Grains?

Millie

Millie

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I'm confused about grains of ammo....is the lower number of grains going to make less recoil and sound than a higher number? I've read some articles online but there are 2 "kinds" of grains, right? How do I know what number should be on the box of rounds I buy?
Should I just take what the guy hands me? The guy who sold me the revolver also sold me some "lower recoil" rounds,but haven't been able to use those yet. All the rounds I've shot have been fmj, though I do have hollow points for the guns. I get that hollow points are supposed to open once they hit, and inflict more damage in the bad guy.
Do hollow points feel different when shooting, from fmj rounds? Louder? More snap?
This is a lot of questions...may be I should have done two threads?
PS I'm sure the kind of gun is going to impact things too....try not to confuse me, please!
Words of one syllable...lol....
 
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A grain is a unit of measure. There are 7000 grains in a pound. This unit is used for weight of projectiles and weight of powder in the case. The grains on the box of ammo tell you how heavy is the projectile. Factory ammo doesn't display weight of powder, but "reduced recoil" just means less of it in each case.

Felt recoil is pure voodoo. Generally heavy bullets flying fast will give you lots of recoil. Reduce either weight or speed, and you reduce felt recoil. Changing bullet types doesn't do much to affect it.
 
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Catfish said:
A grain is a unit of measure. There are 7000 grains in a pound. This unit is used for weight of projectiles and weight of powder in the case. The grains on the box of ammo tell you how heavy is the projectile. Factory ammo doesn't display weight of powder, but "reduced recoil" just means less of it in each case.

Felt recoil is pure voodoo. Generally heavy bullets flying fast will give you lots of recoil. Reduce either weight or speed, and you reduce felt recoil. Changing bullet types doesn't do much to affect it.
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OK! Makes more sense than the articles I've read! So the less recoil bullets the guy gave me for the .38 should theoretically not make it hurt me as much as the ones I used for my CC qualifying, right? Lol.
Now another question...do I want a home or self defense round to go fast or slow?
 
Millie said:
OK! Makes more sense than the articles I've read! So the less recoil bullets the guy gave me for the .38 should theoretically not make it hurt me as much as the ones I used for my CC qualifying, right? Lol.
Now another question...do I want a home or self defense round to go fast or slow?
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That depends on how the bullet you choose is designed. Some are designed to be hard and penetrate while not expanding much. Others are softer and expand rapidly. Most all commercial available ammo will be matched with the bullet and speed taken into account.


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Zbizzle911 said:
That depends on how the bullet you choose is designed. Some are designed to be hard and penetrate while not expanding much. Others are softer and expand rapidly. Most all commercial available ammo will be matched with the bullet and speed taken into account.


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I think I want hollow points for defense and expansion. Right?
 
Millie said:
I think I want hollow points for defense and expansion. Right?
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Yes. Hollow points are designed to mushroom and stay within their target and not over penetrate. The bonus is they generally do more damage along the way.

For practice get whatever off the shelf Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) you want, but for self defense I recommend something along the lines of Federal HST, Speer Gold Dots, or Hornady Critical defense/Duty.


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B00ger said:
Yes. Hollow points are designed to mushroom and stay within their target and not over penetrate. The bonus is they generally do more damage along the way.

For practice get whatever off the shelf Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) you want, but for self defense I recommend something along the lines of Federal HST, Speer Gold Dots, or Hornady Critical defense/Duty.


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The gun guy sold me some Hornady "less recoil" hollow point rounds with the gun. So those are loaded and ready to go.
 
Millie said:
The gun guy sold me some Hornady "less recoil" hollow point rounds with the gun. So those are loaded and ready to go.
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My wife and I run something similar in our .380's. They seem to run really well.

IMO, range practice with low recoil rounds is fine. Factory low recoil SD rounds are not too bad. But when you need it, you probably won't feel the recoil of a full power round anyway.
 
12151791 said:
And, hollow point can make nice decoration except if they have bone and flesh entangled in them.
View attachment 28991
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Those would look nice hanging on the Christmas tree! Or by doors and windows, to let potential thieves get the idea they might get hurt if they come in my house again! Lol.
 
One thing to keep in mind is that “less recoil” is fine when practicing. But consider that >if< you ever have to fire your weapon in self defense I highly doubt you will even feel the pistol fire as you will be dealing with an adrenaline dump and a mass amount of fear.


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12151791 said:
And, hollow point can make nice decoration except if they have bone and flesh entangled in them.
View attachment 28991
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I can't find the thread about HP/JHP...so do they look different? (Before being fired.) Will the box say "JHP" or just "hollow points"?
(I think I was sent the wrong thing.)
 
JHP is a jacketed hollow point. The box will probably say "JHP" as most HPs are now JHPs. The jacket holds the projectile together during penetration, and aids in bullet expansion ( size and shape).
They'll appear extremely close to each other, yes. You'll have to look closely to tell them apart. It's really not a practical difference to most folks, because most hollow points (HP) are jacketed hollow points (JHP) now. It's just an improvement in technology and design.
 
