124gr Speer Gold Dot Effective Velocity Range

[WestTN2288]

So like the title says. I’m looking to information on what the effective velocity range of a 124gr, 9mm bullet. I have a small pile of them and I am looking to make a +p hand load.I really want to know what the top speed should be without loosing its effectiveness.

I guess my immediate follow up to this would be, if you can push another hollow point style to a higher velocity and maintain its efficacy, what would that be?

Also, I have looked through YouTube/this forum/other forums and haven’t found enough consistent answers to make me believe in the answers they are suggesting.

 

[ARK_Ginger]

I'd have a hard time believing there's a top speed you could reach with 9mm nato/luger seeing as it's a bonded bullet. Maybe an XTP would penetrate shallower and expand wider since it's not bonded, but I doubt there will be much difference with the gold dot. Speer already loads a +p as well in that weight.

 

[Mike D Texas]

You won’t exceed any top end velocity threshold of a gold dot bullet in a 9mm Luger cartridge.

I run them in a 9x25 Dillon at 1600fps and they hold up fine in water jugs.


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[WestTN2288]

You won’t exceed any top end velocity threshold of a gold dot bullet in a 9mm Luger cartridge.

I run them in a 9x25 Dillon at 1600fps and they hold up fine in water jugs.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I knew somebody here would have a real world answer to what I was wanting to know. Thank you!

 

[Formidilosus]

So like the title says. I’m looking to information on what the effective velocity range of a 124gr, 9mm bullet. I have a small pile of them and I am looking to make a +p hand load.I really want to know what the top speed should be without loosing its effectiveness.

I guess my immediate follow up to this would be, if you can push another hollow point style to a higher velocity and maintain its efficacy, what would that be?

Also, I have looked through YouTube/this forum/other forums and haven’t found enough consistent answers to make me believe in the answers they are suggesting.

You absolutely can push any pistol bullet, including Gold Dots too fast to where they fail to penetrate sufficiently especially through barriers. Keep them at normal Speer Gold Dot +P speeds and you will be fine.

 

[WestTN2288]

You absolutely can push any pistol bullet, including Gold Dots too fast to where they fail to penetrate sufficiently especially through barriers. Keep them at normal Speer Gold Dot +P speeds and you will be fine.

So ~1220 is the fastest published I’ve seen. Don’t go higher than that?

Added: the 223 thread is what has me questioning around this. For a lot of other bullet types I can find published max and min velocities for expansion. I can’t seem to find that for this particular bullet.

 

[Formidilosus]

So ~1220 is the fastest published I’ve seen. Don’t go higher than that?

Added: the 223 thread is what has me questioning around this. For a lot of other bullet types I can find published max and min velocities for expansion. I can’t seem to find that for this particular bullet.

That’s probably about right. The key thing with bonded/barrier blind pistol bullets is that they are specifically designed to work within a velocity window- going faster does not make them perform better. Pistol bullets cannot reach the velocity needed to cause damage from velocity, so all they can do is penetrate deep enough and expand consistently.