<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by adad:
Tom, maybe you can help us with an on-going discussion here at TFL. I've heard many times that JHP's aren't any better than FMJ's because they don't expand reliably. How reliable are the modern JHPs such as your HydraShok design or the Gold Dots? Can you put a number on it, like "they expand 10%, 50% or 90% of the time" (in ballistic gelatin, of course).
Any thoughts on how much this expansion contributes to wounding effectiveness would also be much appreciated.
Thanks!
[/quote]
adad:
Under “controlled conditions” (10% gelatin / light clothing / zero degree angle of obliquity), and taken collectively, hollow points like SXT, Gold Dot, Golden Saber, HI-Vel, CorBon, Starfire and Hydra-Shok provide “acceptable” expansion (3/4 of the maximum expanded diameter obtained in bare gel) about 95% of the time. However, when heavy clothing is placed in front of the gel, acceptable expansion is obtained only about 80% of the time. In actual street use (“uncontrolled conditions”), when heavy clothing is involved, it is my understanding that these same bullets provide acceptable expansion less than 60% of the time. Although many variables are responsible for this diminished efficiency (bullet impacting at an angle, deflection from bones, etc.), the primary reason is that the hollow point becomes plugged with fabric. There is also a substantial difference between firing through clothed gel and clothed tissue. Muscle tissue has a greater tendency to impede bullet expansion.
Note: Hollow point Bullets fired at 1300 feet per second and higher have a 50% greater likelihood of expanding acceptably when fired through heavy clothing (and gel) than bullets fired at 1100 fps.
Regarding bullet expansion and wounding effectiveness, you might want to look at the text in the next-to-last(?) post under the EFMJ thread. It talks about diameter vs. square area.
Tom Burczynski
PS
GENTLEMEN:
It’s been fun, but I’ve got to get back to work now. I’ll try to drop in from time to time.
[This message has been edited by Tom Burczynski (edited February 06, 2000).]