Component bullet testing, pistol

[ArtP]

My son and I did some testing of handgun component bullets. Our method was not ideal, but could be indicative of real world results.

We want to test rifle rounds but have not decided the best way, yet.

For pistol stuff we tested:

9mm 115 Gold Dot JHP
9mm 124 Gold Dot JHP
9mm 124 Gold dot JHP - nose hard packed with sand and cloth
9mm 115 Zero JHP
9mm 115 Montana Gold JHP
9mm 124 Nosler Sporting JHP
38 125 Hornady XTP

Tomorrow we're going to test a lot more XTP's in 357, 44 mag, 44 special, etc.

Our method was to fill a large garbage can with water, stand on a ladder for safety, and fire into the garbage can.

Results:

Every one of the bonded gold dots performed perfectly. Petals out, high expansion, zero weight loss. Even the gold dots with clogged noses performed this way. These bullets looked like the pictures in magazines, perfectly expanded and symmetrical. I'm sold on bonding in hand gun bullets.

Cup and core stuff:

Zero's and Montana Gold HP's simply disintegrated. We scooped up a bunch of fragments from the bottom of the can.

Nosler Sporting Handgun HP's. They performed very admirably. They all shed their jacket, but had very, very nice expansion and good weight retention. Good weight retention, if we took the separated jacket and weighed it with the lead core.

Hornady XTP 125 grain .357 diameter bullet fired from a 38 at 38 velocity. Jacket half way peeled back. Lead core slightly deformed with no expansion. I suspect these are made for 357 velocity (despite book claim), but we'll see tomorrow.

 

[gamestalker]

I did some of that with Gold Dots and XTP's from 9mm, .357 mag, and a few others. But I used a card board box lined with a trash bag, filled with water, and tightly rolled up wet denim. The Gold Dots expanded picture perfect every time and from every cartridge, and weight retention was absolutely 100%. The XTP's performed extremely well also, not as consistent pedaling, but they also displayed some initial signs of jacket separation, weight retention was nearly 100%.

I'm too sold on those Gold Dots. I don't think you can beat a bonded design for controlled expansion when pushed fast enough. Although, the SB version of Gold Dot designed for 38 spcl., also did very well at much lower velocities.

GS

 

[ArtP]

We're going to put the XTP's to the test tomorrow. I have a bunch of stuff loaded up in revolver calibers at high velocity. To be honest, I don't have a lot of hope they will perform. But I'll post the results.

 

[41 Mag]

I have used the GD's since they hit the shelves. I have never had any issues with them to speak of, that I could relate to the bullet themselves.

My main use for them is in my 10mm using the 180gr as a hunting bullet. I have taken many a feral hog with them over the years out to around 50yds and in most cases I get complete pass throughs.

The first time I used the smaller .357's I was a bit concerned simply due tot he fact they had such a shallow cup point on them. After doing a bit of testing however I realized they didn't need much more than what was there. They can be driven fast enough to expand reliably loaded to the upper end 38 SPL loads, and they work best if shot from a 6" barrel. There is no issue with them loaded to 357 velocities.

On our farm some of the sand is very similar to talcum powder when dried out. When it is just damp enough to clump together, it makes a great medium for testing expansion with. I have found through the years it highly resembles the results found when shooting deer or similar critters. I have used it to test out all sorts of loads including rifle loads out to longer ranges.

Since getting into casting my own HP's, I have really used it a lot. I load up a 5 gallon bucket with it slightly tamped and use it for a bullet trap. It didn't take long however to realize at 25yds that even some of the low end 45 Colt loads when used with a 255 and up grained RFN or SWC solids, will pass right on through the full length of the bucket and head right on out across the pasture. As such more of my solids are tested at 50yds

Here are a few of my own cast HP's shot out of my 45 Colt at 25 and 50yds,

25yds


and 50yds,


and a before and after,


Just for kicks one afternoon I ran some of the more recommended factory JHP's through the same bucket test along with one of my home poured. The thing to keep in mind is that mine weighed 255grs verses theirs in the 180 - 230gr range. All were shot form the same distance of around 10' or so, and through a new lid on the bucket so they all got the same impacts of the plastic lid. Here is the link to the write up, Cast vs Jacketed

and the results,


( L-R; 230gr Gold Dot, 230gr Hydra Shok, 185gr Star JHP, 255gr MP 452 640 LGHP )


Keep posting up your results. I enjoy doing this sort of thing and always have. The downside to it is sometimes you really have high hopes for a load only to find out it doesn't really hold u to your expectations.