Interesting article, mec & thanks for the link.
I've a Ruger ~5-1/4" bbl with the "switch-blade" cylinders & mainly just shoot the mag .22, as it fills a very nice niche - mostly fall season turkeys here in CO. (.22LR does everything smaller & .38 specials catch the rest
)
I use the Win Super-X, either solids or HP - both shoot rather well outa mine. A 60 yd HP hit on an ~25lb turkey dropped him like a stone & the bullet shot straight through, zip for expansion - this through the lower breast & with zip for meat damage.
Just checking the above rounds & the bullet "shaves" rather nicely with a sharp pocket knife. I'd think that the Hanned tool would make short work of making a larger metplat. The box says "Jacketed hollow point," but it appears plated, rather than a true jacketed material.
A quick check of the CCI Maxi Mag +V shows a much harder "plating," whatever ....
I would agree that you should buy just a 50-count box of a few flavors to see what shoots most accurate out of your handgun & go from there. 22mags are pricey enough that I'd find out what works before dropping the bucks down on something that might not. & after changing the bullet profile, you may have to start over ....
Handgun hunting for small game = I'll use the .22LR HP - even the Rem sub-sonic, does the trick quite well with any chest shot, & even with rifle velocities, a rabbit may have enough "umph" to still drag itself into its hole.
A head shot with the .22s = only way to be sure, & with the mag (or even a .50 cal
) doesn't waste any meat.
My personal flavors for handgun small game is, & depending on range, etc. are the .22LR CCI MiniMags, Rem's CBee22 (pretty quiet) & the Aguila Colibri "no powder" round (most quiet).
At times, I'll load 2-3 flavors in a cylinder & just "dial in" the round suitable for range & game. A color-coded cartridge base allows quick ID.
Again, not disparaging a want to "make a bigger metplat," I only ask so to provide my own experiences & maybe save some time/energy with a change in technique rather than a "reinvention."
& the ramblings of some old guy ...