Hornady XTP vs. Federal Hydra-Shok

H

henryb

New member
I currently carry 230 gr. Hydra-Shoks in my Glock 21. I am thinking about trying the 200 gr. +P or 230 gr. +P XTP as my carry load. I like the velocity/energy numbers much better than the Hydra-Shok. Does anyone have anything good or bad to say about these loads?
200 gr. +P XTP 1055 fps/494 ft lbs.
230 gr. +P XTP 950 fps/462 ft lbs.
230 gr. Hydra-Shok 850 fps/370 ft lbs.
 
A double tap, center of mass, with any of those three loads and you BG will look pretty dead.

Go with the load that you can successfully handle. A P+ load doesn't mean much if you can't double tap and stay on target.

Robert
 
According to everything I have read Hydra Shoks perform much better because of their superior bullet design.
The XTP is a first generation bullet which tends to overpenetrate and underexpand if not driven very, very fast.
 
I've had really good luck with Hornady's XTP's... Who makes a +P round using the 200gr XTP .45 bullet?

Federals were not very accurate in my Ruger, for that I use Speer or ProLoad if I can ever find some.

Ben

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They are both very accurate rounds. the 230 Hydra is a very mild shooter that is easy to hit with... its clever design allows it to expand nicely at the lower velocity. The faster XTP load needs the extra speed to insure expansion - which it also does nicely, given the extra push and blast... Not much advantage there.
The 200 grain load has even more bark to it and now your running 205 FPS faster that the Hydra. Your getting a lot more energy at the cost of 30 grains off bullet weight and some extra flash. The 200 grain load is very accurate outta standard rifling type barrels but they dont group as tight outta polygon rifled tubes. At least the ones I have tried. Thinking this is due to the 200's shorter length - but I dont know - maybe I was just "off" with my shooting.
 
Only shoot two? Since when is there a limit? But in regards to bullets, I have yet to find any scientific source that can prove one is better than another. All major manufacturers do extensive tesing in various ways to determine if their slugs will expand. That testing however ASSUMES ideal conditions. That is why diamter is so important. I never assume a HP will expand, thus the need for placement and diameter in that order.
I don't think anyone can buy a bad HP, and I am beware of good marketing via PAID ads and those slipped into "articles." You have to ask yourself if your decesion is YOURS or the effect of marketing.
 
My personal opinion is that you have described the two finest .45acp self defense rounds in current existence...flip a coin.
 
Plus P = if you put "Only shoot two? Since when is there a limit?" as your signature - it will save you time typing it into all your posts.
 
I currently use 230 frain Hydra-Shok. I have done a lot of research lately and I am going to make a switch to 230 grain Golden Saber. It seems to have a slight edge over the Hydra-Shok in expansion and penetration and is actually less expensive. Several Law Enforcement Agencies that still use a .45 are also making this switch. You can't go wrong with either.

Having said all this the Glock 21 barrel is just shy of 5" so you may want to try the Hydra-Shock or Golden Saber JHP's in 185 grain which are also great rounds. Also Cor-Bon and Remingtons +P loads provide a lot of power but have the recoil to prove it. Not real impressed with the 200 grain loads I have seen.
 
Corbon and Triton have similar offerings in the 200gr bullet offerings, offering similar ballistics. The Triton bullet however has this HUGE hollowpoint. I have been quite impressed with this ammo, and I am working handloads to try to match their performance. The +p brass used by these companies look identical to the .45 Super brass offered by Starline, which are the cases I am using in my experiments.

230gr. Hydroshoks, in my opinion, are the easiest to control, have a quite mild recoil, and are absolutely devastating to a wet phone book... :D

The Triton and Corbon are equally impressive, more so even, but are more pricey, and may not be available in all areas.

The Black Hills 230 gr. hollow point is also a very impressive round, expanding to about .62" in wet media.

Lots of choices... Find what you like.

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.45 Super... Fat and FAST...

"No provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil authority" - Thomas Jefferson
 
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