9mm, plated vs FMJ

triker · January 26, 2012, 04:14 PM

What is better to shoot, plated or FMJ, in the 9mm? I'm not sure what the fps loading of factory 9mm is, but will the plated run at factory ratings? I know Berry's says stay under 1200. Will 900-1100 normally cycle a 9mm? I haven't loaded any 9mm for a long time. Getting ready to load some again. triker

chris in va · January 26, 2012, 04:32 PM

Generally speaking, plated should be considered lead when using reloading charts. I use a lead RF profile bullet in my CZ and it cycles the slide just fine.

oneounceload · January 26, 2012, 04:36 PM

Berry's tells you to run at mid-jacketed level, or as you posted, no more than 1100-1200 fps. My reloads aren't that hot and they cycle all of my 9's just fine. I prefer Universal or Bullseye, but have also used unique in the past with great success.

Jim243 · January 26, 2012, 06:50 PM

FMJ in my opinion hands down. If you have to shoot plated, PLEASE stay away from Berry's Bullets, I have had nothing but trouble with them.

Here are some good ones (plated) to look at.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/105...ted-round-nose

Good Luck.
Jim

LarryFlew · January 26, 2012, 06:55 PM

Berry's new heavy plated load like FMJ. They are round nosed with a concave bottom so although they look like they would not work for larger powder doses they are the same as FMJ for total powder space.

BigJimP · January 26, 2012, 06:55 PM

Berry's bullets have been fine for me in a number of calibers including 9mm ...just don't push them over 1200 fps like they recommend...

like OneOunce ...I've had good luck with 9mm's at around 1100 fps ...when I'm loading a 115 gr bullet - and they cycle all of my 9mm's ( Sig 226's, Sig 239's, Kimber 1911, Baer 1911 and a Wilson 1911...) ....

In 115 gr or 124 grain bullets ...whether its Berry's or Montana Gold ( which is a true jacketed bullet / and I prefer them over Berry's but Berry's is a little bit cheaper ...) .... and I like Hodgdon Universal or Hodgdon TiteGroup in a variety of handgun calibers - including 9mm.

spacecoast · January 26, 2012, 07:10 PM

Quote:

FMJ in my opinion hands down. If you have to shoot plated, PLEASE stay away from Berry's Bullets, I have had nothing but trouble with them.

Contrary opinion... I've had nothing but good luck with Berry's in 9mm (115, 124 and 147 grain), .357 (158 gr. mild loads) and .38 special (125 grain) and they are quite a bit cheaper than FMJ. 115 grain plated is about all I shoot in 9mm and they are extremely clean and easy on the barrel. 4.1 grains of AA#2, 4.7 grains of Titegroup or 5.3 grains of Unique cycle both my Ruger P95 and my Hi-Point carbine just fine.

Jim243 · January 26, 2012, 07:19 PM

Sorry Spacecoast, I have had nothing but pure hell with Berry's Bullets they just don't work for me, it's the only bullet that keyholes on me at 20 feet.

Glad they work for you, but I wouldn't take them again, even if they were free.

They are just that bad for me.
Jim

m&p45acp10+1 · January 26, 2012, 07:31 PM

I load plated to jacketed data in 9mm. I also load them to well over 1200 FPS in .41 Mag shooting them out of a Ruger Black Hawk. They work just fine. I also have had good luck with them using the 148 grain HBWC in .38 spcl with a load of 3.3 grains of Bull's Eye.

pgdion · January 26, 2012, 07:43 PM

I reload all with Berry's plated bullets and have had no issues. with non +p loads, the plated bullets are fine. A typical velocity for 9mm is going to be around 1000 - 1050 fps.

YARDDOG(1) · January 26, 2012, 07:43 PM

I shoot 124gr Berry's bullets & they shoot great

Y/D

dickttx · January 26, 2012, 08:17 PM

I have not shot very many Berrys, have shot 1000 of Rainiers, both 9mm, 115gn.
Can't say they were not good. However, I am about to finish my first 1000 Precision Delta 124gn FMJ and start on their 115gn FMJ. I like them as well or better.
Tried the PD because of the cost. This is from their web site a few minutes ago.

