Testing a new load
Posted: February 23rd, 2006, 2:21 pm
I tested some new ammunition today, using my P-64 as the test gun.
The new rounds consisted of 95 grain Hornady JHPs over 4.0gr alliant bullseye. I am not a reloader, so I am taking my alchemist at his word on this part.
I shot up several magazines of 100 grain Wolf ammo first, in order to have something against which to measure my subjective experience of the new load.
The recoil was noticeable, but not difficult to handle. [I've never considered any 95 grain round I've fired so far to have a lot of recoil in the P-64; it's just that the shock comes straight through the trigger and the trigger guard]. If anything, I thought the recoil of the 95g reloads was a bit more pleasant than that of the 100g Wolf (I would rather have used 95 grain ammo as my control, but I didn't happen to have any on hand).
The muzzle flash was bright and very apparent, even though I was shooting indoors with the lights on. Perhaps the slow burning powder hadn't finished its job by the time the bullet left the short barrel. I don't know that it would be a problem, but it was very much brighter than the control ammo.
The muzzle report was clearly louder than the Wolf ammo I had been firing beforehand. It was like switching to a .45 after shooting 9mm's.
My target was a standard sized 9" paper plate at 7 yards (I use my P-64 as a self-defense, carry weapon, rather than as a target pistol -- thus the short range and the chest-size target). The ammo was very controllable and grouped more tightly than the Wolf ammo.
This stuff has a measured muzzle velocity of 1,000 fps. That is quite a bit snappier than the standard factory Hornady load. Factory 95g Hornadys run about 950 fps.
I'm may want to consider using some of this new load as my carry ammo.
The new rounds consisted of 95 grain Hornady JHPs over 4.0gr alliant bullseye. I am not a reloader, so I am taking my alchemist at his word on this part.
I shot up several magazines of 100 grain Wolf ammo first, in order to have something against which to measure my subjective experience of the new load.
The recoil was noticeable, but not difficult to handle. [I've never considered any 95 grain round I've fired so far to have a lot of recoil in the P-64; it's just that the shock comes straight through the trigger and the trigger guard]. If anything, I thought the recoil of the 95g reloads was a bit more pleasant than that of the 100g Wolf (I would rather have used 95 grain ammo as my control, but I didn't happen to have any on hand).
The muzzle flash was bright and very apparent, even though I was shooting indoors with the lights on. Perhaps the slow burning powder hadn't finished its job by the time the bullet left the short barrel. I don't know that it would be a problem, but it was very much brighter than the control ammo.
The muzzle report was clearly louder than the Wolf ammo I had been firing beforehand. It was like switching to a .45 after shooting 9mm's.
My target was a standard sized 9" paper plate at 7 yards (I use my P-64 as a self-defense, carry weapon, rather than as a target pistol -- thus the short range and the chest-size target). The ammo was very controllable and grouped more tightly than the Wolf ammo.
This stuff has a measured muzzle velocity of 1,000 fps. That is quite a bit snappier than the standard factory Hornady load. Factory 95g Hornadys run about 950 fps.
I'm may want to consider using some of this new load as my carry ammo.