT THE WAY YOU TRAIN. I am positive that, in dire circumstances, the way you’re shooting, now, will cause you to respond like a plinker; and that’s not really what handgunning is all about!

(Sorry, didn’t mean to preach; but, if this post helps you or someone else to turn around before it’s too late, then, maybe someday you’ll thank me – maybe?)

jekla · August 11, 2004, 03:39 AM

Bored? in what sense??

with the walther p99-

are you constantly hitting your targets with relative ease and speed?

are you able able to execute double taps and hit the target?

that you feel that the 9mm doesnt give you enough kick that you need to overcome to accomplish these feats. that controlling a 9mm is not a challenge anymore?

if so, i wish to be bored with my p99 too.

LAK · August 11, 2004, 04:01 AM

Rather than beating up your Walther with hotter ammo, I would up the personal challenges and stick to standard pressure ammo. No harm in shooting some hot loads and selecting one as a "business" load, but shooting them alot is going to wear out your pistol alot faster.

How many different types of standard pressure ammo have you tried with the Walther 99? I would imagine with the enormous number of makers and types you ought to be able to find one that performs very well in the accuracy department. But even if it is alittle less accurate than the .45 you could develope speed drills. See how fast you can drill COM and push the distances for example. Then there's the Mozambique drill; two COM and one to the head, multiple targets etc. There are plenty of drills that will push your limits.

Just a thought; I have not fired one but if I remember correctly the 99 has a very low bore axis which probably makes it a very easy pistol to shoot even in 9mm. Some other 99 shooters may be able to qualify this.

don't shoot it's me · August 11, 2004, 07:15 PM

Take off your hearing protection....that should do it.

Dave R · August 11, 2004, 07:49 PM

Try some 147gr. bullets. That is, cartridges with 147 gr. bullets in them. Those heavier bullets do cause a bit more recoil.

If that doesn't do it, then try 147gr. +P.

horge · August 12, 2004, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Don't shoot it's me
Take off your hearing protection....that should do it.

TheeBadOne · August 12, 2004, 06:55 PM

Talk to some folks at the range. Try some scenario shooting. Variety is the spice of life.

All the best

Bandit01 · August 12, 2004, 09:13 PM

God, I love it when I post another interesting topic and then some lifeless egg head tries to lecture me. Take the stick out of your ass--relax dude, it ain't that serious.

Anyway, tonight at the range, I used some different ammo in my 9mm--I used Winchester 9mm Luger, which is 115 Gr. Full Metal Jacket. I have to admit, it felt like a completely different gun. I couldn't believe the power that I felt from it. Usually, I use Remington UMC 9mm Luger ammo, which also has 115 Gr. The difference was like night and day. I was just pissed that I only bought 1 box with me. I'm probably going to go back tomorrow or Saturday again.

August 9, 2004, 03:01 PM	#1
Bandit01 Junior member Join Date: June 10, 2004 Location: Charlotte, N.C. Posts: 97	Bored already My first pistol purchase was the Walther P99 9MM. It was great in the beginning but now, I hate shooting it because it's so boring. It doesn't feel like it has any power to it. Funny thing though, my CZ97B .45 cal has a kick to it but I love shooting it, plus I'm more accurate with it. Are there any bullets that I can use to give my 9MM a little more pep.

August 9, 2004, 03:37 PM	#2
RWK Senior Member Join Date: August 20, 1999 Location: Occupied Virginia Posts: 2,777	It is difficult to answer your question without first knowing the type(s) of 9x19 cartridges you are currently using. Once we learn that, we certainly can suggest rounds that are more potent. Also, by the way, the appropriate term is cartridge, load, or round -- not bullet. The cartridge is composed of the bullet, the primer, the powder, and the cartridge case, whereas the “bullet” is ONLY the projectile that impacts the target. __________________ __________________ Μολών λαβέ!

August 9, 2004, 05:28 PM	#5
Hard Ball Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 1999 Location: California Posts: 3,925	Get a ,357 Magnum. That will put some bounce in your shooting! __________________ "I swear to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemeis domestic or foreign WHOMSOEVER."

