JSP ammo for Self Defense?

[The Last Confederate]

Hi all, how is everyone here doing?


I was just curious, is jacketed softpoint pistol ammo good for defense compared to hollow point, or fmj?

Reason I asked is because I decided to pick up a box of the new "Win Clean .40 pistol ammo" at wal-mart the other day. Upon inspection, I noticed that it was softpoint ammo. Now I know softpoint ammo is used for hunting, so I wonder if it would make good self defense ammo as well?

How good would it be compared to jacketed hollow point? What are the advantages and dissadvantages?

 

[DMK]

Soft point ammo is generally designed for very deep penetration and tough hides. I suspect that it would act just like FMJ in a human and poke a .40 hole straight through.

Good quality self defense HPs will start expanding much earlier and will reliably do so at lower velocities. Ultimately, you want something that will start expanding at a few inches and penetrate to at least 12" (according to the FBI tests).

If I were you, I'd look into the Speer Gold Dot and Remington Golden Sabers hollow points for that caliber. Both have excellent performance in tests and Police shooting reviews.

Oh, and welcome to the forum, glad to have you!

 

[James Bondrock]

If used for self defense against human attack, you can do a lot better than a jacketed softpoint. They do not expand at handgun velocities.

 

[Jim March]

I agree with all of the above comments thus far.

The only good thing I can say about JSPs in a handgun self defense role is that they tend to have a "flat face profile" somewhat like a Keith-type hardcast, versus a rounded nose. So if you're in a jurisdiction where hollowpoints are banned (New Jersey, Peru, etc.) then blowing a JSP as hot as you can clean through and hope for more "splatter" effect than you'll get out of ball-profile.

But if you can run hollowpoints, don't even think about JSPs.

 

[Mannlicher]

JSP bullets do indeed, expand. I suggest that those saying otherwise just have not shot anything with them.
I have taken a number of Whitetail deer, using the 270 grain Speer GoldDot SP, in .44 magnum,and I get consistant expansion.
I would expect them to expand on critters walking on their hind legs also.

 

[Jim March]

Just because 44Mag high-perf JSPs expand in a deer, that's no reason to assume 40S&W will do the same in a human.



Sorry, but defensive handguns in ANY caliber generally run shorter tubes and lesser calibers. I wouldn't trust JSP from a 4" 357 to expand much if any, and if it does it'll be SERIOUSLY delayed (as in, after it's blown through most of the target).

 

[BluesBear]

Befeor y'all go jumping to assumptions

The .40 S&W isn't exactly considered a hunting round.

If you had a dead soft lead core inside a properly designed jacket, expansion is very possible at handgun velocities.

Until someone actually tests this ammo all opinions based solely on it being soft-point ammo and thereby usless for self-defense are pure speculation.

it will depend on how the bullet was designed and manufactured.

 

[isp2605]

My issued ammo at one time was Federal 9mm 95 gr SP. It clocked out of my 39 a shade over 1400 fps. It definitely would expand to a classic mushroom shape on people and animals.

 

[grendelbane]

A major factor in the expansion of JSP bullets is whether or not bone is struck. In gelatin tests, they usually do not expand, because blocks of gelatin usually lack bones.

It is not easy to hit bone consistently. Perhaps one reason why JSP bullets have such a bad rap.

Plated bullets can do funny things when striking bone. I know of one case where Blazer 115 grain plated round nose bullet did a tremendous amount of damage.

As much as we try, terminal ballistics is still an art, not a science.

 

[lbmii]

I have a funny feeling that Hollow Points are way over hyped. I suspect that heavy JSP/Semi-Wadcutter design bullets are the best defense rounds for any handgun ammunition that generates less than 400 or so Foot-Pounds of energy.

I know that my writing is blasphemy.

Penetration comes first! A through and through hole as a goal I say!

 

[Dr.Rob]

Someone gave me some jsp 45 acp stuff made for NJ, etc.

Stuff was so hot it dented my spring guide. I've heard really exposed lead tips and autos = bad feeding problems so I'd try them first.

I only use JSP as a hunting load.

 

[only1asterisk]

We have guns now that feed JHP with no problem. We have JHP designs that expand at real velocities 90% of the time. I don't see any need to change. While you might get a lightweight, high velocity JSP to expand, why?

You can't compare what works on a deer to what works on people.


David