9mm gel test: Magtech 147 gr bonded JHP

Magtech might not be the name that first springs to mind when you think of premium defense ammunition, but you could be looking for less expensive, but still decent defense oriented ammunition for rainy day storage or hunting. If that’s the case, this line of bonded ammunition may be pretty attractive. Bonded JHP usually performs pretty well. Let’s take a look.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YM9tmjMPmU?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&autohide=2&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent&w=660&h=402]

So, a little disappointing that the heavy clothing prevented expansion. It shouldn’t be too surprising, given the lower velocity of heavy for caliber 9mm ammunition. I do wish Magtech had put a bit more R&D into this, though. It’s possible that something as simple as having slightly deeper pre-fail cuts or less antimony in the lead alloy would have resulted in perfect performance. There are a lot of factors to balance, though, and this bullet is already borderline on bare gel penetration. In case you were wondering, it doesn’t do any better from a short barrel.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru0YFuu0JJc?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&autohide=2&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent&w=660&h=402]

Now, some folks might argue that it’s “good enough”. That’s a fair point, depending on your interpretation of “good enough” and what use you intend to put it to. Is it “good enough” in the sense that it’s still live ammo that pokes holes in stuff? Sure, I guess. Is it “good enough” for your carry pistol? My opinion is worth every penny you paid for it, but I don’t think so. There are too many solid choices that do meet the standards to settle for anything less than outstanding performance for carry ammo. Is it “good enough” to buy cheap and stack deep for the zombacolypse? Sure. Why not? That is, if you’re stacking pallets of FMJ for Armageddon and you decide to stack up some of this too, well, it beats ball ammo. Is it “good enough” for discrete pest control or hunting? Well, that’s the one place where this is probably a good choice. It penetrates deeply enough to be useful for most critters that you would decide to use a 9mm on. Pigs and ‘yotes don’t tend to wear jean jackets or jorts so it ought to still expand well. It was also reliably subsonic. It may even stay subsonic in a longer barrel.

Bottom line: it’s better than FMJ and cheaper than premium defense ammo. If you have a need for something in that category, it might fit, but there are other options along those lines, too.