Buffalo Bore 9mm +P+ 115gr Barnes TAC-XP – Excellent Deep Driving Load

Description

The Buffalo Bore 9mm +P+ 115gr Barnes TAC-XP is the deep driving option in Buffalo Bore’s lead free 9mm line. Nominal velocity is 1400 fps for roughly 500 ft-lbs, and Buffalo Bore reports about 17 inches of penetration in gelatin. It is loaded to +P+, a pressure level above SAAMI +P, so read the note below. Twenty rounds per box, item 24H/20.

• Buffalo Bore 9mm +P+ 115gr Barnes TAC-XP Overview
• 9mm +P+ Deep Penetrating Ammo Ballistics
• Why The 115 Grain TAC-XP Copper Bullet Drives Deep
• Specifications
• Pressure And Range Notes For This Lead Free 9mm Defense Load

Buffalo Bore 9mm +P+ 115gr Barnes TAC-XP Overview

The bullet is a Barnes TAC-XP turned from solid copper, with a deep hollow nose and no lead core to separate. It opens into copper petals and keeps essentially all of its weight, which is what produces that 17 inch figure. A conventional jacketed bullet at this pressure would be far more likely to come apart.

Compared with the 95 grain load in the same line, the Buffalo Bore 9mm +P+ 115gr Barnes TAC-XP is the deliberate penetration choice. The lighter bullet gives roughly 13 inches and this one about 17, and both numbers sit inside or near the range most people regard as appropriate for a defensive handgun cartridge.

Buffalo Bore uses a flash suppressed powder here as well. At this pressure that is not a trivial detail, because the charge needed to push a 115 grain bullet to 1400 fps would ordinarily throw a noticeable fireball in poor light.

9mm +P+ Deep Penetrating Ammo Ballistics

The real gun figures are honest and worth reading. A four inch Walther P88 gives 1329 fps, a 4.75 inch Browning Hi Power gives 1295, a four inch Glock 19 gives 1289, and a 4.75 inch Beretta 92F gives 1241 fps. All four fall short of the nominal 1400.

That is not a criticism, it is the point. Buffalo Bore chronographs in actual pistols rather than in a laboratory test barrel, so their published numbers tell you what to expect rather than what a pressure barrel produces. Most 9mm +P+ deep penetrating ammo is advertised on figures you will never see in your own gun.

Even at the low end it is a serious load. 1241 fps with a 115 grain bullet is about 393 ft-lbs and 1329 fps is about 451, against roughly 360 for a standard 124 grain factory round. The nominal 1400 fps figure works out to about 500 ft-lbs.

Why The 115 Grain TAC-XP Copper Bullet Drives Deep

Penetration is the quiet requirement everybody argues about. A bullet has to reach the vitals from a bad angle, through an arm, through heavy clothing, through whatever is in the way, and a bullet that opens beautifully and stops at eight inches has failed at the only job that mattered.

Solid copper is unusually good at this. With no jacket to strip and no core to separate, the 115 grain TAC-XP copper bullet expands and then keeps its full weight behind that expanded frontal area. That is how it reaches 17 inches while still opening reliably.

Choosing this over the 95 grain load is a judgement about what you expect. If you want maximum energy transfer and the flattest trajectory, the light bullet is the pick. If you want assurance that the bullet will get where it needs to go, this lead free 9mm defense load is the one.

And the flash suppressed powder means low flash 9mm Luger carry ammunition does not have to be a separate compromise. You get the pressure, the penetration and your night vision in the same cartridge.

Specifications

Pressure And Range Notes For This Lead Free 9mm Defense Load

Understand what +P+ means before you order. There is no SAAMI specification for it. +P is a defined pressure ceiling above standard 9mm, and +P+ simply sits above that. It belongs in a sound, modern, full size or compact service pistol in good working order, not in a worn gun, an unsupported chamber or a very small pocket pistol.

Expect faster wear if you shoot volume. Recoil springs and locking surfaces work harder at this pressure. Carrying a magazine or two and practising with ordinary ammunition is the sensible pattern, and it is what most people do.

Confirm function with a box before you rely on it. High pressure loads produce a different recoil impulse from what most pistols are tuned around, and while reliability is generally excellent, that is something to verify rather than assume.

Remember that your gun will probably not make the nominal number. The published real world figures show 100 to 160 fps below 1400 in four common pistols, so plan your expectations for this 9mm +P+ deep penetrating ammo around the tested velocities rather than the headline one.

Low Flash 9mm Luger Carry Ammunition Availability

This low flash 9mm Luger carry ammunition is in stock and ready to ship from MAG5 Firearms, a family owned FFL dealer in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Ammunition orders ship to most states, and local customers are welcome to pick up in the shop. If you need case quantities or another lead free 9mm defense load from the Buffalo Bore catalog, call us and we will check what our distributors have on hand.

Manufacturer details are on the Buffalo Bore site. For a lighter, faster bullet at the same pressure see the 9mm +P+ 95gr Barnes TAC-XP. For a copper load in a revolver, compare the 38 Special +P 110gr TAC-XP, or browse our full ammunition selection.