Federal loads the American Eagle 9mm with a 115-grain full metal jacket at 1,180 fps, producing 356 ft-lbs of energy. That is a power factor of 136, over the 125 floor for USPSA minor and IDPA. From a 25-yard zero the bullet sits 1.3 inches low at 50 yards and 9.8 inches low at 100, having slowed to 1,055 fps by the 50-yard line. In a 1.9-pound compact pistol it produces an estimated 4.2 ft-lbs of recoil energy.

Among the 115-grain ball loads compared here it sits in the middle. CCI Blazer Aluminum and Remington UMC leave the muzzle 35 fps slower at 1,145 fps and produce about 5 percent less recoil energy in the same pistol. Speer Lawman 115 TMJ runs 20 fps faster at 1,200 fps with about 3 percent more recoil. Drop at 50 yards is within two tenths of an inch across all of these, so none of them needs a different hold at pistol distances.

This is a range and drill load for shooters who go through volume and want the lighter recoil of a 115-grain bullet while learning to run a timer without a flinch. It also works as practice for Hornady Critical Defense 115 FTX, which is 45 fps slower and produces about 7 percent less recoil. If you carry a 124-grain hollow point instead, American Eagle 124-grain is the closer match at 4.7 ft-lbs of recoil energy against 4.2 here. If you shoot indoors at a range that wants a covered bullet base, Speer Lawman 115 TMJ is the pick; its total metal jacket covers the base of the bullet.