SinterFire's Special Duty 100-grain hollow point leaves the muzzle at 1,350 fps with 405 ft-lbs. Power factor is 135, 10 points over the 125 minor floor. From a 25-yard zero it drops 0.9 inch at 50 yards and 7.9 inches at 100, still moving about 1,152 fps at 50. Estimated recoil energy in a 1.9-pound compact pistol is 4.0 ft-lbs. The bullet is lead-free and designed to break up on steel, and SinterFire sells Special Duty as a duty load.

The two other lead-free loads here are lighter and neither makes minor. 1776 USA's 90-grain ball leaves at the same 1,350 fps with 10 fewer grains, so it carries 41 ft-lbs less, a power factor of 122, and about 19 percent less recoil energy. Norma MLE 94-grain frangible is 34 fps slower at 1,316 fps with 44 ft-lbs less, a power factor of 124, and about 15 percent less recoil energy than the SinterFire. Norma misses the floor by 1.3 points and 1776 USA by 3.5, so the SinterFire's extra bullet weight is what carries it over. Drop at 50 yards is within 0.1 inch across the three, so holds do not change at pistol distances.

Buy this if you want a lead-free hollow point that still makes minor power factor; of the three frangible loads here it is the only one that does. For lead-free range ammunition only, Norma MLE 94 and 1776 USA 90 cut recoil energy by about 15 and 19 percent. For plain jacketed ball practice where lead-free does not matter, Federal American Eagle 115-grain makes a 136 power factor at 1,180 fps with about 5 percent more recoil energy.