Federal 125 Gr Nyclad HP +P any good?

[Sarge55]

I've got the opportunity to pick up a few boxes of Federal 125 Gr Nyclad HP +P's' for a good price. These are to be carried in a S&W 642 in my BUG/off duty weapon.

How does this round compare to the 125 Gr Nyclad HP standard load as far as expansion and penetration goes? Has anyone done any formal/informal testing of these two loads side by side?

I've never really heard anything bad about the +P variant, other than increased recoil, but then again, I haven't heard any glowing reports on the round either. Is the performance of the +P round good, bad or marginal?

Just hoping someone can give me some good info I can sink my teeth into!

Any info on these rounds would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks in advance!

Sarge55

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. Yes, in informal testing, water jugs, wetpack, armadillos, both seem to expand when fired from a J-frame 2" snub.

Chronographed from my Model 0442, the standard velocity 125 gr averages 886 ft/sec with the +P a bit faster.

However, the loads seem equivalent. The reason is that the nylon-coated pure lead bullet in the standard pressure rounds expands as well as the antimonied, harder lead bullet in the +P version.

You might want to get these as Nyclads are no longer being sold to the public from Federal.

Here's a picture of a Remington 158 gr +P LSWCHP and a Nyclad 125 gr std velocity HP fired into mud. Not too scientific, but interesting perhaps. David DiFabio states disappointment in all .38 loads fired from 2" guns when penetrating 4 layers of denim before 10% gelatin. Since nothing better's been offered yet, I continue to use the Nyclad std pressure in my revolvers not rated for +P.

You might check out some of the ideas over at www.ammolab.com


Best.