VERN HUMPHREY wrote in a message to ROY J. TELLASON:

RJT>VH> You can also get computer programs, like Ballistic Explorer, which
RJT>VH> have libraries of data on commercially available ammo.

RJT>Not familiar with that one,  maybe I oughta check it out.  Is it
RJT>commercial shareware,  freeware,  or what?

VH> Commercial, sold by Oheler -- you might find it on the net, if you
VH> look.

Yeah,  I might,  if I had 'net access other than email...   :-)

RJT>VH> A heavier bullet may penetrate much deeper, and hang together
RJT>VH> better. On the other hand, it may not expand very much, if any.

RJT>No?  I would have thought that slower-moving would've meant that
RJT>the expansion would be more likely to work better.

VH> It depends -- IF it is moving fast enough to expand, a slow, heavy
VH> bullet will both expand and penetrate.  Slow it down, and it will
VH> just penetrate.  Speed it up, and it may disintegrate on impact,
VH> leaving a gory wound, but not immediately incapacitating.

RJT>VH> I think the consensus is the 147 JHP is a bit too much for the
RJT>VH> 9mmX19.

RJT>Too much?  You mean I *should* consider a lighter load?

VH> Most experience is that a 115 to 125 grain bullet will be better in
VH> 9mm. The heavier bullet doesn't have the expansion.

Hmm.

RJT>I've otherwise just shot at typical paper targets,  and have been
RJT>thinking "silhouette" might be something I could get into,  if I 
RJT>could find a club in the area that's got those sorts of targets.  I 
RJT>also have at hand here a small stack of those little aluminum pie 
RJT>plates,  the ones that are maybe 4 inches across?  Seems to me it'd 
RJT>be pretty easy to get a push pin through those, maybe use them as 
RJT>targets too.  Probably better than paper, anyhow.  We'll how it 
RJT>goes once I feel like I won't roast when going out there.

VH> Plates, aluminium and paper make good targets.

We've now gone from just the hot-n-humid to lots of rain showers.  Maybe if
I can get out early in the day...

VH> Silhouette targets are in two different categories -- "Silhouette
VH> Matches" are shot at heavy metal silhouettes of game animals, the
VH> rule being you must knock the silhouette down to score."

I've seen pictures of those in magazines,  that's the ones I'm thinking of.

VH> The paper or cardboard "FBI silhouette" and similar shaped targets
VH> are usually avaliable from places like Midway, Cheaper than Dirt,
VH> and so on.

Nah,  I have no use for those.  If it comes to me having to aim at an
actual person,  I have no doubts about my ability to double-tap where it's
gonna do some good -- center of mass,  one or two shots,  and if they're
still standing,  then I aim a little higher.

I sometimes wonder about the mindset of people who use those things.  One
time I was out at a public range (they have those on state game lands here
in PA), and there were a couple there -- co-workers,  not "a
couple" in any other sense,  and they had obviously just bought their
guns,  and were getting ready to try and "qualify" somehow or
other.  They had those targets,  and had to get way up close before they
could put several rounds into them.  Lots closer than the 25 yards where
the benches were set up...

Watching those folks was downright scary!  Some kinda state workers.

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