125 gr. vs. 150 gr. .357 SIG Hydra-Shoks

E

elector

New member
Okay, here's my dumb question of the day.

I'm new to .357 SIG. Last weekend I went to the local gunshop to buy some ammo for my new Glock 31. The dealer had Hydra-Shoks in 125 gr. (which I expected), and also in 150 gr. (which I'd never even heard of). He asked me which one I wanted. I didn't know--and he couldn't provide any guidance that would help me reach a decision.

What are the pros, cons, and uses of these two bullet weights in .357 SIG caliber?

Also, is there any particular brand or type of ammo that shoots well (reliably and accurately) in a Glock 31?

TIA.
 
From what I have seen in the gun rags, the 150gr Federal is not the greatest of expanding rounds. All articles I have seen written about it show that the round did not expand in any media in any tests. Now that was a few years ago, things might have changed--look at how Remington changed their standard pressure loading of the .45acp to expand when that load didn't expand at all in the FBI tests.

If you are looking for a heavier bullet weight loading, check out the 147gr Hornady loading. In a 4.5"+ barrel length I have heard of velocities as high as 1275fps from a .40 S&W Browning HP converted to .357 Sig. I have go to do that to my HP! :D

Derek
 
!!ALL OF THE FOLLOWING IS MY OWN OPINIONS BASED ON GENERALITIES AND WHAT I'VE CONCLUDED FROM WHAT I READ RATHER THAN FORMAL BALLISTIC RESEARCH!!

When handloading 9mm, it seems that I get better accuracy with lower powder charges than when I reach the upper limits shown in the loading guides. (Of course this varies somewhat from gun to gun.) In general, I also find that the heavier (124 gr.) 9mm bullets are more accurate than the lighter ones (115 gr.).

For defensive purposes, I've read the most significant variable for stopping a bad guy is the diameter of the wound channel and, as a direct result, the amount of tissue damage (assuming a non-CNS hit). The larger diameter of a .45 round ball bullet makes it more effective than a 9mm round ball even when they both have roughly the same muzzle energy.

The thing that makes the 9mm more effective for defensive purposes is expansion of a hollow point bullet to increase the diameter of the wound channel. Effective expansion requires high velocity.

Since the 357 SIG is basically a 9mm bullet, if I was shooting it for bullseye target practice, I would use the 150 gr. bullet. If I was using it for self-defense, I would use the lighter, faster 125 gr. hollowpoint bullet.
 
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