Our 9mm pistols are very new FNP9's (4"), and we hadn't put very many rounds through prior to this weekend, just enough to know they're very accurate. We started Saturday with mags loaded up with Rem UMC 147gr, Win Target 115gr; later loaded up with Win Ranger 124gr NATO. I don't recall velocity being given on any of the boxes, but I'll have to look again.
Partway through the first mini-clinic, as we were changing mags, we went from the 147 to the 115. DynaBlue was the first to notice a huge change, with the Win Target giving significantly more kickup (and thus more control necessary). Granted, a higher velocity should be the result of the smaller projectile, thus resulting in more KE. Since most of what we were doing was point 'n' shoot, it didn't make a whole lot of difference for the rest of the sessions, and we didn't really notice when using the NATO in the clinics.
However, there seemed to be something going on with the Texas Star. Before the clinics, I was able to finish the star using six to 10 rounds of Rem. Early in the afternoon, using NATO, it took 16 and 14 rounds to finish the Star. Might have been a different grip learned from the first clinic, or the renowned variability of the Star, but I think it was really due to a change in the POA; while I was working on the Star, raising the POA didn't do any good, but lowering the POA seemed to do the trick.
Looks as if we have a job ahead next day at the range. Is there really that kind of change in POA with KE in 9mm, and is Win Target really that much hotter than Rem UMC?