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xtp308 said:
JHP is a jacketed hollow point. The box will probably say "JHP" as most HPs are now JHPs. The jacket holds the projectile together during penetration, and aids in bullet expansion ( size and shape).
They'll appear extremely close to the eye, yes.
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I guess they sent the wrong box, then, because it only says XTP hollow points on the side. No mention of JHP. (sigh...)
Thanks for responding.
 
An XTP is a JHP, you're good. XTP ( eXtreme Terminal Performance, see my username) is a Hornady-brand JHP; BTW, really good bullets !
 
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xtp308 said:
An XTP is a JHP, you're good. XTP ( eXtreme Terminal Performance, see my username) is a Hornady-brand JHP; BTW, really good bullets !
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I just heard from the company that Hornady just uses HP on their boxes, though the rounds are in fact JHP. So I'm happy to know that!
Yes, all the research and question-asking I've done has led me to choose these particular ones for my new Sig. Apparently it's picky! I've read that it will be happiest with JHP, and so having spent a buttload of $ on this gun, I'm going to do whatever I can to keep it going smoothly. Now I just have to get to the range and shoot it and see how it goes with the new ammo.
Thanks for taking the time to respond, I know I ask a lot of weird questions.
 
Alright you photoshop guys we need a cartoon bullet wearing a coat to illustrate a jacketed bullet. Then a bullet with the coat over its shoulder for semi jacketed and so on.

unjacketed bullet
stock-vector-funny-cartoon-bullet-vector-illustration-781536475.jpg
 
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@Millie
I think most would agree that you'll wanna run a good quantity of that HP ammo thru your new semi-auto to be absolutely sure it likes them. Some guns are picky about ammo and the shape of a hollow point can sometimes cause feeding issues. So, you might want to run at least several dozen of your chosen round to be sure it'll function properly if ever needed. This isn't an issue with your revolver. ;)
 
Jeppo said:
@Millie
I think most would agree that you'll wanna run a good quantity of that HP ammo thru your new semi-auto to be absolutely sure it likes them. Some guns are picky about ammo and the shape of a hollow point can sometimes cause feeding issues. So, you might want to run at least several dozen of your chosen round to be sure it'll function properly if ever needed. This isn't an issue with your revolver. ;)
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Yeah, I love the revolver, but it's not as nice to shoot as the Sig...
I've been doing more reading and I've run across some rounds with a polymer tip! Anyone want to weigh in on those? I read awhile ago that my Sig might not like anything but round nosed ammo, and that HPs might hang up in there. So now I've seen these ones with a blue tip that look like round nose, but are JHP. Haven't looked at prices yet, but they're going to be pricey, I bet! LoL. (I've got some jhp (25+) to run thru it, as well as fmj for lots of practice. I'll whittle the contenders down eventually, I hope.)
I'd love your thoughts on these polymer tipped ones.
My questions seem never to end!!
 
When I first started carrying, I bought some rather expensive "boutique" SD ammo recommended by a very experienced shooter friend. He told me all about ballistics and gel tests so I bought into it hook, line and sinker. I ran enough of them through my carry gun to convince me they'd be reliable (enough to have bought a WHOLE LOTTA "normal" ammo).

As people who've shot with me know, I'm a lousy shot. I've come to the conclusion that (if God forbid I ever have to face a SD situation), it won't matter much if I miss the target with my Swarovski-tipped, platinum-plated carbon fiber cased HP's or some rounds from Wally World. Hornady is a well respected player and if they run reliably in your gun, I'd stick with them, buy some more and buy hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of cheaper FMJ rounds that also cycle for you.

By the way, my shooter friend also gave me three other pieces of advice that I've come to value. In no particular order, they were:
  1. Practice
  2. Practice
  3. Practice
 
Jeppo said:
When I first started carrying, I bought some rather expensive "boutique" SD ammo recommended by a very experienced shooter friend. He told me all about ballistics and gel tests so I bought into it hook, line and sinker. I ran enough of them through my carry gun to convince me they'd be reliable (enough to have bought a WHOLE LOTTA "normal" ammo).

As people who've shot with me know, I'm a lousy shot. I've come to the conclusion that (if God forbid I ever have to face a SD situation), it won't matter much if I miss the target with my Swarovski-tipped, platinum-plated carbon fiber cased HP's or some rounds from Wally World. Hornady is a well respected player and if they run reliably in your gun, I'd stick with them, buy some more and buy hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of cheaper FMJ rounds that also cycle for you.

By the way, my shooter friend also gave me three other pieces of advice that I've come to value. In no particular order, they were:
  1. Practice
  2. Practice
  3. Practice
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LoL @ Swarovski-tipped!
 
Millie said:
I agree, but I seem to ask a lot of them, and some of my posts seem to make some people crazy!
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I haven't been here long so I am not crazy yet (I don't think)...but I have run across several of your posts perusing the boards and it has been fun reading through them. Makes me realize how much I have learned over the years that I just take for granted now. Would be nice to re-live being new to all of this gun stuff again.
 
