Curiosity SWC Cowboy loads

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GunnyGene

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Mobuck said:
Everyone has their own opinion of what will work.

True. The decision is often effected by the size of one's wallet tho. :) I've always liked this quote, but don't recall who originated it: "You go to war with the weapons you have, not the ones you wish you had." :)
 

Jimbo357mag

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GunnyGene said:
Mobuck said:
Everyone has their own opinion of what will work.

True. The decision is often effected by the size of one's wallet tho. :) I've always liked this quote, but don't recall who originated it: "You go to war with the weapons you have, not the ones you wish you had." :)
Yeah, but picking the right ammo for the job is an easy choice to make. 'Self-Defense' ammo would be my choice. There is a reason almost all the police and law enforcement agencies in the country use jacketed hollow-points instead of 'Cowboy' ammo. :D (smile)
 

Mus408

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Concerning penetration...I was once out target shooting with cardboard target stapled to a 2x4...target being attached to the 1 1/2 inch wide side of 2x4.
After shooting from 20 yds. noticed that my Glock .40 cal target loads had fully gone thru the 3 1/2 inch thickness of the 2x4!
Some much for hiding behind walls!
 

Biggfoot44

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The OP was actually asking Three different questions :

1. Is 210 gr SWC .41@ 800 fps reasonably effective ?

Of course . Better than a FP .40S&W , not much behind .45acp FMJ .

2 Is that or screaming hot Underwood XTP More Better ?

Just looking at terminal effects . it's a big difference in favor of the Underwood .

Looking at big picture , taking account of recoil , muzzle blast , etc ? Subjective , focusing on how well you can shoot each .

3. Are there other options better than either ? Yes . Notably the W-W Silvertip 175 @ nominal 1275 fps .
 

bisleyfan41

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The OP was actually asking Three different questions :

1. Is 210 gr SWC .41@ 800 fps reasonably effective ?

Of course . Better than a FP .40S&W , not much behind .45acp FMJ .

2 Is that or screaming hot Underwood XTP More Better ?

Just looking at terminal effects . it's a big difference in favor of the Underwood .

Looking at big picture , taking account of recoil , muzzle blast , etc ? Subjective , focusing on how well you can shoot each .

3. Are there other options better than either ? Yes . Notably the W-W Silvertip 175 @ nominal 1275 fps .
Yeah, and he asked the question 6 years ago. 🙂
 
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Judging from the results of my back yard penetration test (above), I'm satisfied that they are an acceptable alternative to achieve the objective of lower recoil and flash...

One of my all time favorite loads is a 180 grain lead RNFP at about 750 fps (in a .40 S&W case :) ). Very low recoil, so the sights come back on target quickly! The load data came from a guy who developed it for competition, but there's no 'law of nature' that says a 180-200 grain slug at 750-800 fps wouldn't work for self defense, especially from a light-weight, compact firearm.
 
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Yeah, and he asked the question 6 years ago. 🙂

bisleyfan41-

I think folks responding to "old" threads is being encouraged by the new(er) Forum software.

If you look at the "Similar threads" box at the bottom of the page while reading a thread, all sorts of stuff is in there.

I'm looking at your post from two days ago, and threads from 2012 are shown on the same page…
 

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I am sure happy to know this question is six years old before answering.

Some questions are timeless!

I am a firm believer in a few things.

Any bullet which is properly placed without delay is likely to be effective.

Any shot fired may be your last due to firearm malfunction, injury, flash blindness, etc. Make it count!

Properly placed shots are likely to come from lots and lots of practice over a long period of time. Milder loads permit more practice.
 

Biggfoot44

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Yup , the " similar threads " feature brings a lot of necro threads back to life
I think twice in that regard , but if the topic is one of general interest beyond an OP"s time specific inquiry , I will sometimes post
 

beentheredone

Single-Sixer
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If my reaction to a round is, "I do NOT want to get shot with that!", then it qualifies as a home defense round.

Your round qualifies...
 

COR

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Ummm…. I think you just described what Skeeter considered an ideal law enforcement round the .41 Spl… albeit on the slow side. Hahahaha

Simply shooting someone takes a lot of fight out of them, I think all this speculation is…. Speculation … and what's the chance that's really gonna happen? Relax and enjoy that easy shooting load and don't sweat the small stuff. You're well heeled.
 
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