August 9, 2004, 10:18 PM	#8
Hard Ball Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 1999 Location: California Posts: 3,925	All right. __________________ "I swear to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemeis domestic or foreign WHOMSOEVER."

August 9, 2004, 10:24 PM	#9
Hotbarrel Senior Member Join Date: August 7, 2004 Location: Sacracalifas Posts: 122	Dynamit Nobel. It's more expensive than Win White Box and more common brands, but it's hotter and has more "snap" than "push". Reloaders will also appreciate you leaving the fine brass behind at the range. I own a P-01 and found my accuracy shot up going to a hotter load. It actually helps me when shooting that lightweight gun. I'm still more accurate with my 97B also, and it IS more fun! __________________ VT VENIANT OMNES -"Let them all come!"

August 9, 2004, 04:21 PM	#3
Dusty Miller Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2004 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 262	Try a box of 115 gr. +P loads and if the gun STILL does not jump in your hand to your liking then make plans to move on the a .357 mag. or a .45 ACP.

August 9, 2004, 05:13 PM	#4
Bandit01 Junior member Join Date: June 10, 2004 Location: Charlotte, N.C. Posts: 97	Thanks Dusty, I'll pick up a box.

August 9, 2004, 05:55 PM	#6
Handy Junior member Join Date: August 31, 2001 Posts: 8,785	I've found that if you shoot enough, recoil comes down into two categories: "Can't remember if it kicked"; and "OW! I'm not shooting that again! Are you nuts!" Unless it is from a Scandium snubby, .45 and .357 will also likely be just as boring once you are used to them. I would suggest finding a different way of challenging yourself on the range.

August 9, 2004, 07:50 PM	#7
Bandit01 Junior member Join Date: June 10, 2004 Location: Charlotte, N.C. Posts: 97	Hard Ball, I already have a .357, as well as a .45 as well as a 12 Gauge. I was speaking about my 9 MM

August 9, 2004, 11:05 PM	#10
IanS Senior Member Join Date: October 7, 2000 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 2,632	+P and +P+ rounds will definately give more snap to the gun but its much more expensive to shoot on a regular basis compared to .40 range loads. Hence the existence of rounds like the .40 and .357 SIG; for people who like that reassuring feeling when they feel more umph when shooting a gun. I felt the same way about a few years ago. After years of shooting a 9mm SIG P229 I wanted something with a bit more "bang" for the buck. I traded it in for a Glock 27 and got that extra kick that I wanted. Of course that started me on the Glock path (but that's another story ) So maybe trade your 9mm P99 for a .40 caliber P99 if it bores you that much? I've come to appreciate the soft shooting qualities of the 9mm. I got a P228 to replace that P229 and loaded with Winchester Ranger or Remington Golden Saber 147's I know I can do double taps and Mozambique drills much more effectively than with any .40 or .45 handgun. I hope you can appreciate your P99 9mm for what it is. Everyone needs a good 9mm. And I agree, definately take some of the more advanced handgun courses if you can. Defensive pistol craft is certainly more exciting than target shooting with any gun any day. Last edited by IanS; August 9, 2004 at 11:40 PM.

August 9, 2004, 11:23 PM	#11
45 Fu Senior Member Join Date: May 18, 2004 Posts: 422	You can shoot it with every load under the sun but won't change the fact that it's a 9mm and a 9mm will only kick so much. If you want pep the .454 Casull and .475 and .500 Linebaugh are right up your alley.

August 10, 2004, 10:04 AM	#12
Omaha-BeenGlockin Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2001 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 1,183	That lack of recoil is the beauty of the 9mm----allows you to stay on target----and shoot em again---if needed. __________________ I take the leech that's bleeding me Can't stop to save my soul I take the leash that's leading me -------Metallica

August 10, 2004, 11:17 AM	#13
Chris W Senior Member Join Date: May 5, 2002 Location: Central WA Posts: 450	Find the IDPA or IPSC match closest to you; take your 9mm and shoot in Stock Service Pistol division; try doing this with both 'wimpy' ammo and 'hot' ammo. You'll find out why folks who shoot fast appreciate the mildest 9mm that is allowed by rule. A gun like the P99 is about controllability, not a big boom or fireworks display. I agree with your impulse; standing and chucking out 9mm rounds is boring. But try and do it on the move, or at a moving target, and faster than the next guy, and still on target--or better, faster than your own previous performance--and you'll come to appreciate it.

