AAC's Sabre Blade 123-grain Black Tip is a mid-weight load with moderate speed and moderate recoil. AAC calls its bullet the Black Tip. The load leaves the muzzle at 2,525 fps with 1,741 ft-lbs of energy, a little behind Hornady's and Federal's hunting loads of similar weight on both counts.

Compared with Hornady's Custom 123-grain SST, which uses the same bullet weight, the Sabre Blade leaves the muzzle 55 fps slower and starts with 77 fewer ft-lbs. It kicks about 2 percent less in the same rifle, a small difference. Compared with Federal's Fusion 120-grain, a soft point with its copper jacket bonded to a lead core, the Sabre Blade is 75 fps slower at the muzzle and starts with 60 fewer ft-lbs. The Fusion also kicks about 2 percent less in the same rifle.

Buy the Sabre Blade if you want a 123-grain bullet with slightly less recoil than Hornady's SST and don't mind a slower start. Pick Hornady's Custom 123 SST for the extra speed and a polymer-tipped bullet that Hornady markets for medium game. Pick the Fusion 120 if you want a bonded soft point, which Federal markets for big game; it beats the Sabre Blade on speed, energy and recoil. For practice at the same weight, Hornady's Frontier 123-grain FMJ is a full metal jacket load that leaves the muzzle 55 fps faster.