I calculated terminal performance for the below projectiles out of curiosity so hopefully you will find this enjoyable to review. Usually everyone focuses on energy comparisons between Blackpowder & Smokeless but this compares terminal performance for self defense.
Summary 1:
Navy versus Army
Comparing Ball vs Ball & Conical vs Conical:
Army projectiles maintain the better overall terminal performance while Navy projectiles have the deeper penetration.
Comparing Conical vs Ball:
Navy conical performs better than Army ball.
Army conical performs better than Navy ball.
Summary 2:
Black Powder versus Smokeless
Terminal performance calculators tend to provide a mixed bag of usefulness, but one could group the results in this order (1 being best):
Note: Two things to consider are:
Group 1 (Best Performance):
38 Special +P LRN performs similar to 1860 44 Army Conical.
Note: 1860 44 Army leads all Group 1 performance calcs except for WLI, HITS#, and Gel Depth.
Group 2 (Mid-Performance):
38 Special LRN performs similar to 1851 36 Navy Conical.
Note: 1851 36 Navy leads all Group 2 performance calcs except for HITS#, and Gel Depth.
Group 3 (Worst Performance):
1) 1860 44 Army Ball
2) 380ACP LRN
3) 1851 36 Navy Ball
Note: 1860 44 Army leads all Group 3 performance calcs except for Gel Depth which is led by the 380ACP.
****************************************
Calculated Values:
(the details for those that care)
Below are the values used for the above summaries.
*****START ACRONYM LIST*****
*LRN: Lead Round Nose bullet
*fps: foot per second velocity
*fpe: foot-pounds of energy
*SD: Sectional Density of bullet
*PF: Power Factor
*TKOF: Taylor KO Factor
*TSP: Thornily Stopping Power
*HRSP: Hatcher Relative Stopping Power
*WLI: Wooten Lethality Index L-Factor
*HITS#: Hornady Index of Terminal Standard #
*Gel Depth: Calculated Ballistic Gel Penetration Depth (Round Nose)
*****END ACRONYM LIST*****
1)
38 Special +P, 158gr LRN, 890 fps, 278 fpe
Calculated Values:
SD: 0.177 lb/in
PF: 141
TKOF: 7.2
TSP: 34.4
HRSP: 31
WLI_L: 18
HITS#: 249
Gel Depth: 19.7 inch
2)
Colt 1860 Army (8" barrel)
.44 Cap & Conical, 200gr conical, 750 fps, 266 fpe (30gr powder)
Calculated Values:
SD: 0.139 lb/in2
PF: 150
TKOF: 9.7
TSP: 41.4
HRSP: 54
WLI_L: 16
HITS#: 208
Gel Depth: 13.0 inch
3)
Colt 1851 Navy (7.5" barrel)
.36 Cap & Conical, 125gr conical, 980 fps, 250 fpe (25gr powder)
Calculated Values:
SD: 0.127 lb/in2
PF: 123
TKOF: 6.6
TSP: 30.7
HRSP: 30
WLI_L: 13
HITS#: 156
Gel Depth: 15.6 inch
4)
.38Special, 158gr LRN, 755 fps, 200 fpe
Calculated Values:
SD: 0.177 lb/in2
PF: 119
TKOF: 6.1
TSP: 29.2
HRSP: 26
WLI_L: 13
HITS#: 211
Gel Depth: 16.7 inch
5)
Colt 1860 Army (8" barrel)
.44 C&B, 141gr ball, 820 fps, 210 fpe (30gr powder)
Calculated Values:
SD: 0.098 lb/in2
PF: 116
TKOF: 7.5
TSP: 31.9
HRSP: 42
WLI_L: 9
HITS#: 113
Gel Depth: 10.0 inch
6)
380ACP, 102gr LRN, 950fps, 204 fpe
Calculated Values:
SD: 0.101 lb/in2
PF: 97
TKOF: 5.3
TSP: 24.5
HRSP: 24
WLI_L: 8
HITS#: 98
Gel Depth: 12.0 inch
7)
Colt 1851 Navy (7.5" barrel)
.36 C&B, 80gr ball, 1100 fps, 215 fpe (25gr powder)
Calculated Values:
SD: 0.081 lb/in2
PF: 88
TKOF: 4.7
TSP: 22.1
HRSP: 22
WLI_L: 7
HITS#: 72
Gel Depth: 11.2 inch
- Colt 1851 .36 Navy, 25gr powder (80gr Ball)
- Colt 1851 .36 Navy, 25gr powder (125gr Conical)
- Colt 1860 .44 Army, 30gr powder (141gr Ball)
- Colt 1860 .44 Army, 30gr powder (200gr Conical)
- 380ACP (102gr LRN)
- 38Spcl (158gr LRN)
- 38Spcl+P (158gr LRN)
Summary 1:
Navy versus Army
Comparing Ball vs Ball & Conical vs Conical:
Army projectiles maintain the better overall terminal performance while Navy projectiles have the deeper penetration.
