Prvi Partizan's 123-grain PSP is the pick for shooters who want more speed from a 7.62x39 soft point. PSP stands for pointed soft point, a jacketed bullet with lead exposed at a pointed tip, and Prvi Partizan describes it as an expanding bullet. It has a G1 BC of .283 and leaves the muzzle at 2,460 fps with 1,653 ft-lbs of energy, from a brass case.

Compared with Hornady's SST 123-grain, a polymer-tipped load, the PSP starts 110 fps faster and shoots a little flatter. Zeroed at 100 yards, the PSP drops about 22 inches at 300 yards and the SST about 24. Wind treats the two the same: at 300 yards, a steady 10 mph wind blowing across the range pushes each bullet about 15 inches sideways. The PSP kicks about 5 percent harder in the same rifle. Compared with Winchester's Super-X Power-Point 123-grain, which Winchester markets for whitetail and big game hunting, the PSP leaves the muzzle 95 fps faster.

Buy the PSP if speed and a slightly flatter path matter most to you and a little more recoil does not. Pick Hornady's SST 123-grain if you want a polymer-tipped bullet and slightly softer recoil. Pick Winchester's Super-X Power-Point if you want a load whose maker markets it for whitetail and big game. For practice at the same bullet weight, Wolf's Polyformance 123-grain is a steel-case full metal jacket range load that leaves the muzzle 64 fps slower.