FN Herstal's SS197SR drives a 40-grain V-Max polymer-tip bullet at 1,738 fps and delivers 268 ft-lbs at the muzzle. The V-Max is a sporting bullet rather than a practice round. From a 25-yard zero it is 0.3 inches low at 50 yards and 3.6 inches low at 100, so it needs little holdover at any distance a pistol is normally shot. Among the 40-grain expanding loads it also has the lightest recoil, in a cartridge that already moves the gun very little.

Speed is where the SS197SR gives ground. Speer Gold Dot 40-grain JHP is the fast one of the group at 1,800 fps against the FN's 1,738, and Fiocchi Hyperformance 40-grain polymer tip sits between them, 12 fps faster than the FN. The trade for the Gold Dot's speed shows up in recoil: in the same pistol the SS197SR produces about 7 percent less recoil energy than the Speer. All three share the same bullet weight and sit in a narrow band at the muzzle, so the choice comes down to how much recoil you want for how much speed.

Buy the SS197SR if you want a polymer-tipped sporting load with the softest recoil of these three. Shooters who want even less should look at FN Herstal SS195LF lead-free, whose 27-grain bullet produces about 47 percent less recoil energy than the SS197SR in the same pistol. For practice, Federal American Eagle 40-grain TMJ produces about 8 percent less recoil energy and leaves the muzzle 83 fps slower, so expect it to feel a little softer than this load.