Is there a huge difference between hollowpoints?

I don't spend a lot of time reading over ballistics testing and the various ammo comparison tests. I don't buy into ballistics gel testing too much either, as we humans are more than just a block of expensive jello.

That said, I believe the design of a hollowpoint does make a difference in it's performance. The design determines how soon it opens up which has an effect on the amount of tissue the round will penetrate. The size to which it opens up also affects penetration. The round could also fragment or loose it's jacket which might also affect penetration. There's a lot that goes into one of these rounds, and every little thing has some sort of effect on the rounds performance.

I currently have a stock of 3 different types of hollowpoints that I plan on running through my new Colt CCO. I bought one box each of Winchester Silvertips and Remington HD (rebranded Gold Dots I believe). I also bought a couple of boxes today of Federal Hi-Shok 230gr, which went for 22.95 for a box of 50. With some of those fancy HP loads costing over $1/round, I think I'm gonna stick with the Federal's if they feed reliably. Based on what I have read they have a pretty decent reputation for performance, and the price is hard to beat.
 
I think I'm gonna stick with the Federal's if they feed reliably. Based on what I have read they have a pretty decent reputation for performance, and the price is hard to beat.
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Just understand that Hi-Shoks are not the same as the Hydra-Shoks or the more modern HSTs. The 230 gr. Hydra-Shoks are still good defensive rounds (HSTs even better). Not so much the Hi-Shoks. Of course, that's using ballistic gelatin testing. It's not a perfect testing medium but it is something which is consistent and repeatable and which appears to correlate to real life results better than anything else.
 
In a nutshell premium hollow points are usually better, especially bonded ones. Check out this guys channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu4NFXGA_G0

He has tested just about any and every hollow point out there. I personally use a .40 with Winchester PDX bonded hollow points. It puts out a .40 caliber bullet at 1200FPS with close to 500 pounds of energy. Good enough for me.
 
Just understand that Hi-Shoks are not the same as the Hydra-Shoks or the more modern HSTs. The 230 gr. Hydra-Shoks are still good defensive rounds (HSTs even better). Not so much the Hi-Shoks. Of course, that's using ballistic gelatin testing. It's not a perfect testing medium but it is something which is consistent and repeatable and which appears to correlate to real life results better than anything else.
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I was actually looking for HST's, but the Hi-Shoks were the only thing I could find. For some reason, my area has a severe lack of .45 ACP hollowpoints that don't cost $1.50 per round. I know they aren't the latest or greatest thing on the market, but based on the few tests I can find it sounds like they will work well enough.

An FBI test was quoted as saying 13.85" penetration and .80" expansion on bare gelatin, and 17.40" penetration and .67" expansion on clothed gelatin. The same test had about four different results listed for the Hydra-Shoks, but the numbers weren't all that different.
 
Huge difference no, but some diffference. The better modern JHP expand more consistantly and more efficiently leaving more energy for penatration. Bonded jackets help with core seperation which can adversly affect penatration.
Of course functioning in the gun, to include accuracy and POI=POA, are more impotant.
 
Comparable load to comparable load, there's not one that's gonna do a markedly better job than the other for SD IMO. The marketing folks at the ammo manufactures will argue with me though.

LK
 
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