Berrys 115gn RN -- $82.78 per K, delivered.
Precision Delta 115 FMJ -- $76.00 per K, delivered

Berrys 124gn RN -- $86.51 per K, delivered
Precision Delta 124gn FMJ -- $84.50 per K, delivered.

Price should really not enter into it.

I shoot lead (MBC) in everything else and it is considerably cheaper than either the plated or the FMJ.

jfrey · January 26, 2012, 08:52 PM

I've shot thousands of the Berry's bullets in both 9mm and .45 ACP and never had any problems. Follow the instructions and don't load them real hot. I use 5.2 grains of WSF or Unique under them in 9mm and they function fine in all 7 of my 9mm's and all my .45's except my G36. Never any problems with key holing or anything like that. I did notice improved accuracy when I switched from Unique to WSF in 9mm loads.

SHR970 · January 26, 2012, 09:40 PM

Plated is subjective for the following reason: Different brands use different levels of plating thickness and different levels of core hardness from nearly dead soft lead to BH12 alloys. I found that Rainier tend to use soft alloy cores and thin plating. If you look at Accurate Arms load data, they have loads listed for Rainier plated and the charge levels are usually less then that of lead bullets. Xtreme (formerly West Coast then Accura) use hard alloy cores and thick plating. I have driven their 158 gr. semi wadcutter 357 bullets to near top W296 load data without stripping the plate and still had good accuracy. I have driven their 110 gr. 30 carbine bullet to full throttle and couldn't tell the difference between it and other major manufacturers FMJ's; I have shot 5k of these over the years. On the far end of the scale are Speer Gold Dots and Uni Core bullets. These have the thickest jackets but also use varying hardnesses of core depending on the application. YES The Gold Dot is a Plated bullet!

That said, each brand is a law unto itself. The one thing you need to be careful of with some brands is applying too much crimp. The next thing is to know what the velocity limits are of the brand. The manufacturers are usually quite up front with this info if you ask for it.

This is based on close to 20 years of experience using plated bullets.

Dave R · January 26, 2012, 10:36 PM

Another vote in favor of Berry' s plated bullets. They work great for me in 9mm and .45acp.

mumbo719 · January 27, 2012, 05:30 AM

I have 1k Berry 124gr HBRN-TP.

Berry's says these can be loaded to FMJ data up to 1400 FPS and while that may be true the accuracy is not there.

I have had success with the HBRN-TP in the mid range FMJ loads.

excelerater · January 27, 2012, 06:35 AM

i load Berrys and DeltaPrecision (357,9,40 and 45)
and load them both the same - as FMJ..Cant tell the difference
and both brands work well for me....

bossman · January 27, 2012, 10:40 AM

I use 124 gr 9mm and 185 gr 45acp with Berry's plated and all have worked fine. The 185 gr is mostly for my Glock 36 which it eats and spits them out with good accuracy.

The price keeps jumping up so I think I'll move to lead in the 9mm but will have to keep the plated or FMJ for the Glock 36 .

jimbob86 · January 27, 2012, 10:48 AM

I like plated bullets to 1200 f/sec ..... I've shot both Bery's and Ranier Ballistics ...... worked just fine, and cheaper than FMJ.

res45 · January 27, 2012, 10:55 PM

I shoot the newer Berry's 124gr HBRN-TP They shoot great in my 9mm and are rated for MV up to 1450 fps.

http://www.berrysmfg.com/product-i14...r_HBRN_TP.aspx

dacaur · January 28, 2012, 04:55 AM

I shoot berrys 124gr RN out of my kel-tec sub 2000, PF9, and ruger P85, at around 1000FPS. Its plenty accurate for plinking, and affordable, which is key...

