My experience level with the 2075 RAMI in 40 S&W is about 800 or so rounds through one and about 1800 - 2000 through another.
I've tried everything from the Federal 180 grain Wal-Mart, 155 grain Eagle and Federal 135 grain, Hornady Critical Defense 165, Custom 155, Speer Gold Dot in 180 grain, Winchester PDX1 in 180 grain, Winchester USA white box 165 grain.
The bulk of the rounds were the 100 round Winchester USA in 165 grain. I think the 165 offers the best balance between velocity, energy and size.
Here's where you can call me crazy (if that hasn't occurred to you already, but I digress) I've long thought the 155 grain bullets out of the RAMI offered more felt recoil than the 180, The 165 was more than the 180 but less than the 155.
The RAMI and I parted ways and I acquired a gun from another manufacturer to replace it. I won't name the company, but it's initials are S&W. At any rate the owners' manual has section on ammunition. In this ammunition section it states:
Different combinations of bullet velocity, bullet weight and firearm weight can have a major impact on felt recoil; high felt recoil can be uncomfortable to some shooters.
So I'm thinking, "Well, yeah, duh."
It's kind of like saying vehicle speed, vehicle engine size and vehicle weight have a major impact on operating your car. Once again I digress.
Next it says:
For example:
- Gun Weight: lower gun weight increases felt recoil.
- Bullet Weight: higher bullet weight increases felt recoil.
- Bullet Velocity: higher bullet velocity increases felt recoil.
Okay, my reading of this is with a lower weight gun when it comes to felt recoil you're pretty much up the proverbial creek sans paddle.
Let's take the Speer Gold Dot 40 S&W for example from their ballistic charts:
- 155 grain 1200 fps/496 ft lbs
- 165 grain 1150 fps/484 ft lbs
- 180 grain 1025 fps/420 ft lbs
So if you're @ 1025 w/180 and 1200 w/155 which produces more of a jolt?
My personal opinion in the RAMI the 155 produces more of the scalded mule kind of kick.
Now this is either weird or funny, but regardless it's another opportunity to call me crazy. But once again I digress.
Today I'm shooting my new gun from the unnamed manufacturer and it has a 3.5 inch barrel. .5 more than the RAMI. The bulk of the rounds through it today were the Winchester USA 165 grain. I did, however, shoot one magazine (10 rounds) each of the Hornady Critical Defense in 165 grain followed by the Speer Gold Dot and the Winchester PDX1 in 180 grain and I swear there was more felt recoil with the 180 grain loads. This was both unexpected in my prior experience with the RAMI and weird.
My whole world is upside down.
I guess the thing to do now is to cart a box of 155 to compare to the the others.
Call me crazy.