The 9mm Luger (9x19mm Parabellum) is a rimless, tapered-case centerfire pistol cartridge with a .355-inch (9 mm) bullet, designed by Georg Luger and introduced by DWM in 1902 for the Luger pistol, and loaded today for handguns, pistol-caliber carbines and submachine guns across target practice, self-defense and duty use.
This guide gathers the velocity, energy and bullet drop that the manufacturers themselves publish for the 9mm Luger loads we stock, item by item, then sets the cartridge beside the 45 Automatic using SAAMI’s own reference data. Where a maker publishes nothing for a load, the tables say “Not published” rather than fill the gap.
9mm Luger ballistics chart
Each row is one maker’s product, so the weight and bullet come from the same page as the velocity beside them. Read the last column before comparing rows: most state a 4 inch test barrel, but the Blazer and Grizzly rows state none, so they cannot be lined up directly against the others. The Federal HST 124 gr (P9HST3S) and the Hornady FlexLock 135 gr (90226) are +P loads. No maker lists a ballistic coefficient for these loads, so the table has no column for one.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load | Item no. | Bullet weight | Bullet | Muzzle velocity | Muzzle energy | Maker’s application | Test barrel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blazer Full Metal Jacket | 5296 | 100 gr | Full Metal Jacket | 1,130 fps | 284 ft-lb | Target Shooting | not stated |
| Federal Full Metal Jacket | AE9DP | 115 gr | Full Metal Jacket | 1,180 fps | 356 ft-lb | Target Shooting | 4 inches |
| Federal HST Jacketed Hollow Point | P9HST3S | 124 gr | HST Jacketed Hollow Point | 1,200 fps | 396 ft-lb | Self-Defense | 4 inches |
| Hornady FlexLock® | 90226 | 135 gr | FlexLock® | 1,070 fps | 343 ft-lb | Duty and self-defense | 4 inches |
| Federal Segmented Hollow Point | S9SJT1 | 138 gr | Segmented Hollow Point | 1,050 fps | 338 ft-lb | Self-Defense | 4 inches |
| Hornady XTP® | 90282 | 147 gr | XTP® | 975 fps | 310 ft-lb | Not published | 4 inches |
| Federal Syntech Jacket Flat Nose | AE9SJAP1 | 150 gr | Syntech Jacket Flat Nose | 890 fps | 264 ft-lb | Target Shooting | 4 inches |
| Grizzly Cartridge Company RN PLATED | Not published | 165 gr | RN PLATED | 800 fps | 234 ft-lb | Subsonic load | not stated |
Velocity and energy downrange
Velocity and energy at range, as far as each maker goes, which is 100 yd at the most. A cell reads “Not published” where a maker skips a range: the Blazer row has nothing at 25 or 75 yd, and the Hornady rows give 100 yd only (135 gr) and 50 and 100 yd (147 gr). Grizzly publishes muzzle figures only, so its subsonic load is not in this table.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load (test barrel) | Muzzle | 25 yd | 50 yd | 75 yd | 100 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blazer 100 gr (not stated) | 1,130 fps / 284 ft-lb | Not published | 1,047 fps / 244 ft-lb | Not published | 986 fps / 216 ft-lb |
| Federal 115 gr (4 inches) | 1,180 fps / 356 ft-lb | 1,106 fps / 312 ft-lb | 1,048 fps / 280 ft-lb | 1,001 fps / 256 ft-lb | 961 fps / 236 ft-lb |
| Federal 124 gr (4 inches) | 1,200 fps / 396 ft-lb | 1,136 fps / 355 ft-lb | 1,083 fps / 323 ft-lb | 1,039 fps / 297 ft-lb | 1,002 fps / 277 ft-lb |
| Hornady 135 gr (4 inches) | 1,070 fps / 343 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published | 958 fps / 275 ft-lb |
| Federal 138 gr (4 inches) | 1,050 fps / 338 ft-lb | 1,016 fps / 316 ft-lb | 985 fps / 298 ft-lb | 959 fps / 282 ft-lb | 934 fps / 267 ft-lb |
| Hornady 147 gr (4 inches) | 975 fps / 310 ft-lb | Not published | 934 fps / 285 ft-lb | Not published | 899 fps / 264 ft-lb |
| Federal 150 gr (4 inches) | 890 fps / 264 ft-lb | 873 fps / 254 ft-lb | 857 fps / 245 ft-lb | 842 fps / 236 ft-lb | 827 fps / 228 ft-lb |
Bullet drop, with the zero range stated
A drop figure means nothing without its zero, and only the Blazer 100 gr and the Federal 115 gr give both. Each has a 25 yd zero, which is why each reads 0 in at 25 yd. Negative figures are below the line of sight. The other loads have no drop figure tied to a stated zero and range, so none is shown and none is estimated.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load (zero) | 25 yd | 50 yd | 75 yd | 100 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blazer 100 gr (25 yd zero) | 0 in | −0.9 in | −3.9 in | −8.9 in |
| Federal 115 gr (25 yd zero) | 0 in | −0.9 in | −3.7 in | −8.7 in |
What the numbers mean for a shot
Among the rows with a 4 inch test barrel, speed falls as weight rises from the 124 gr load onward. The Federal HST 124 gr is at 1,200 fps, then the Hornady 135 gr at 1,070 fps, the Federal 138 gr at 1,050 fps, the Hornady 147 gr at 975 fps and the Federal 150 gr at 890 fps. Muzzle energy follows in the same order, from 396 ft-lb down to 264 ft-lb, because energy is bullet weight multiplied by velocity squared and the speed lost outweighs the weight gained. The Federal 115 gr, at 1,180 fps and 356 ft-lb, is the exception: it is lighter than the 124 gr but slower, and the 124 gr is a +P load.