I didn’t read every post to see if this was mentioned but something to keep in mind is that most guns point of aim and point of impact will change with the different velocity and bullet weights of cartridges.

For instance my G17, when I practice with 115gr ammo I shoot enough to know where the rounds will hit the target based on where I aim, now most people will say “duh” about this but when I switch to 147gr ammo the rounds do not impact exactly like 115gr ammo, with 115gr ammo I know the rounds will impact at the top of where I am holding the front sight, 147gr ammo will impact just under the front sight while aiming exactly the same way with both bullet weights.

For the most part at 7 yards or less my opinion is that this isn’t a big issue, but when the distance gets longer the point of impact is also more noticeable, so when I am practicing with 115gr ammo a lot I make sure to shoot 115gr ammo in matches, if I buy 1000 rounds of 147gr ammo I’ll hit the local range and get reacquainted with where the heavier bullets are hitting before I shoot a match.

With all that said I would suggest practicing with the same bullet weight that you’ll be carrying in your gun, if you can afford too, I highly suggest adding a box of your carry ammo to your range sessions to make sure you know exactly how your carry ammo shoots, I know my carry ammo and practice ammo of the same weight will more if less shoot the same, switching weights (grains) of bullets requires a bit of practice in some cases.
 
SC380 said:
I haven't been here long so I am not crazy yet (I don't think)...but I have run across several of your posts perusing the boards and it has been fun reading through them. Makes me realize how much I have learned over the years that I just take for granted now. Would be nice to re-live being new to all of this gun stuff again.
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I had lots of questions, didn't I? Still do....
I'm glad I'm not as much of a dummy as when I first posted. Some will think I'm more of a dummy, I'm sure, but I'm too old to care too much if someone thinks I'm not bright! LoL.
But I've learned a whole lot from these people, so I'll take a bit of ribbing in the quest for answers.
Now I just need to find a shooting buddy near here, so I can have someone to go have some fun with!!
I'm glad my posts have been fun for you, I guess we all need some fun in life! Any advice you have, I'll gladly accept!
 
Tarowah said:
I didn’t read every post to see if this was mentioned but something to keep in mind is that most guns point of aim and point of impact will change with the different velocity and bullet weights of cartridges.

For instance my G17, when I practice with 115gr ammo I shoot enough to know where the rounds will hit the target based on where I aim, now most people will say “duh” about this but when I switch to 147gr ammo the rounds do not impact exactly like 115gr ammo, with 115gr ammo I know the rounds will impact at the top of where I am holding the front sight, 147gr ammo will impact just under the front sight while aiming exactly the same way with both bullet weights.

For the most part at 7 yards or less my opinion is that this isn’t a big issue, but when the distance gets longer the point of impact is also more noticeable, so when I am practicing with 115gr ammo a lot I make sure to shoot 115gr ammo in matches, if I buy 1000 rounds of 147gr ammo I’ll hit the local range and get reacquainted with where the heavier bullets are hitting before I shoot a match.

With all that said I would suggest practicing with the same bullet weight that you’ll be carrying in your gun, if you can afford too, I highly suggest adding a box of your carry ammo to your range sessions to make sure you know exactly how your carry ammo shoots, I know my carry ammo and practice ammo of the same weight will more if less shoot the same, switching weights (grains) of bullets requires a bit of practice in some cases.
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I've got some rounds to shoot next range visit to see if the gun likes them. If it does I'll be sure to shoot a few boxes with it, to get familiar with how it does. It'll probably ding the budget a bit, but I don't care. Need to know what's going to be in the gun all the time. Also have fmj for practice.
Just need coolness in the weather to happen so I can get to Fayetteville and shoot. I'm also getting more instruction from the range guy once I set it up.
The rounds I just got are 90 and 95 grains. That;s the weight I shot with the time I used the rental Sig and was getting to be fairly good with it.
Now I just need to take my "new" Sig over to Fayetteville and shoot a lot!
 
Millie said:
I had lots of questions, didn't I? Still do....
I'm glad I'm not as much of a dummy as when I first posted. Some will think I'm more of a dummy, I'm sure, but I'm too old to care too much if someone thinks I'm not bright! LoL.
But I've learned a whole lot from these people, so I'll take a bit of ribbing in the quest for answers.
Now I just need to find a shooting buddy near here, so I can have someone to go have some fun with!!
I'm glad my posts have been fun for you, I guess we all need some fun in life! Any advice you have, I'll gladly accept!
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Anybody who has the desire and motivation to learn isn't a dummy. There is always something new to learn. My advice right now is if you are having fun keep at it!
 
SC380 said:
Anybody who has the desire and motivation to learn isn't a dummy. There is always something new to learn. My advice right now is if you are having fun keep at it!
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I am having fun, will have even more fun when the weather cools off!
 
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