Posted on 11/01/2015 7:08:22 AM PST by MtnClimber
Over the last few months, I’ve been working with the rest of the Lucky Gunner team on another one of our epic experiments, which we’re proud to finally unveil: ballistics gelatin testing for over 100 self-defense handgun ammunition loads. 117 to be precise, and that’s just round one. This testing will be ongoing, and we’ll keep adding to the results as we have the chance to test more loads. If you came here just to see the data from our tests, you can use the handy menu above to skip right to the results section. If this whole ballistics testing thing is new to you, or you want to know more about our process, then you might want to keep reading. If you’re more of a “bottom line†kind of person, you can skip over both the setup and the test results and check out the conclusions section. However you use this information, we hope you find it helpful when picking out your next self-defense load.
(Excerpt) Read more at luckygunner.com ...
Tests done with short barreled pistols with loads in 380 ACP, 9mm, 40 S&W and 45 ACP.
I carry Glaser Safeties and Hydra-Shocks in my .32 Beretta Tomcat. I have hollow points in my S&W .40 M&P Shield.
Great article.
Good info. If you live in a colder climate where people often wear a jacket or heavy coat you should take a close look at the data.
Hornady critical defense loads are what I prefer till someone can convince me of another option.
I’ve bought Buffalo Bore short bore ammo in .357 for my snubbie. Haven’t tried it yet.
I agree great article.
Remington Sabre + p had been my choice for years.
Big hole and good penetration. Pricey though.
When you care to send the very best.
I think Hornaday Critical Defense is good. In 40 cal I use Speer 180gr Gold Dot. in 45 ACP I use Winchester Ranger-T +P.
Very good and in depth article.
Hold on with both hands when you do!
Shot some Corbon.38+p the other day,
GOOD STUFF !
Wheel Guns Rock!
The PERFECT load to interrupt those pesky late night gas station hold ups!
Of the Big 3 bullets (the HST, the Gold Dot and the Ranger T), the HST is the best of both worlds. It has massive expansion like the Ranger T, but also stays together like a bonded bullet (the Gold Dot and the Ranger Bonded).
Check our the round. It was good enough that I moved heaven and earth to get a couple boxes over here in Kenya. Before that I was using the Ranger Bonded 147gr (not a bad round, and is the one the FBI uses and is the same as the PDX1) and before that the 124gr Hydrashok (which has plugging problems in heavy clothing, but I don't have to worry about winter clothing here). The HST is just perfect, and the only thing that MAY compete with it is the all copper DPX.
Good luck.
It is a great article! It doesn’t apply as much to me since one of my hobbies is reloading cartridges for all of the firearms that we own. I also cast our own projectiles. But still their is a lot of great information and pictures.
One of the things that I like about reloading is that you don’t pay a penalty for a hotter cartridge. If you want to add a few grains of powder or switch to a powder that develops greater muzzle velocity in a specific fire arm or barrel length it generally costs only a tiny percentage more.
Of course one of the problems with hotter cartridges in general is that people sometimes purchase them for guns that were not designed to handle the higher pressures. One of the risks with reloading is that pushing the envelope can be very dangerous if you don’t keep the limitations of the firearm you are working with in mind. Also if you designed a load for a gun that can handle higher pressures and then forget and use those cartridges in a different gun of the same caliber... it could easily result in a catastrophic failure.
Unfortunately, we just lost a close friend and also an acquaintance after the big gun their tank destroyer had some type of catastrophic failure which is still under investigation. Obviously this was a problem of greater magnitude, but it is a reminder that guns do fail even super heavy duty guns whose cartridges hold propellant that is measured in ounces and pounds not grains.
The 9mm Federal 147 HSTs looked very good in this test.
I don’t worry a lot about expansion. I prefer to emphasize penetration. Why?
The difference between a .380 bullet that doesn’t expand at all but penetrates 23 inches and a .45 that expands to .75 (better than most of the ammo tested) and penetrates 18” is that both will get plenty deep and the 45 creates a wound channel that is less than 1/5 inch larger on either side. What are the odds that the additional width will do serious damage to a vital organ?
It might nick an artery so the guy eventually bleeds to death. If you are REALLY lucky, you might bruise the spinal column instead of missing it - but that would involve a lot of luck.
I don’t worry about over penetration. For one thing, a bullet leaving the skin loses significant power - something that doesn’t happen when it enters thru the skin. But what are the odds a bullet will go thru a bad guy and then hit an innocent person? Given how many MISS the bad guy entirely (and go on for a mile or until it hits something solid), why would I worry about a freak accident like that?
For myself...my biggest problem in CCW is concealing and carrying. I use a J-frame revolver right now - IF I carry. For a belly gun, a 357 revolver is hard to beat. And I shoot it fairly well even at 25 yards. But I don’t LIKE carrying it, and it is hard to truly conceal.
I’ve been debating between getting an LC9 or LCP. Right now, I’m leaning toward the LCP. If I can’t get myself into the habit of carrying an LCP, I’ll NEVER carry. If I do, I may someday choose to move up to the LC9. But right now, I usually do NOT carry anything, and an LCP in the pocket beats my S&W 686+ near my bed. Beats the 649 that is often next to my 686...
I’ve been using Remington Ultimate ammunition which is supposedly optimized for short barreled semi auto pistols. I can tell you the .45 ACP flavor feeds flawlessly in my Springfield XDS.
L
I’m surprised to see the 78 grain Liberty .45 round tested. I tried them and have a couple of boxes around the house. It does significantly reduce the weight of the pistol, which is a good thing.
After seeing the results I may go back to it.
L
What say ye Freepers of the Liberty 78 grain?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.