Comparing Conical vs Ball:
Navy conical performs better than Army ball.
Army conical performs better than Navy ball.
Summary 2:
Black Powder versus Smokeless
Terminal performance calculators tend to provide a mixed bag of usefulness, but one could group the results in this order (1 being best):
Note: Two things to consider are:
- 38 Special and 380ACP have modern hollow points available (which were ignored in this analysis).
- 36 and 44 'Ball' projectiles are predicted to penetrate less than the standard 12" due to their low sectional density.
Group 1 (Best Performance):
38 Special +P LRN performs similar to 1860 44 Army Conical.
Note: 1860 44 Army leads all Group 1 performance calcs except for WLI, HITS#, and Gel Depth.
Group 2 (Mid-Performance):
38 Special LRN performs similar to 1851 36 Navy Conical.
Note: 1851 36 Navy leads all Group 2 performance calcs except for HITS#, and Gel Depth.
Group 3 (Worst Performance):
1) 1860 44 Army Ball
2) 380ACP LRN
3) 1851 36 Navy Ball
Note: 1860 44 Army leads all Group 3 performance calcs except for Gel Depth which is led by the 380ACP.
****************************************
Calculated Values:
(the details for those that care)
Below are the values used for the above summaries.
*****START ACRONYM LIST*****
*LRN: Lead Round Nose bullet
*fps: foot per second velocity
*fpe: foot-pounds of energy
*SD: Sectional Density of bullet
*PF: Power Factor
*TKOF: Taylor KO Factor
*TSP: Thornily Stopping Power
*HRSP: Hatcher Relative Stopping Power
*WLI: Wooten Lethality Index L-Factor
*HITS#: Hornady Index of Terminal Standard #
*Gel Depth: Calculated Ballistic Gel Penetration Depth (Round Nose)
*****END ACRONYM LIST*****
1)
38 Special +P, 158gr LRN, 890 fps, 278 fpe
Calculated Values:
SD: 0.177 lb/in
PF: 141
TKOF: 7.2
TSP: 34.4
HRSP: 31
WLI_L: 18
HITS#: 249
Gel Depth: 19.7 inch
2)
Colt 1860 Army (8" barrel)
.44 Cap & Conical, 200gr conical, 750 fps, 266 fpe (30gr powder)
Calculated Values:
SD: 0.139 lb/in2
PF: 150
TKOF: 9.7
TSP: 41.4
HRSP: 54
WLI_L: 16
HITS#: 208
Gel Depth: 13.0 inch
3)
Colt 1851 Navy (7.5" barrel)
.36 Cap & Conical, 125gr conical, 980 fps, 250 fpe (25gr powder)
Calculated Values:
SD: 0.127 lb/in2
PF: 123
TKOF: 6.6
TSP: 30.7
HRSP: 30
WLI_L: 13
HITS#: 156
Gel Depth: 15.6 inch
4)
.38Special, 158gr LRN, 755 fps, 200 fpe
Calculated Values:
SD: 0.177 lb/in2
PF: 119
TKOF: 6.1
TSP: 29.2
HRSP: 26
WLI_L: 13
HITS#: 211
Gel Depth: 16.7 inch
5)
Colt 1860 Army (8" barrel)
.44 C&B, 141gr ball, 820 fps, 210 fpe (30gr powder)
Calculated Values:
SD: 0.098 lb/in2
PF: 116
TKOF: 7.5
TSP: 31.9
HRSP: 42
WLI_L: 9
HITS#: 113
Gel Depth: 10.0 inch
6)
380ACP, 102gr LRN, 950fps, 204 fpe
Calculated Values:
SD: 0.101 lb/in2
PF: 97
TKOF: 5.3
TSP: 24.5
HRSP: 24
WLI_L: 8
HITS#: 98
Gel Depth: 12.0 inch
7)
Colt 1851 Navy (7.5" barrel)
.36 C&B, 80gr ball, 1100 fps, 215 fpe (25gr powder)
Calculated Values:
SD: 0.081 lb/in2
PF: 88
TKOF: 4.7
TSP: 22.1
HRSP: 22
WLI_L: 7
HITS#: 72
Gel Depth: 11.2 inch
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