August 10, 2004, 11:56 AM	#14
FirstFreedom Junior member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: The Toll Road State, U.S.A. Posts: 12,451	Recoil junkie, eh? Sounds like you need a titanium .44 mag smut & weasal - then you won't have any complaints about it not jumping in your hand. Quite a few sellers out their with these that were "only shot once". :evil: If I get bored with handguns, I immediately go to reactive targets, or try to hit a 150 turkey or 200 ram with it (full, not 1/2 size), standing, freehand. My Taurus RB in 44 mag hits the 200 yard Ram about 3 out of 4 (but that's rested, not freehand), and my CZ75 in 9x19 hits it about 2 out of 3 (rested). Damn springfield 1911 won't hit it but about 1 out of 10 - grrrrr.

August 10, 2004, 04:03 PM	#15
OrangeSkies Member Join Date: June 21, 2004 Posts: 66

August 10, 2004, 07:27 PM	#16
cas Senior Member Join Date: July 22, 2004 Posts: 123	Boredom is the key to accurate shooting. "Establish a routine. From routine comes boredom. What is boredom? The lack of excitement. What are we trying to do? Keep from getting excited." If you are truely bored, your targets must be too large and or too close. __________________ "He who has it, would do well to have it, as if he did not have it." Savage24.com Cylindersmith.com

August 10, 2004, 08:26 PM	#17
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,543	Boredom is the main enemy of plinkers and "range shooters." Take up some form of organized competition. An NRA/IPSC/IDPA scorekeeper will wake you up. If I had not been taught to shoot ATA trap about two years after I graduated college and had the money to spend on guns, I would be playing golf by now. Breaking rocks was getting dull. Since then I have done trap, PPC, IHMSA, IPSC, IDPA, CMP Sporter, skeet, BPCR, and am now looking at adding F class highpower. So I don't play golf or watch football games. I shoot, reload, and read about shooting. Kind of a monomaniac. Good enough for Mr Toad, good enough for me.

August 11, 2004, 02:58 AM	#18
Arc Angel Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2004 Posts: 284	Please accept this post in the spirit that it’s given. Yup, I’d have to agree that you’re, ‘playing’ with that pistol – a dangerous thing to do! You’re asking for your skill level to decrease and all sorts of bad habits to creep in. I’ve been shooting for many years; and this is the first time I’ve heard of someone who thinks a 9mm is, ‘tame’ and, also, shoots better with a, ‘stronger’ recoiling pistol ??? It’s possible me and a few of the guys I hang around with have missed something along the way; but, all of us agree that there ain’t a heck of a lot of difference between the way a 9mm or a 45acp kicks! A certain level of skill and control is required in order to manage either one efficiently and to shoot, both, quickly and straight. You probably shoot that 45acp, ‘better’ (as you say) simply because the recoil feels like a, ‘long slow push’ that you are more able to control. Around here the 9mm has a reputation for recoiling with a, ‘hard fast jerk’ that gives you less time to react and, consequently, is often harder to control – especially on double and triple taps. I suspect that you’re, somewhat unconsciously, leaving the real world of serious combat shooting and starting to become a certifiable plinker/weekend warrior. I gave up postal shooting many years ago and have had several real life occasions to actually need a gun in the interim. As far as I’m concerned, if you don’t consider recoil to be a, ‘tool of the trade’ that you teach yourself to skillfully manipulate in order to consistently blow, ‘one ragged hole’ in the center of whatever you’re aiming at, then, you’re just not practicing to, either, win or survive. If you said; ‘I had five pepper poppers to put down in under 5 seconds; and I had to hit 3 of them twice because I was shooting a 9mm, well, I’d understand – That makes sense! ‘I’m bored with my 9mm because it doesn't kick enough.’, however, does not. No matter how much fun we like to think that it is, you need to remember the real reasons, ‘Why’ we go to the range in the first place! Handgun recoil is a, ‘tool of the trade’; the better you learn to manage it, the more effective you’re going to be with a pistol in hand. ‘Bored’ has little to do with it. The challenge to control that muzzle, keep it down, and regain the front sight picture as quickly as possible is always there. If you’re shooting any other way, with any other attitude, then, should the day ever come when a serious need to defend yourself suddenly arises, you will discover that YOU FIGHT THE WAY YOU TRAIN. I am positive that, in dire circumstances, the way you’re shooting, now, will cause you to respond like a plinker; and that’s not really what handgunning is all about! (Sorry, didn’t mean to preach; but, if this post helps you or someone else to turn around before it’s too late, then, maybe someday you’ll thank me – maybe?) __________________ ‘There are, only, two kinds of warriors in this world: Those who dream of war, and those who have nightmares about it. As for me? I dream of a better world. I dream of war!’