January 26, 2012, 04:14 PM	#1
triker Member Join Date: January 15, 2011 Location: SW Iowa Posts: 31	9mm, plated vs FMJ What is better to shoot, plated or FMJ, in the 9mm? I'm not sure what the fps loading of factory 9mm is, but will the plated run at factory ratings? I know Berry's says stay under 1200. Will 900-1100 normally cycle a 9mm? I haven't loaded any 9mm for a long time. Getting ready to load some again. triker

January 26, 2012, 06:50 PM	#4
Jim243 Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2009 Location: Just off Route 66 Posts: 5,067	FMJ in my opinion hands down. If you have to shoot plated, PLEASE stay away from Berry's Bullets, I have had nothing but trouble with them. Here are some good ones (plated) to look at. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/105...ted-round-nose Good Luck. Jim __________________ Si vis pacem, para bellum

January 26, 2012, 07:19 PM	#8
Jim243 Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2009 Location: Just off Route 66 Posts: 5,067	Sorry Spacecoast, I have had nothing but pure hell with Berry's Bullets they just don't work for me, it's the only bullet that keyholes on me at 20 feet. Glad they work for you, but I wouldn't take them again, even if they were free. They are just that bad for me. Jim __________________ Si vis pacem, para bellum

January 26, 2012, 07:31 PM	#9
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	I load plated to jacketed data in 9mm. I also load them to well over 1200 FPS in .41 Mag shooting them out of a Ruger Black Hawk. They work just fine. I also have had good luck with them using the 148 grain HBWC in .38 spcl with a load of 3.3 grains of Bull's Eye. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

January 26, 2012, 07:43 PM	#10
pgdion Senior Member Join Date: April 22, 2010 Location: MPLS, MN Posts: 1,214	I reload all with Berry's plated bullets and have had no issues. with non +p loads, the plated bullets are fine. A typical velocity for 9mm is going to be around 1000 - 1050 fps. __________________ 597 VTR, because there's so many cans and so little time!

January 26, 2012, 04:32 PM	#2
chris in va Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2004 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 13,806	Generally speaking, plated should be considered lead when using reloading charts. I use a lead RF profile bullet in my CZ and it cycles the slide just fine.

January 26, 2012, 04:36 PM	#3
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	Berry's tells you to run at mid-jacketed level, or as you posted, no more than 1100-1200 fps. My reloads aren't that hot and they cycle all of my 9's just fine. I prefer Universal or Bullseye, but have also used unique in the past with great success.

January 26, 2012, 06:55 PM	#5
LarryFlew Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2009 Location: Minnesota CZ fan Posts: 902	Berry's new heavy plated load like FMJ. They are round nosed with a concave bottom so although they look like they would not work for larger powder doses they are the same as FMJ for total powder space.

January 26, 2012, 06:55 PM	#6
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Berry's bullets have been fine for me in a number of calibers including 9mm ...just don't push them over 1200 fps like they recommend... like OneOunce ...I've had good luck with 9mm's at around 1100 fps ...when I'm loading a 115 gr bullet - and they cycle all of my 9mm's ( Sig 226's, Sig 239's, Kimber 1911, Baer 1911 and a Wilson 1911...) .... In 115 gr or 124 grain bullets ...whether its Berry's or Montana Gold ( which is a true jacketed bullet / and I prefer them over Berry's but Berry's is a little bit cheaper ...) .... and I like Hodgdon Universal or Hodgdon TiteGroup in a variety of handgun calibers - including 9mm.

January 26, 2012, 07:43 PM	#11
YARDDOG(1) Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: GATOR COUNTRY HA HA HA! Posts: 721	I shoot 124gr Berry's bullets & they shoot great Y/D __________________ There's a GATOR in the bushes & She's Callin my name >Molly Hatchett<

January 26, 2012, 08:17 PM	#12
dickttx Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2011 Location: Fort Worth Posts: 500	I have not shot very many Berrys, have shot 1000 of Rainiers, both 9mm, 115gn. Can't say they were not good. However, I am about to finish my first 1000 Precision Delta 124gn FMJ and start on their 115gn FMJ. I like them as well or better. Tried the PD because of the cost. This is from their web site a few minutes ago. Berrys 115gn RN -- $82.78 per K, delivered. Precision Delta 115 FMJ -- $76.00 per K, delivered Berrys 124gn RN -- $86.51 per K, delivered Precision Delta 124gn FMJ -- $84.50 per K, delivered. Price should really not enter into it. I shoot lead (MBC) in everything else and it is considerably cheaper than either the plated or the FMJ. __________________ Education teaches you the rules, experience teaches you the exceptions (Plagiarized from Claude Clay)