The Grizzly 165 gr is sold as a subsonic load: 800 fps and 234 ft-lb at the muzzle, the lowest speed and the lowest energy in the table. Its maker states no test barrel, so it cannot be ranked directly against the 4 inch rows.
Downrange, the differences among the 4 inch rows shrink. At 100 yd the Federal 124 gr is at 277 ft-lb, the Hornady 135 gr at 275 ft-lb, the Federal 138 gr at 267 ft-lb and the Hornady 147 gr at 264 ft-lb. The Federal 124 gr started from 396 ft-lb at the muzzle, the Hornady 147 gr from 310 ft-lb. The Federal 150 gr starts at 264 ft-lb and is at 228 ft-lb at 100 yd.
Drop is the least published figure. From a 25 yd zero, the Blazer 100 gr is 8.9 inches below the line of sight at 100 yd and the Federal 115 gr is 8.7 inches below. Barrel length changes velocity, and none of these makers publishes a second barrel length to show by how much, so the tables say nothing about a longer carbine barrel or a shorter compact barrel. Nothing here goes past 100 yd, because no maker’s row does.
Chamber, +P, twist and pressure
SAAMI sets the maximum average pressure for the 9mm Luger at 35,000 psi and treats 9mm Luger +P as a separate standard at 38,500 psi, so +P is a defined higher-pressure class and not a loader’s own step up. The Federal HST 124 gr (P9HST3S) and the Hornady FlexLock 135 gr (90226) are +P loads. Fire +P only in a pistol whose manufacturer rates it for +P, and check the manual or the markings on the slide if you are not sure.
Match the ammunition to the chambering marked on the barrel or slide. SAAMI’s reference barrel for the 9mm Luger is 4.000 in long, with a twist of 1 turn in 10.00 in and a groove diameter of .3550 in. That describes SAAMI’s test barrel, not a requirement for your pistol. Most maker rows above name a 4 inch barrel, the same length as SAAMI’s, but the Blazer and Grizzly rows name none, so their velocities cannot be assumed to sit on that basis.
Winchester loads are stocked but not charted
Winchester is a stocked brand in 9mm, but the Winchester product pages we looked at state that no ballistics data is available. No Winchester load appears in these tables, and none has been filled in from another source. That leaves out the lightest 9mm bullet weight we stock, a Winchester load, so the tables begin at a heavier bullet than the shelf does.
9mm Luger vs 45 Automatic: SAAMI reference figures side by side
Catalogue tables from two different makers cannot be set side by side and trusted. Each maker picks its own test barrel, some state none at all, as the Blazer and Grizzly rows above show, and a load in one maker’s line is a different bullet from a load in another’s. So this comparison uses no catalogue figure from either cartridge. SAAMI, the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute, specifies both the 9mm Luger and the 45 Automatic (also called the 45 ACP) in the same standard, Z299.3, and publishes a pressure limit and reference velocities for each, the velocities measured 15 feet from a test barrel defined for that cartridge. That is the one shared basis, and it is the only one used below.
