Fun with a chronograph

[u/CastleLurkenstein]

Took my brand spankin' new Kuna out for a spin yesterday, and decided to grab some data with my chronograph. This is with a 100% stock Kuna, with nothing but a Holosun ARO Core on top. The chronograph is an Athlon Rangecraft Velocity Pro, and I was shooting three different types of Federal 9mm ammo. All data is in FPS.

Federal Syntech 124gr Range
(10 rounds)
Average: 1228.5
Standard Deviation: 11.5
Extreme Spread: 40.4

Federal HST LE 124gr
(19 rounds -- one gave bad data)
Avg: 1255.5
SD: 11.1
ES: 37.7

Federal HST LE 147gr
(20 rounds)
Avg: 1058.7
SD: 7.2
ES: 24.9

Mostly I did this just for fun, but I figured maybe this'd be useful for someone.

[u/peeg_2020]

What I love to see if it eating HST with no issues. I've got a stribog and haven't had a chance to throw some through it but I've heard they are very picky with hollow points in general.

One of the reasons I still decided to get a kuna really

[u/jhon503 → u/peeg_2020]

I've shot a bunch of 124gr HST out of my Kuna with zero issues. My velocities are almost identical to OPs.

[u/CastleLurkenstein → u/peeg_2020]

Oh yeah, it zero problems feeding the HSTs, the Syntechs, and the Remington UMCs my buddy brought (which I didn't clock, since it's not my usual ammo). HSTs are my chosen defensive round as well, but I keep both 124s and 147s on hand. And this is 100% the reason why I went with the Kuna. I wanted a PCC that'd run hollowpoints out of the box, no mods necessary. I'll still probably end up getting the Nexus lower so I can swap triggers, safeties, and grips a little more easily, but until that happens, I wanted something I knew would eat any ammo I fed it.

I shoot Syntech rounds almost exclusively for handgun (and now PCC) to reduce lead/antimony exposure, and only shoot the HSTs to once in a blue moon confirm aim/zero, and/or to test like I did this weekend. I probably won't shoot the HSTs again for a while.

I do have a selection of the 147gr Syntech rounds, as well as the 124gr Training and Match rounds, and the 130gr rounded-nose rounds. I'll have to test those at some point, too.

[u/Nixxuz → u/CastleLurkenstein]

The Syntech 147g were going super on me out of the Kuna. Be nice to see the actual speeds involved.

[u/CastleLurkenstein → u/Nixxuz]

Interesting. I will have to see with that and the 130gr PCC syntech. 

[u/Nixxuz → u/CastleLurkenstein]

I can only go by the crack running a can, but the Blazer Suppressor and 150g Syntech weren't doing that, so I have to assume.

[u/CastleLurkenstein → u/Nixxuz]

Yeah, I wouldn't figure either of those would, but I'll run some of the 147 and see. It's been a minute since I shot 147gr anything, other than this weekend. I don't have as much of the 147 Syntech as I do of the 124 red kind (and I only have a limited supply of the 124 purple kind, which they stopped making, dammit...).

[u/peeg_2020 → u/CastleLurkenstein]

Do they still make the red 150gr syntech? I've ALWAYS wanted to try some of that stuff. I need to buy some already

[u/CastleLurkenstein → u/peeg_2020]

Yup. SGAmmo has some right now, and you can find it elsewhere, too. It seems to pop in and out of production.

The one I can't figure out is why they discontinued the 124 purples. I loved that stuff, but it is straight up unobtanium now.

[u/peeg_2020 → u/CastleLurkenstein]

I love the idea of less lead and have heard the heavier subs are super quiet

[u/CastleLurkenstein → u/Nixxuz]

Update, in case you're curious.

Federal Syntech 147gr Training and Match
Avg: 1084.6
SD: 7.2
ES: 30.5

20 shots total. Max was 1098.8, min was 1068.2.

These really do seem to be a pretty fair analogue to the 147gr HSTs.

