disappointed

[mr.big]

135 gr Speer Gold Dot Short BBL factory ammo,,claims 950+ fps and good expansion from 1 7/8 inch bbl revolvers,,

my older brother has been doing some testing with his cast bullets and wanted to try some of these loads before trying anything else

avereged 854 fps over a chronie from a 1 7/8 inch bbl S&W 340PD,,shot through an old cow hip bone into wet phone books,,penetration was good at 14 inches but I am unimpressed with the expansion,,I have the bullets and will get pics but I think I will go back to a lead SWHP,,

he has some cast pure lead with a gas check that looks best so far..

 

[Locksley]

Well factory loads are shot out of 8 3/8 barrells in pistol load tests.

 

[mr.big]

no this load was designed for New York City Police to carry in the S&W J Frame 2 inch revolvers,,it is +P 38 Special with a real soft core and is supposed to expand at this velocity,,I really dont care about the speed,,850 is plenty from a 2 inch bbl,,but what I wanted was a bullet that will expand,,

 

[mr.big]

http://www.speer-ammo.com/products/short_brl.aspx

maybe our test medium is not up to par,,but we stopped these bullets in 14 inches with no expansion at 10 feet at 850 fps

 

[Locksley]

no this load was designed for New York City Police to carry in the S&W J Frame 2 inch revolvers,,it is +P 38 Special with a real soft core and is supposed to expand at this velocity,,I really dont care about the speed,,850 is plenty from a 2 inch bbl,,but what I wanted was a bullet that will expand,,

They seem to be looking for penetration as well as expansion in the bullet so it will shoot threw glass bullet resistant clothing ect. The gas checked lead bulletts always gave me the most expansion without blowing up on bones and doors ect. , but I was using wheel weights mixed with pure lead in my cast bulletts. Me and OLD TIMER and Craig another old hunting buddy used those to hunt with out of our 357 magnum revolvers .

Test Event Bare Gelatin* Heavy Clothing* IWBA Heavy Clothing Plywood* Steel* Wallboard* Auto Glass*

Velocity in fps
Penetration
Expansion
Retained Weight 865
11"
.576" Dia.
100%
870
11"
.577" Dia.
100% 871
13"
.554" Dia.
100%
844
12"
.357" Dia.
99%
866
12"
.455" Dia.
98%
885
10"
.549" Dia.
100%
838
11"
.556" Dia.
97%

*FBI Test Events�The 38 Spl +P 135 Grain GDHP is just one of our top performers.

http://www.speer-ammo.com/products/bullet_tests.htm

 

[mr.big]

our velocity and penetration is exactly what they got,,but we got no expansion..

 

[mr.big]

while I would not want one of these in the chest,,I would rather have more expansion,,again our test medium of a cow bone and wet paper may not be as good as ballistic gellatin

 

[mr.big]

 

[mr.big]

lookin at the pics from the FBI tests,,our bullets with the cow bone in the hollow point looks exactly like the one they shot through plywood,,

 

[mr.big]

I may try a couple straight into a water tank,,I would like to see one turned inside out

 

[Kimberman]

Starting the bullet out on the cowbone is the culprit. Let it hit some soft stuff 1st, I would bet the cowbone is deforming the HP b4 it gets to the wet paper.

 

[Locksley]

Starting the bullet out on the cowbone is the culprit. Let it hit some soft stuff 1st, I would bet the cowbone is deforming the HP b4 it gets to the wet paper.

could be.

 

[44fanatic]

Is that bone matter in the HP's? If so, it could be filling the HP and basically making it a solid point. Also looks like they "crimped" over causing the failure to expand. Have read somewhere (guns & ammo or a similar magazine) that even cloth fragments filling the HP, especially heavier cloth or layered garments can cause HPs to fail to expand.

 

[mr.big]

been lookin at the Hornady Bullet with the flex tip,,

 

[FLTENNHUNTER1]

Shoot them in the head and you won't need expansion. :grin:

 

[mr.big]

Shoot them in the head and you won't need expansion. :grin:

I can do that a whole lot cheaper than these things cost