9x25 Newbie Questions

[DM1906]

Given a choice, I'd much rather use FMJ bullets for target loads. They are much easier to recover and cleaner to process, especially on steel targets (I recycle the lead). Plated bullets are an economic alternative. The X-Treme 100 gr. .380 RNFP is an excellent bullet for .380, and does as expected when driven to .357 Sig and 9x25D velocities. The Berry's 100 gr. RNHB is better for these, as the hollow base makes for a longer bullet w/o sacrificing case capacity (although they just splat to dust at 1800+ FPS). The 90 gr. XTP is what it is, and I use it for .357S, but it might as well be a frangible in 9x25D (I have yet to recover more than BB size pieces of one). Even the .357S turns them inside-out, with less than 60% weight retention. I'm not aware of any alternative bullets this light that will survive the velocities we are pushing them. If they shoot accurate, the bullets design makes little difference. Perhaps a monolithic solid, but they're priced beyond practicality (the Barnes Tac-XP is available in 80, 95, 115 and 125 gr.).