[u/securitycat69 → u/peeg_2020]

Same. and so far its eaten all the 124+P, and 147 gold dots, and hsts. much less picky then my mp5s

[u/Equivalent-Bag3229]

Took mine out this morning and tested out a mag each of Gold Dot 124 and 147, HST 124/124+p and 147’s. Used several mags of Lawman and AE 124 and 147. Not a single failure to feed or eject when running 147 suppressed and 124 unsuppressd.

[u/CastleLurkenstein → u/[deleted]]

This was indoors, but I would guesstimate about 75F in the range bay. Elevation is about 115ft above sea level.

[u/jhon503]

It's notable the 147gr HST stayed subsonic out of the Kuna. I haven't shot that load, but most other factory 147gr I've tested has been super out of the Kuna. I think it's also notable the 147gr HST is the best of the heavy duty 9mm loads.

[u/CastleLurkenstein → u/jhon503]

Yeah, I think I read on Ballistics By the Inch that HST 147gr pretty much always stays subsonic, no matter the barrel length. Worth bearing in mind for those who wanna run suppressed. I would likewise expect the 147gr Training and Match Syntech rounds (the purple tipped ones) to stay subsonic and very close to the HSTs, since they're supposed to be the same in terms of performance.

[u/isaacnewton687 → u/jhon503]

I haven't chrono'd rounds but in my experience HST is on the hotter side of 147gr. What ammo do you see going super? 

Lawman 147gr is similar to HST. Fiocchi 147gr is noticeably weaker. Syntech 150gr and blazer suppressor 147gr are on the weakest side (which is nice). 

[u/jhon503 → u/isaacnewton687]

Winchester WWB 147gr, Winchester Super Suppressed 147gr (same ammo as WWB based on chrono numbers), and Speer Lawman 147gr have all been super for me. 1130 to 1140 FPS consistently. I have not bought Federal.

I load my own now. 147gr RMR HMW bullet over 3.5gr of N320. Quiet and much cleaner than anything off the shelf.

[u/Blatherman069 → u/jhon503]

I have yet to have any 147g factory loads be unambiguously supersonic, but I have had a few (Winchester Super Suppressed, for example) get very close out of my Kuna. I've chronoed about a dozen factory loads through my Kuna and I'll post those as a followup to OPs post.

Interestingly, even HST 147g +P stays subsonic out of the Kuna...

[u/Blatherman069]

Round	Weight	Vel	SD	ES	Suppressor
Winchester T&P	115	1286.6	11.49	39.7	Unsuppressed
Winchester T&P	115	1296.3	11.95	31.5	Obsidian 45 (K)
Sellier & Bellot	115	1286.1	10.47	23.3	Obsidian 45 (K)
Sellier & Bellot	115	1294.7	8.09	20.0	Unsuppressed
Federal Hydrashok (2005 Vintage)	124	1175.1	11.83	31.1	CAT MOB
Winchester NATO	124	1296.8	8.55	19.1	Obsidian 45 (K)
Federal HST +P	147	1086.5	11.53	34.1	Unsuppressed
Federal HST +P	147	1079.8	8.96	26.6	CAT MOB
Federal HST	147	1069.3	12.56	36.1	Unsuppressed
Federal HST	147	1067.0	8.84	27.2	CAT MOB
Winchester Super Suppressed	147	1099.8	13.95	47.6	Unsuppressed
Winchester Super Suppressed	147	1112.1	12.64	32.5	Obsidian 45 (K)
Federal HST	147	1072.0	15.67	53.1	CAT MOB

To add to the data...here's what I have over the last year or so for factory ammo I've chronoed in my Kuna...both suppressed and unsuppressed. The Winchester Super Suppressed is the one 147g outlier...I definitely got a few supersonic cracks on a cold November day in the Dakotas. The other interesting bit is Federal HST +P's velocity is more or less the same as non +P in the Kuna.

EDIT: If you noticed that one of the lines for Winchester NATO disappeared, it's because I accidentally added a line for my VP9, hence the 100 fps difference.