Is the .45’s Stopping Power a Myth?
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
sorry, no. see this Paul Harrell vid to explain hollow point expansion failures. He under lines both my points - HP clogging and lack of velocity or speed. Quote from the vid "HP are velocity based." He goes on to show with tests the varying reasons why HP failures occur.
Tonopah
Operator
Regardless of ballistic gelatin tests, and “meat target” tests, the best data comes from the results of actual street shootings. For a long time now the .357 Magnum 125 grain JHP has been regarded as a gold standard. This is a high velocity, light weight bullet with a hollow point design. I have thought that similar (or better) results might be had from a 10mm 135 grain JHP. Seems logical but, again, there is pretty much no real world street shooting data available to support that theory one way or the other.
So we are always left with speculation regarding street effectiveness of many combinations of caliber/bullet.
What we do have are ballistic gelatin and “meat target” tests and, although they have their drawbacks, they do tell us some things.
My son, in junior high school, had to do a science project and asked me my advice. He and I chose a penetration and expansion test using a .44 Magnum revolver against wet phone books. I loaded 240 grain bullets at four different velocities, shot them into the targets, retrieved the bullets and measured both penetration and expansion. We plotted the results and put the retrieved bullets together with the data on a board. The teacher was shocked (but gave my son an “A”), and told my son never to do that again. Anti-gun, of course.
All of this conversation about ballistics, calibers, and bullet types/weights is fun and I appreciate everybody’s contributions to this thread. Thank you all and Hans, your comments have merit in my eyes.
So we are always left with speculation regarding street effectiveness of many combinations of caliber/bullet.
What we do have are ballistic gelatin and “meat target” tests and, although they have their drawbacks, they do tell us some things.
My son, in junior high school, had to do a science project and asked me my advice. He and I chose a penetration and expansion test using a .44 Magnum revolver against wet phone books. I loaded 240 grain bullets at four different velocities, shot them into the targets, retrieved the bullets and measured both penetration and expansion. We plotted the results and put the retrieved bullets together with the data on a board. The teacher was shocked (but gave my son an “A”), and told my son never to do that again. Anti-gun, of course.
All of this conversation about ballistics, calibers, and bullet types/weights is fun and I appreciate everybody’s contributions to this thread. Thank you all and Hans, your comments have merit in my eyes.
HayesGreener
Ronin
Annihilator
Emissary
MrMichaelActual
Master Class
JeeeezUs, I was out for a day and this thing went 5 more pages...
Well, I love my 1911s but mine are OG (single stack no optics), With no optics and fewer rounds, the current thing I roll with on the rare times I need an OWB service size strap, is my gen 5 G20 with the SCS Green dot... if 16 round of 10mm dont do the thing, I should turn in my card. As to the OP, hellz yes .45 will do the trick, it is all about 1 shot placed properly! Like probably most folks here, my daily CC is a 9, usually a member of the Sig 365 family.
Well, I love my 1911s but mine are OG (single stack no optics), With no optics and fewer rounds, the current thing I roll with on the rare times I need an OWB service size strap, is my gen 5 G20 with the SCS Green dot... if 16 round of 10mm dont do the thing, I should turn in my card. As to the OP, hellz yes .45 will do the trick, it is all about 1 shot placed properly! Like probably most folks here, my daily CC is a 9, usually a member of the Sig 365 family.
That was also during the time that 38 ammo was cheap and 9mm was expensive, opposite of today. Carried a Model 15 for 17 years then a 5904 when 9mm was authorized. 15 was more accurate, even if DAO. Glad I was able to buy it when I retired.“Seasoned”-I like it! Those of us who are well seasoned remember when the 9 was very much a weak sister. After all, real men carried a .45 or a .357
HayesGreener
Ronin
I also carried 15's and 19's during my career. They don't make them like that any more. I still have 15's and 19's, they will put holes where I want them.
Which is the whole point. No amount of capacity will compensate for lack of skill.