Interesting comparison (cal vs penetration)

[Pat-inCO]

I was quite interested in the 22Plinkster video about Federal's Punch
in 22 WMR. The round is designed to deliver 1000fps from a TWO inch
barrel. - - - Self defense use? - - - Humm.

You will note that the round does even better as the barrel length is
increased and goes to beyond fifteen inches with a four inch barrel.

That put me to looking for a realistic (?) comparison of 9mm vs .40S&W
vs .45ACP. I found one video that used Federal Premium HST for all
three calibers. The results in ballistic jell surprised me. The other
item that I found very good was that he uses all three guns, by Glock,
and all with the same barrel length (wide eyed astonishment!)
He also notes that he selected the heaviest bullet weight for each cal.

The ballistic jell comparison starts about three minutes into the video.
If you look at 4:36 into the video you can see the results
(WIDE EYED ASTONISHMENT!)

My conclusion is that all three would most likely do what you would want
if the "fit hits the shan". ;-)

I'll also note that the 230Gr .45ACP, while penetration is virtually
the same, would quite possibly hit a bit harder due to the initial size
and weight. (TRUST ME, I would not want to be hit by any of them!)

In conclusion, anyone that wants to argue one caliber is better than
another, I hope you will remember THAT horse has been beat to death
forty-eleben-teen times.

 

[OM41]

you might find this interesting.

BBTI - Ballistics by the Inch :: Home

(statement of intent)

www.ballisticsbytheinch.com

 

[RRM]

Thanks for that info! Id consider adding a "deep cover/backup" 22 mag to my options. Any suggestions on the options for a minimum 2-3 shot super compact carry gun?

 

[Ka6otm]

Thanks for that info! Id consider adding a "deep cover/backup" 22 mag to my options. Any suggestions on the options for a minimum 2-3 shot super compact carry gun?

I've had one of these since the early 70s. Nice gun and probably the most concealable you'll find. It's also a double action only with a loooong trigger pull so it's safe for those who worry about a ND.

High Standard Derringer - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Mobuck]

It's only been a few years since 9x19 was considered inadequate for SD. I realize there have been significant improvements to all sorts of ammo in the previous years and darned few people really want to be shot by anything. Heck, I carried a 22lr (and still do on occasion) for the just mentioned reason BUT I sure wouldn't go amongst the determined tough guys with a rimfire.

 

[the_leper_colony]

I was quite interested in the 22Plinkster video about Federal's Punch
in 22 WMR. The round is designed to deliver 1000fps from a TWO inch
barrel. - - - Self defense use? - - - Humm...

In conclusion, anyone that wants to argue one caliber is better than
another, I hope you will remember THAT horse has been beat to death
forty-eleben-teen times.

There's a lot to be said for a light bullet traveling at high velocity. I remember a .38 Special +P load from PMC ("UltraMag" 66 gr. tubular copper "ring airfoil" round) that would reportedly reach 1600fps out if a two inch barrel, and a lot more than that out of a carbine. Unfortunately, PMC stopped making them, reportedly because they infringed on a patent held by Aberdeen Proving Ground (or scientists associated with that facility).

There's also a lot to be said for a big old low-tech bullet moving at modest velocity. Others have observed that bullet construction/performance can be critical at high velocity (particularly for small caliber rounds), but doesn't matter nearly as much for big/slow bullets (i.e., big & slow may mean more predictable performance). And low-tech bullets/loaded ammo can be a lot cheaper than comparable high-tech versions.

Obviously, everyone has their personal favorites! I tend to go with whatever shoots best in a particular firearm. IMHO, FWIW, YMMV, etc.

 

[beentheredone]

No surprise here that the three loads tested showed virtually identical results. Since the infamous Miami Shootout the FBI has published their "standards" for duty ammo, and every manufacturer of whatever caliber has been striving to hit the artificially-made-up-performance standard ever since. Looks like they've got it down pat -- use whatever, they all work alike.

 

[Mike J]

I don't have a link handy but lucky gunner has done a lot of testing. If you go to their site you can compare different defensive ammunition in the caliber of your choice.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Ya know, I just never even wonder about this kind of thing or bother to even read most of the caliber war threads because I CARRY ENOUGH GUN. I don't need the "pat on the back, thats good enough" to feel good about my choices.

 

[PriseDeFer]

" I don't need the "pat on the back, thats good enough" to feel good about my choices."
No, but the 9mil folks do.

 

[the_leper_colony]

... I CARRY ENOUGH GUN. I don't need the "pat on the back, thats good enough" to feel good about my choices.

I think that's true for a lot of folks! I once knew a guy who carried a 1911 in .460 Rowland, with a scandium frame Smith .44 Mag as a "New York reload". He carried 'em everywhere, except when he went swimming - for that, he had an Airweight .357 (which I guess was small enough & light enough that it didn't print or pull his swim trunks down). Of course, I always wondered if he maybe felt just a little 'under-gunned' when he was swimming....

 

[Mobuck]

Son shot some water filled milk jugs yesterday. Two 22LR rounds were included: Yellow Jacket HP and Win segmented HP fired from a Ruger SR22 @ 10'. Yellow Jackets were typical of other HV HP--some expansion of the HP nose profile and 8" of penetration(in actual field use, this bullet performs well on 15-20# varmints). The 'segmented HP' petals separated in the first jug (8")while the remainder of the bullet shank penetrated into jug #2.
Fired from a 3.2" pistol, the 9mm star performer was the Norma 108 grain MHP. 20-22" of penetration with the petals fully expanded to approx 6/10". Both 115 and 124 Gold Dots showed good expansion and penetration beyond 24". My carry load using Federal HST 124 showed 1/2" expansion and 20-22" penetration but the initial expansion was more violent and quicker than the GoldDots.
The Norma MHP fired from a 16" carbine at 50' gave full expansion of the petals and penetrated past 24". That is one WICKED load right there.
Winchester 147 grain HP was dismal from both 3.2 & 16" barrels--I've had better performance from Federal 150 grain TSJ polymer coated target ammo(it's large, flat meplat transfers a LOT of energy).