Atlanta Arms vs IMI 115 gr JHP ammo choices, at 100 yards, video

[Joe L]

I have shot Atlanta Arms 115 JHP for years in my 9mm CZ pistols at 100 and 200 yards with excellent results.  A few years ago the AA ammo was too hard to get, so I looked for an alternative and found the IMI 115 gr JHP ammo the best of the ones I tested.  I have alternated between the two rounds depending on which one I had in stock.  I've had sub 4" five shot groups at 100 yards with both. 

Today I decided to shoot 30 rounds of each 10 rounds at a time, on each of 3 targets, with the video camera running so that I could sort the holes by sequence and brand.  I expected to have several "good" five shot groups from each, but I also expected the POI to be a little different, on the order of magnitude of 3-4" high or low, left or right.  When I'm shooting well, those expectations are realistic. 

Today, however, I wasn't shooting well.  I shot the P-10F on Tuesday, and I'm heading out of town next week, so I rushed to the range this morning to get in one more session this week before leaving town.  I had a lower back flare up on Tuesday after that session, rested on Wednesday, and thought I would be OK today.  The back was good, the eyesight and steadiness, not so much.  I forged on, got in my 60 rounds, tried to analyze the video, and finally concluded that the two ammo choices were pretty much identical on a "bad" shooter day--meaning the differences in the ammo were less than the variations in the shooter's skill, making a comparison less than optimum.  In other words, the shotgun groups from each ammo seemed to overlap each other, with maybe the IMI a little lower and a little left of the center of the AA group but both groups were too large to say anything about accuracy differences.  I won't pick one over the other in the 4.5" pistols. 

It's only the 3.5" P-10S that I remember seeing any larger differences, and I may duplicate this test with the P-10S next. 

Here is a video of all 60 shots, dead time edited out, with the marked up backer sheet at the end with all 60 holes color coded.  Comments welcome.  I missed focus on the shooter camera, sorry about that.  Live and learn. 

https://youtu.be/zSy_6VEB3FA

This is fun.  This is not easy.  And it's hot and humid here now. 

Joe L

[M1A4ME]

Twenty rounds at 100 yds.  Mixed ammo.  Sixteen of twenty in the black and Joe's having a bad day.

I do notice, that sometimes when you "call" an off shot it's good.  You can't see it from 100 yds. though.  I notice sometimes when I think I screwed up a shot that "luck" puts it where I wanted it to go.  I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing sometimes.  I know the best target I ever shot with old P07 .40 the one shot out of the group (not talking about the one I made shooting at the bumble bee) was a complete surprise to me.  At the moment the gun went off and that round hit a couple inches low I was surprised it was out.  I thought it was right there with the rest of them till I saw the hole in the paper.  I sometimes wonder if it's more the ammo than us calling the shot.

Joe, I could see the smoke cloud floating off to the right of you when you were shooting the IMI.  Almost like shooting a .45 with lead bullets and Unique.

[Joe L]

Yes, I've gotten a few chuckles while editing the video where I called shots bad that were actually 10 ring hits!  It's just so hard to see where the dot was when the gun went off. 

It was easier before I got to shooting pretty well at 100 even on a bad day.  I attribute that to being really wildly off, instead of just outside the black. 

There's also the subconscious desire to keep the video a little more interesting, which is hard to do one shot at a time.  Just be glad I don't post a one hour video of a 60 shot 100 yard session including me moaning and groaning going to and from the target stand, loading magazines, and talking to my buddies while the range is cold! 

Joe