In my opinion there was a time when this was a more reasonable option, but in today’s ammo market there are so many really good factory loads that I don’t suggest using handloaded ammunition for defense. My reasons are primarily because not all reloaders are created equal so to speak and in a self-protection scenario, there is no room…
Of late I see this question being asked more and more frequently rather than the perpetual 9mm vs. .45 ACP debates and questions. The general consensus seems to be that the .38 Super is a more potent round than the 9x19mm, 9mm Luger, 9mm Parabellum,, or whatever moniker is being used for our current military…
First, I’m not a terminal ballistician, but I will give you what I think are good loads per caliber based on informal expansion/penetration “tests” I’ve run and based on what I’ve seen when the load is used on animals from jackrabbits to Texas whitetail deer. Where I can, I’ll relate information on how these loads…
In my opinion 9x19mm can be a very good round, but unlike some other ammunition, its effectiveness is very ammunition dependent. It has the capabilities of driving bullets of decent weight to velocities that pretty well insure at least some expansion as well as providing sufficient penetration…with some loads. In its traditional FMJ design at…
Hornady “eXtreme Terminal Performance” JHP’s have been around for quite a while and are available in most of the more commonly used handgun calibers. They are not usually as aggressive in expansion characteristics as are some other bullets, most notably, Sierra. The XTP is designed to expand about 1.5 times its original diameter and I believe it was the…
It looks like it should be. No, it appears that it is not. While JSP rounds expand or deform in some mediums like ductseal or clay, when fired into animals I’ve seen shot with them, it appears that they act just like ball. Apparently, most handgun velocities in the 800 to 1200 ft/sec range just are…
I have used the loads listed below for years with no problems, as have others I know. Still, it is a recommended practice to start at least 10% below listed figures and work up. Folks using these loads do so at their own risk. Average velocities listed are based on 10-shot averages approximately 10′ from the chronograph…