[Drummer]

Howdy, I wasn't sure where to post this so I reckon it goes here. I wanted to perform a little test of my own on different ammunition.
I took a 500 page phone book, a GP100 and various cartridges to the woods. Here are my findings:

Shooting from about 12' away, into a telephone book propped up against a downed tree;
1. .38 Special +P Remington Golden Sabre @ $1.24 each, left a 1" hole in 425 pages and pushed the other 75 pages out of it's way, leaving a 3" rip in the book.
2. .38 Special +P Glaser Pow'R Ball @ $1.25 each, left a 1" hole in 450 pages and pushed the other 50 pages leaving a 5" rip. This is the bullet with the polymer plastic ball stuck into the hollow point that is supposed to go through windshields or through 6 heavy coats and still stop a man.
3. .38 Special Remington Metal Case @ $.26 each, stopped at page 355.
4. .357 Magnum Remington Jacketed Soft Point costing $.46 each, blew a 1" hole through the entire 500 page phone book leaving a 3" rip in 4 directions.
OK, defending your home, loved ones or your possessions is not about money so leaving the differences in price out of the picture, I find that the so-called "Designer Bullets" are not worth loading. At least not if you have the magnum capability in your gun.

 

[deputy125]

interesting.......i gather a 4" gp?
What were the weight of the bullets in each test? mainly curious about the .357---was it 125 gr?

i've always wondered about tests out of a two inch snub. maybe one of these days i'll run a similar test to see if the short barrel hurts to the point of diminishing returns between the 38 std, +p, and .357.

 

[katana8869]

My first reply to a topic at Rugerforum.net! Drummer, I have come to the same conclusions that you have. I simply don't believe anymore that the designer ammo gives any real advantage over the cheaper Winchester Personal Defense ammo or the Remington UMC jhp offerings. At least not enough to justify the buck a round price tag that the designer stuff carries.

I have seen test after test that shows the cheaper stuff performing right up there with the expensive stuff. In fact if I'm not mistaken the bullet used in the UMC is simply their older jhp design. Steven Camp over at Highpowers and Handguns swears that the WWB jhp is identical to the Winchester Silvertip in everything but color.

I have been using both of these brands as primary carry ammo in my 9mm's and .45's for about a year now and I am completely at ease with the choice. Plus, I was able to afford to shoot them enough to confirm that they function in my guns, something that almost requires a small loan to do with the premium stuff, especially if you want to get the standard 200 round testing that alot of folks use out of the way.

Some people use the argument of quality control to say that the premium ammo is better. While that may be true to some degree, I have a couple of thousand rounds of this cheaper defensive ammo through my guns and I have never had a faulty round.

I would be the last one to try to change anyone's choice in what they feel safe defending their life or loved ones with, but I don't feel at all inadequate with mine.

Long post for a first timer huh? I promise that I'm not usually that long winded

 

[SgtKnuckles]

katana8869,... We like long winded...<) That way we get the Full story, and a Flavor of what your up to... Post Pics if you got them to...<)

Welcome to RUGERFORUM NET...<)

 

[Iowegan]

Looks like you will be ready if you are ever attacked by a crazed phone book.

 

[Drummer]

Iowegan, maybe I'd be ready for the Telemarketers too huh! LMAO!
Deputy, Weights are 125 gr for the 357s, 130 for the 38 Spec, 100 gr for the Pow'RBall and 125 for the Golden Sabers (Hey! It Is spelled sabER! Spell check was Right afterall! (I done told yall I am from Kentucky!) and it is a 6" GP100.
Katana, thanks for your input and welcome to the forum. I'm a relative new-comer my self. (You got a sister named KatanaRosanaDanna?)
I do use the .38 specials for most general shooting in the GP. Somewhat to save cash but also to save my ears. My hearing is screwed up enough as it is and even with earplugs and supression headphones my hearing is distorted after a bunch of those magnums. Too far gone after all this rock and roll I reckon.

 

[katana8869]

quote:Katana, thanks for your input and welcome to the forum. I'm a relative new-comer my self. (You got a sister named KatanaRosanaDanna?)

No, but I have a 4th cousin (twice removed) named KungFuFobana!

I happened to remember, I do have a pic that would be relevant to the thread. I picked this up from another forum. It is of a couple of 9mm 147gr WWB JHP's that where shot into water.

They look like they expanded pretty well to me!

 

[Drummer]

That looks like the 38 special I dug out of the middle of the book

 

[nitesite]

Ahhhh.... you're learning. It took me a long time to come to that realization.

I have bought TONS of so-called "premium" self defense ammo over the past 30 years. They are good, but I don't believe thay are better than other ammunition that is available.

David DeFabio at AmmoLab found several "sleepers" on the market, such as Winchester White Box .45ACP USA45JHP Personal Protection 230-gr JHPs. They cost $24/50 instead of $20/20 and had the same expansion, penetration and flash signature as the boutique loads.

My Glock 29 10mm pistol has Georgia Arms G10B 180-gr Gold Dot ammo that cost me $16 for 50 rounds. It is actually faster than advertised and expands to over one-inch. Chrono testing I did showed it has an Extreme Spread of under 17-fps and an amazing Standard Deviation of only 7-fps. I don't need expensive ammo since this stuff clearly is at the top of the heap with regards to quality and performance.

My home defense handguns are a few .38-Special and .357 Magnum revolvers. Know what I have in them for protecting my family? Hard cast 158-gr LSWCs or 168/gr Keith bullets. They clock around 1,000-fps and I know that they will put an awfully bad thumping on anything that walks.

Even my .38-Special Model 442 doesn't have fancy-schmancy hollow points that cost $1.30 each and probably won't expand worth a damn from a short tube. It has 148-gr hard cast DEWCs that clock about 800-fps and will easily suffice in cutting a path thru vital organs or the CNS. That's all you can ask from a bullet.

 

[nitesite]

I should have mentioned that prior to loading the 148-gr hard cast BBDEWS I carried another totally boring and low-tech bullet type in my 442.

You guys are always asking for pictures, right?

 

[Snuffy]

yep we love pictures thanks for sharing with us.

 

[Gunnut45/454]

Since all my Carry loads are reloads at pennies per round I'll share!
For 38/357 they are 135 Gr Gold dot SNB for 38 SP and the 125 Gr JHP Gold Dot for the 357 Mag. If I really want to get mean I'll shoot them with some 357 Mag 158 gr JSP Rems or 180 XTP JHP's!

 

[Taurus_9mm]

What Snuffy said. The gun pictures are always greatly appreciated. I use Gold Dots in my 9mms for SD ammo and Blazer aluminum 158 gr. SJHC for my .357s. My .45s are using good ole 230 gr. ball ammo which I don't feel ill-equipped with in the least.