The shared basis has a limit. SAAMI tests the 9mm Luger in a 4.000 in barrel and the 45 Automatic in a 5.000 in one, so even here the velocities do not come from identical barrels. SAAMI does not publish energy; the table computes it from SAAMI’s velocity and the bullet weight.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| SAAMI specification | 9mm Luger | 45 Automatic |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Z299.3 | Z299.3 |
| Maximum average pressure | 35,000 psi | 21,000 psi |
| Maximum average pressure, +P | 38,500 psi | 23,000 psi |
| Standard test barrel length | 4.000 in | 5.000 in |
| Test barrel twist rate | 1 turn in 10.00 in | 1 turn in 16.00 in, left hand |
| Test barrel groove diameter | .3550 in | .450 in |
| Light reference load | 115 gr — 1,135–1,210 fps / 329–374 ft-lb | 185 gr — 770–1,100 fps / 244–497 ft-lb |
| Standard duty weight | 124 gr — 1,030–1,170 fps / 292–377 ft-lb | 230 gr — 830–915 fps / 352–427 ft-lb |
| Heaviest reference load | 150 gr — 900 fps / 270 ft-lb | 230 gr — 830–915 fps / 352–427 ft-lb |
The largest gap is pressure. SAAMI’s maximum average pressure is 35,000 psi for the 9mm Luger and 21,000 psi for the 45 Automatic, and the +P ceilings are 38,500 psi and 23,000 psi. The 9mm reaches its speed at the higher pressure in the smaller bore, a groove diameter of .3550 in against .450 in. The 45 Automatic runs at lower pressure and drives a heavier bullet more slowly.
On energy the two overlap. In the standard duty weight row, the 124 gr 9mm Luger is listed at 1,030–1,170 fps and 292–377 ft-lb, and the 230 gr 45 Automatic at 830–915 fps and 352–427 ft-lb, so the top of the 9mm Luger range (377 ft-lb) is above the bottom of the 45 Automatic range (352 ft-lb). In the light row the 115 gr 9mm Luger is at 329–374 ft-lb against 244–497 ft-lb for the 185 gr 45 Automatic. In the heaviest row the 150 gr 9mm Luger, at 900 fps and 270 ft-lb, is below the whole 230 gr 45 Automatic range. Where SAAMI lists more than one velocity for a weight, the table prints the lowest and highest as a range.
What the table does not settle: the two cartridges share no bullet weight in these rows (115, 124 and 150 gr for the 9mm Luger, 185 and 230 gr for the 45 Automatic), so this compares typical loads, not identical bullet weights. SAAMI publishes no ballistic coefficient and nothing on expansion or penetration, so bullet shape and terminal performance sit outside it.
We stock the other side of this comparison too: 45 ACP ammo.
9mm Luger ballistics questions
How much does a 9mm drop at 100 yards?
Where a maker publishes drop with a stated zero, the Blazer 100 gr Full Metal Jacket is 8.9 inches below the line of sight at 100 yd and the Federal 115 gr Full Metal Jacket is 8.7 inches below, both from a 25 yd zero. Both are on the line of sight at 25 yd and 0.9 inches below it at 50 yd. Drop changes with the zero, and no other load in the tables has a drop figure tied to one, so this page gives none for them.
What distance should you zero a 9mm pistol?
The makers do not give a recommended zero. They state the zero their drop figures assume, and for the Blazer 100 gr and the Federal 115 gr, the only loads that give one, it is 25 yd. That is the basis of the trajectory table above, not advice for your pistol, and those drop figures hold only for that zero.
Is 9mm lethal at 50 yards?
The makers publish nothing that measures lethality, and velocity and energy tables do not either. What the tables show is what the bullet still carries at 50 yd: the Federal 115 gr goes from 1,180 fps and 356 ft-lb at the muzzle to 1,048 fps and 280 ft-lb, and the Federal 124 gr HST from 1,200 fps and 396 ft-lb to 1,083 fps and 323 ft-lb. Treat a 9mm bullet as a hazard at that distance and know what is behind your target.
Is 9mm enough to stop a bear?
The makers do not publish anything on that, and these tables cannot settle it: they carry velocity, energy and drop, with no penetration or expansion figures. The highest muzzle energy in the muzzle table is 396 ft-lb, from the Federal 124 gr HST +P in a 4 inch barrel, but muzzle energy on its own says nothing about how deep a bullet penetrates. The application column lists target shooting, self-defense, duty and subsonic use; bear defense is not among them.
Is a .38 more powerful than a 9mm?
This page cannot say: no .38 load appears in its tables, and the only other cartridge it compares is the 45 Automatic, on SAAMI’s data. For the 9mm Luger itself, the muzzle table runs from 234 ft-lb (Grizzly 165 gr, no test barrel stated) to 396 ft-lb (Federal 124 gr HST +P, 4 inch barrel).
Is +P 9mm higher pressure than standard 9mm?
Yes. SAAMI’s maximum average pressure is 35,000 psi for the 9mm Luger and 38,500 psi for 9mm Luger +P, which is a separate standard. The Federal HST 124 gr (P9HST3S) and the Hornady FlexLock 135 gr (90226) in the tables above are the +P loads; use +P only in a pistol its manufacturer rates for it.
Where to buy these loads
Every load in the tables above is stocked at Hilltop Armory. Browse the full 9mm ammo range, which carries makers beyond the ones charted here — the tables are limited to loads whose manufacturer publishes figures that could be verified, not to everything on the shelf.
