Walmart stocked with handgun ammo. 165gr vs 180gr

[seabassnfg]

I so I went to Walmart today and they were stocked full of handgun ammunition in all calibers.
there is a 3 box limit per customer per day, but the gentleman behind the counter was kind enough to allow me to buy 6 boxes of .40. I bought 4 boxes of 165 and 2 boxes of 180gr.
Is one really better than the other? I'm not sure, so I bought both. I figured it wouldn't hurt to have both, but if I should be staying away from one of them, I would like to know for the future. Any insight would help. Thank you in advance

 

[NyleRN]

FMJ or SD ammo? It doesn't matter to me the bullet weight if it's just for plinking and practice. For SD loads I go for heavy for caliber projectiles as long as my gun shoots it accurately

 

[Tactically Fat]

165 gr SD ammo out of my old Kahr CW-40 was brutal.

180 gr FMJ was MUCH more manageable. But - they were different brands.

There isn't any ".40 +P", but those 165 gr JHP rounds were probably loaded near max (or so it seemed)

You'll probably notice a shift in POI between the two - with the heavier projectiles impacting just a tad above the lighter ones. (At close ranges this won't matter a bit)

 

[seabassnfg]

They are bonded jacketed hollow points for self defense.
So does the 165 kick more? I feel like I should know this by now... Better late than never to learn I guess.

 

[snafu21]

You should try some of these in .40, they've got plenty of snap

40 S&W 135 Grain Jacketed Hollow Point Box of 50

These in 10mm will cause pain after a mag or two

10mm Auto 135 Grain Jacketed Hollow Point Box of 50

 

[Tactically Fat]

They are bonded jacketed hollow points for self defense.
So does the 165 kick more? I feel like I should know this by now... Better late than never to learn I guess.

MY experience in MY pistol was that yes, the 165 gr defensive ammo did have a higher felt recoil than the 180gr target ammo.

 

[STEEL CORE]

Yes 165 gr for most shooters has a more pronounced and perceived recoil.

 

[seabassnfg]

Yes 165 gr for most shooters has a more pronounced and perceived recoil.

What are the physics behind this? I don't understand why a lighter bullet creates more recoil?

 

[SSGSAD]

What are the physics behind this? I don't understand why a lighter bullet creates more recoil?

Lighter bullet, MORE powder, more fps, USUALLY more felt recoil .....

 

[eric001]

Theoretically speaking, the heavier bullet has more inertia to overcome than the lighter one, so its acceleration takes a fraction of a second longer to get going. Since recoil is the effect of that acceleration, the lighter bullet that accelerates more quickly would generate a sharper recoil, all else being equal. Not really *more* recoil, but a sharper one--hence the perception of more. That's my best stab at it, anyways.

 

[oldpink]

If your gun is intended for self-defense and the ammo you're buying is for target practice, definitely go with the same bullet weight and muzzle velocity as you intend to use for carry.
The statistics bear out that .40 S&W and 10mm Auto both do better with the lighter bullets, especially 155 grain, so I would go with either that weight or the 165 grain.
My 10mm is loaded with 155 grain Speer Gold Dot.
If your gun is only for target practice, just go with whatever is on sale that produces the best groupings you can get.

 

[Hardscrable]

I have shot countless thousands of rounds of both from many different manufacturers before I started reloading thru a dozen or so different handguns. I agree with above statements in theory. However I cannot say that I can detect a difference due to weight differential only. Different guns, different manufacturers...yes. But not 165 vs 180 from same manufacturer shot from same firearm. I am not recoil sensitive so it could vary for you I suppose.

 

[Tactically Fat]

I have shot countless thousands of rounds of both from many different manufacturers before I started reloading thru a dozen or so different handguns. I agree with above statements in theory. However I cannot say that I can detect a difference due to weight differential only. Different guns, different manufacturers...yes. But not 165 vs 180 from same manufacturer shot from same firearm. I am not recoil sensitive so it could vary for you I suppose.

In my examples above, it was indeed two different ammo manufacturers. It was a Federal JHP product that was brutal, and generally always WWB for range time.

I don't think it was a Hydra-Shok product. IIRC, it had a blue and gray box. 50 ct. A quick look at their site tells me that they probably don't make it any more...or it's one of those "LEO only" products they don't put on their main page. oh well. No biggy to me any more. I don't/won't own any more firearms in .40 (unless I have to)

 

[Jagunn]

It might be just me but I have shot 500 rds each of 165 and 180 out of my m&p pro, and it seems I had tighter patterns with the 165. Could be me, but theres my 2 cents.

 

[Leo]

I have shot a lot of 165 grain .40s&w ammo through a Para., which is plenty heavy. It definately has a snappier feel, but the results on a 50 yard target a really good, probably the best 50 yard groups I ever shot with that pistol. On a light, compact pistol, those snappy 165's might be kind of a handful.