What kind of bullet is the most used in the active shooting matches

[ET-Ret]

I have used a lot of different bullets for Piddling and off hand target shooting . Some Factory but mostly handloads.
I am not a picky shooter and if I can keep my shots in a 2 to 3 in circle I am happy. one shooter of comp.
is using cast bullets from a Texas firm and I have used some copper plated bullets from several sources one even came from
South africa.and was sold by Cabelas. I can cast but it been hard to set down and do it.
rounds are no great problem but setting up to do it seems to be the problem. It seems like the market is cleaned out right now so I may just have to
go to work. Any comments on brands or styles
Thanks Et-ret

[ghostrider]

I assume you're referring to action pistol competitions such as USPSA, IDPA and/or Steel Challenge. The answer(s) may vary depending on the sport, the calibre, and possibly auto vs revolver.

When I started competing in IPSC years ago your bullet options were: cast lead, cast lead, cast lead, or jacketed ($$$). I think there were some 'copper wash'/plated bullets available as well.

Now, it seems 'coated lead' bullets are taking over, whether polymer, Hi-Tek, or powder coated. I buy some coated lead bullets, but I also cast & powder coat my own when time allows. I sometimes buy cast lead bullets 'raw' (no lube, no coating & not sized) and finish the bullets myself (powder coat & size).

There are many vendors that you can order cast bullets from, but many have long lead times due to increased demand. Here are some brands I use:

http://www.missouribullet.com/index.php
https://thebluebullets.com/
https://summersenterprisesllc.com/

In Texas there is:
https://precisionbullets.com/
http://www.bulletworks.com/bulletworks/bulletworks.html



as for bullet styles:
9mm: 124gr RN or hollowpoint
45ACP: 200gr LSWC
40S&W: 180gr FP

[ghostrider]

I haven't tried these yet, but I like the color:

https://backwatershooters.com/shop/

[K-Texas]

I have used a lot of different bullets for Piddling and off hand target shooting . Some Factory but mostly handloads.
I am not a picky shooter and if I can keep my shots in a 2 to 3 in circle I am happy. one shooter of comp.
is using cast bullets from a Texas firm and I have used some copper plated bullets from several sources one even came from
South africa.and was sold by Cabelas. I can cast but it been hard to set down and do it.
rounds are no great problem but setting up to do it seems to be the problem. It seems like the market is cleaned out right now so I may just have to
go to work. Any comments on brands or styles
Thanks Et-ret

AS far as the most common sports that require certain power factor minimums, in USPSA, 147 gr. bullets in 9mm seem to be the favorites. Then you have the option of bullet type: Jacketed, plated or polycoated where at 884 FPS they yield a 130 PF. the 125 PF minimum and an additional 5 for a bit of insurance as they're fired over different chronos.

I've done some experimentation to see if there really is a discernible difference at what to me is a very light recoil level. Shooters in the various games do tend to follow trends. I wrote about this some, as well as a bullet that need not be restricted in OACL because it is sub-caliber above the shoulder with only about 1/32" of the bullet's shoulder being exposed above the case-mouth. A good many 9mm pistols today have shorter throats than they once did, and they restrict OACL.

SNS Casting generously supplied what they call their 125 gr. RN that I typically refer to as a RN-SWC, and they are polycoated. This is their bullet used for that article: https://www.snscasting.com/9mm-125-grai ... ted-500ct/ and the article can be found here: https://blog.westernpowders.com/2020/05 ... roundnose/

I made a very good load with this bullet and 4.0 grs. of AA No 2, a CCI500 with an OACL of 1.142"/29mm that chrono'd 1039 FPS that would yield a power factor of 129 as the bullets I weighed were closer to 124 grs. Great load and I made some with Ramshot True Blue also. Velocities were chrono'd from a 4.47" Canik TP9sa that weighs about 30 oz unloaded w/magazine. I also did some comparisons in this article: https://blog.westernpowders.com/2020/03 ... mpetition/ where I used the RMR 147 gr. FMJ that has a truncated cone shape and was able to get very close to 130 PF. Personally, I can't find enough difference between 124 gr. bullets and 147s to make any practical difference while accuracy would be the greater determination for me, personally. The .356" 124 gr. RN-SWC shape has long been a favorite even before poly-coating when I was shooting hard-cast versions. I really like that SNS 125 RN and will continue to test them. So far as I'm concerned 125 power factor is 125 power factor, or 130 with a bit of safety cushion for either. The power factor calculation itself, BW * velocity /1000 is a pretty good shorthand method for calculating recoil itself as well as basic momentum. Which has the recoil advantage will likely be up to the individual shooter.

[LTUME1978]

What I am seeing at the IDPA and USPSA matches are a mixture of plated and coated bullets. I shoot plated in matches where I run a 9mm just because they smoke less that the coated (which are not a lot worse when using titegroup powder). I don't use cast with the lube groove any longer because they smoke so much with titegroup. I have had a couple of stages in the past where we stood in one place and engaged all targets. There was no wind blowing and by the time I was about half way through shooting, I could barely see the targets. People were jokingly asking if I was shooting black powder and the SO was complaining about the smoke. Coated bullets are significantly better and plated bullets are just about completely smokeless, even with titegroup.

I still shoot a coated bullet with my 45 ACP as I use VV N310 for my match ammo. It is extremely clean round, superbly accurate and has a soft feeling recoil even though the load produces a 175K power factor. I also have plenty of the coated 230 grain bullets so no reason to change now.

As to bullet weight, when I first started shooting 9mm, I talked to a couple of Grand Master shooters and they told me that they run a 147 grain bullet at 920 feet per second. I asked why so heavy and why so fast. Their response is that that load will take any steel found in any match. I find it to be soft in recoil as well. On the 45 ACP, the first time I went to IDPA nationals, I was squaded with a young man that won Expert in Custom Defensive Pistol (45 ACP, typically a 1911) at that match. I was asking him questions about the ammo he shot. He told me 230 grain round nose and Clays powder. I asked why and his response is that he polled all of the top shooters and that is what they used. I asked why none were using the 200 grain SWC. The response was due to occasional feeding issues.

[MaduroBU]

I use Hornady HAP because I'm conscious about lead fouling, but I use Fiocchi lead-free pistol primers as well. If you're using lead styphnate primers (i.e. non-corrosive primers), then the lead from the primer creates more fouling and gas than the bullet does so copper jackets are probably a waste.