Browning 9mm 147gr BXP in Clear Ballistics Gel

[5pins]

Test Gun: Sig P229, Kahr MK9.
Barrel length: 3.9, 3 inches.
Ammunition: Browning 147gr BXP X-Point
Test media: 10% Clear Ballistics Gel.
Distance: 10 feet.
Chronograph: Caldwell Ballistic Precision Chronograph G2.
Five shot velocity average: 947, 907 fps
Gel Temperature 70 degrees.

On a recent trip to Cabela's, I walked through the ammunition section like I always do, and decided to pick up something new to try. One of them was the Browning 9mm 147gr BXP round. It comes in a 20 round box and it was priced at $17.99.


From the Sig P229, I got an average velocity of 947fps with a high of 954fps and a low of 940fps. The Kahr MK9 gave me an average velocity of 907fps with a high of 913fps and a low of 902fps.

Ten yards off hand five shots with the Sig P229

The first round from the Sig hit the bare gel block at 964fps and penetrated to 18.5 inches. The recovered expansion was .49 inches and it lost considerable weight coming in at 133.4 grains. Round number two had a velocity of 940fps and penetrated to 18.75 inches. Recovered weight was 144.2 grains and it expanded to .56 inches.

Shooting through the heavy clothing the Sig two rounds had a velocity of 956 and 934fps and both passed through both gel blocks.

From the Kahr, in bare gel, the first round had a velocity of 917fps and penetrated to 16.5 inches. The recovered diameter was .54 inches and the recovered weight was 144.8 grains. Round number two's velocity was 896fps and its penetration was 18 inches. The recovered weight was 136.8 grains and the diameter was .46 inches.

 

[Sharkbite]

For almost a dollar a round, thats not very good performance.

 

[rock185]

This is another of those times when I wonder if more velocity might produce better results...

 

[briandg]

I don't think that I've seen too many of the new age bullets come apart like that. The reason for the highly structured skiving on it is to make sure that every slit opens and opens exactly like the other ones. they have cuts in the jacket and it appears that there were also some cuts made in the core. That jacket metal may have been brittle?

Maybe you ought to send a copy of this to browning.

 

[P5 Guy]

And again the sub-sonic 147 9mm fails.

 

[Sharkbite]

And again the sub-sonic 147 9mm fails.

This was a failure of that bullet design, not a failure due to bullet weight. Browning used an older bullet design, a la the PMC Firestar design by the looks of it after expansion.

The current leader in bullet design, Federal HST and Speers Golddot do exceedingly well in this weight.

 

[kymasabe]

And again the sub-sonic 147 9mm fails.

Federal HST's in 147 grain open beautifully, with decent penetration too.

 

[briandg]

Federal HST's in 147 grain open beautifully, with decent penetration too.

Hey, wait a minute. Isn't the whole point of the 147 to give the best penetration among the various 9mm bullet weights? Shouldn't that be 'superior' penetration?

Regardless of my silly splitting of hairs here, that was terrible performance even for a 147. each modern bullet is ostensibly designed to function properly at the intended velocity range and this should have performed properly. Five pins could have been jerking us around, but of course he isn't.

So many companies have been collaborating with other companies these days such as federal with the swift and winchester with nosler that browning should have collaborated with a good name brand and used top quality bullet designs. But they screwed up and stayed in house, or bought terrible products. No, I don't really think that this was a fluke. The design seems to be inferior. They could have done better.

 

[P5 Guy]

Over penetration is a bad, bad thing.

 

[Charlie98]

Hey, wait a minute. Isn't the whole point of the 147 to give the best penetration among the various 9mm bullet weights? Shouldn't that be 'superior' penetration?

No, the concept of the 147grn bullet would be to deliver as much kinetic energy to the target, at least in my mind. A heavy bullet traveling slower wouldn't necessary deliver more penetration than a lighter bullet traveling faster.

Anyway... I don't think that bullet performed particularly well, but at least it didn't come apart.

 

[briandg]

No, the concept of the 147grn bullet would be to deliver as much kinetic energy to the target, at least in my mind. A heavy bullet traveling slower wouldn't necessary deliver more penetration than a lighter bullet traveling faster.

here are facts. winchester 115 and 147 standard velocity hp rounds. energy at muzzle, 5 and 25 yards.

9mm Luger X9MMST14 383.0 374.0 340.0
9mm Luger X9MMSHP 7 333.0 329.0 316.0

 

[Pops1085]

I know it’s not a gel test but I shot a couple of those into water jugs and had zero expansion. If it won’t open in water, it probably won’t open in less ideal conditions.