January 26, 2012, 08:52 PM	#13
jfrey Senior Member Join Date: May 16, 2008 Location: Coastal South Texas Posts: 557	I've shot thousands of the Berry's bullets in both 9mm and .45 ACP and never had any problems. Follow the instructions and don't load them real hot. I use 5.2 grains of WSF or Unique under them in 9mm and they function fine in all 7 of my 9mm's and all my .45's except my G36. Never any problems with key holing or anything like that. I did notice improved accuracy when I switched from Unique to WSF in 9mm loads.

January 26, 2012, 09:40 PM	#14
SHR970 Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2011 Posts: 1,427	Plated is subjective for the following reason: Different brands use different levels of plating thickness and different levels of core hardness from nearly dead soft lead to BH12 alloys. I found that Rainier tend to use soft alloy cores and thin plating. If you look at Accurate Arms load data, they have loads listed for Rainier plated and the charge levels are usually less then that of lead bullets. Xtreme (formerly West Coast then Accura) use hard alloy cores and thick plating. I have driven their 158 gr. semi wadcutter 357 bullets to near top W296 load data without stripping the plate and still had good accuracy. I have driven their 110 gr. 30 carbine bullet to full throttle and couldn't tell the difference between it and other major manufacturers FMJ's; I have shot 5k of these over the years. On the far end of the scale are Speer Gold Dots and Uni Core bullets. These have the thickest jackets but also use varying hardnesses of core depending on the application. YES The Gold Dot is a Plated bullet! That said, each brand is a law unto itself. The one thing you need to be careful of with some brands is applying too much crimp. The next thing is to know what the velocity limits are of the brand. The manufacturers are usually quite up front with this info if you ask for it. This is based on close to 20 years of experience using plated bullets.

January 26, 2012, 10:36 PM	#15
Dave R Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2000 Location: Idaho Posts: 6,073	Another vote in favor of Berry' s plated bullets. They work great for me in 9mm and .45acp. __________________ I am Pro-Rights (on gun issues).

January 27, 2012, 05:30 AM	#16
mumbo719 Senior Member Join Date: June 27, 2008 Location: Tampa Bay, FL. Posts: 346	I have 1k Berry 124gr HBRN-TP. Berry's says these can be loaded to FMJ data up to 1400 FPS and while that may be true the accuracy is not there. I have had success with the HBRN-TP in the mid range FMJ loads.

January 27, 2012, 06:35 AM	#17
excelerater Junior member Join Date: June 27, 2011 Location: Memphis TN Posts: 694	i load Berrys and DeltaPrecision (357,9,40 and 45) and load them both the same - as FMJ..Cant tell the difference and both brands work well for me....

January 27, 2012, 10:40 AM	#18
bossman Senior Member Join Date: November 16, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 996	I use 124 gr 9mm and 185 gr 45acp with Berry's plated and all have worked fine. The 185 gr is mostly for my Glock 36 which it eats and spits them out with good accuracy. The price keeps jumping up so I think I'll move to lead in the 9mm but will have to keep the plated or FMJ for the Glock 36 . __________________ NRA life member When the going gets tough, I just open another beer.

January 27, 2012, 10:48 AM	#19
jimbob86 Junior member Join Date: October 4, 2007 Location: All the way to NEBRASKA Posts: 8,722	I like plated bullets to 1200 f/sec ..... I've shot both Bery's and Ranier Ballistics ...... worked just fine, and cheaper than FMJ.

January 27, 2012, 10:55 PM	#20
res45 Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2007 Location: NC Posts: 753	I shoot the newer Berry's 124gr HBRN-TP They shoot great in my 9mm and are rated for MV up to 1450 fps. http://www.berrysmfg.com/product-i14...r_HBRN_TP.aspx

January 28, 2012, 04:55 AM	#21
dacaur Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2010 Posts: 733	I shoot berrys 124gr RN out of my kel-tec sub 2000, PF9, and ruger P85, at around 1000FPS. Its plenty accurate for plinking, and affordable, which is key...

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