[shbop]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Everyone is talking about the bullets, which is fine, but let shift gears and talk about the gun for a moment. What is it zeroed with? Does it have fixed or adjustable sights? Heavier bullets impact higher than lighter bullets when fired from a handgun at typical handgun ranges. Kind of counter intuitive, I know. A heavier bullet will both be moving slower, and will generate more, not less recoil. So it has two things that add up to a higher point of impact: greater recoil and more barrel time. The muzzle has risen higher before the bullet exits the muzzle. The difference in point of impact can be significant; up to a foot at 25 yards.

I'm sure some folks wonder why this would matter. Hold lower or higher and blaze away, and you should be fine, right? Well, yes, as a matter of fact, you will be fine. The trouble starts when you start adjusting sights to move the point of impact to match your practice load, if it impacts higher or lower than your "serious" load. A lot of folks forget to adjust them back, and to verify that adjustment before going home. The gun gets loaded with the defensive load of choice, but is no longer sighted in for that load. That would be bad.

+1 Jeff gave you sound advise. Your weapon will behave differently with different rounds.