August 11, 2004, 03:39 AM	#19
jekla Senior Member Join Date: May 18, 2004 Posts: 136	Bored? in what sense?? with the walther p99- are you constantly hitting your targets with relative ease and speed? are you able able to execute double taps and hit the target? that you feel that the 9mm doesnt give you enough kick that you need to overcome to accomplish these feats. that controlling a 9mm is not a challenge anymore? if so, i wish to be bored with my p99 too.

August 11, 2004, 04:01 AM	#20
LAK Junior member Join Date: May 14, 2002 Posts: 2,251	Rather than beating up your Walther with hotter ammo, I would up the personal challenges and stick to standard pressure ammo. No harm in shooting some hot loads and selecting one as a "business" load, but shooting them alot is going to wear out your pistol alot faster. How many different types of standard pressure ammo have you tried with the Walther 99? I would imagine with the enormous number of makers and types you ought to be able to find one that performs very well in the accuracy department. But even if it is alittle less accurate than the .45 you could develope speed drills. See how fast you can drill COM and push the distances for example. Then there's the Mozambique drill; two COM and one to the head, multiple targets etc. There are plenty of drills that will push your limits. Just a thought; I have not fired one but if I remember correctly the 99 has a very low bore axis which probably makes it a very easy pistol to shoot even in 9mm. Some other 99 shooters may be able to qualify this.

August 11, 2004, 07:15 PM	#21
don't shoot it's me Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2001 Location: NY first/LA second Posts: 1,537	Take off your hearing protection....that should do it.

August 11, 2004, 07:49 PM	#22
Dave R Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2000 Location: Idaho Posts: 6,073	Try some 147gr. bullets. That is, cartridges with 147 gr. bullets in them. Those heavier bullets do cause a bit more recoil. If that doesn't do it, then try 147gr. +P. __________________ I am Pro-Rights (on gun issues).

August 12, 2004, 06:55 PM	#24
TheeBadOne Junior member Join Date: January 12, 2002 Location: USA Posts: 1,191	Talk to some folks at the range. Try some scenario shooting. Variety is the spice of life. All the best

August 12, 2004, 09:13 PM	#25
Bandit01 Junior member Join Date: June 10, 2004 Location: Charlotte, N.C. Posts: 97	Enough Already! God, I love it when I post another interesting topic and then some lifeless egg head tries to lecture me. Take the stick out of your ass--relax dude, it ain't that serious. Anyway, tonight at the range, I used some different ammo in my 9mm--I used Winchester 9mm Luger, which is 115 Gr. Full Metal Jacket. I have to admit, it felt like a completely different gun. I couldn't believe the power that I felt from it. Usually, I use Remington UMC 9mm Luger ammo, which also has 115 Gr. The difference was like night and day. I was just pissed that I only bought 1 box with me. I'm probably going to go back tomorrow or Saturday again.