We all use Hollow Points for everyday carry.
But are these bullets reliable on winter time?
What we can expect shooting a bad guy wearing winter jacket and maybe few more clothes layers?
Has anyone experienced this problem already? Any advices?
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Watching videos on common caliber hollow points against body armor, even if the shots were slowed they still transferred energy. I couldnāt imagine clothing having a better effect on slowing the round. It could affect to expansion of the round. (Having no scientific data) I would think this would improve its penetrating power.
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Bought 2 boxes of 45ās when I picked up my ruger America and found out later they were factory reloads Used them on a buck with a spine shot to keep him from suffering. When I cleaned him found bullet didnāt expand but actually folded in Changed to polymer tips
Not sure this helps just one guys experience
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Are Hollow Points bullets always reliable?
My research indicates not always.
This can be due to differences in clothing itās thickness or construction, the flesh and bone material thicknesses, location: muscle or abdominal cavity, bone as structure or skull. Interestingly, the significant factor can be the projectile is below (sometimes above, but not as often) itās optimal velocity for expansion.
All this said, one of my favored fellow practical researchers is Mr. Paul Harrell who hosts a l-a-r-g-e number of youTube videos dealing with many of the aspects and questions about projectile efficiencies in a construction which reasonably mimics the human body and is not solely based on percentage ballistic gelatin impacts. Not gainsaying the efficaciousness of that platform, just another route up the mountain.
If you havenāt seen his work, you could easily earn a semester or more of college course materials with Mr. Harrell alone. If you dive deep enough there are some chuckles to be found in his historical record as he was trying to develop his āvoiceā.
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If you look at ballistic testing they often include information on going through different fabrics as well as auto windows and other materials. There is no question that clothing will affect the performance of ammunition. I still believe that hollow points generally maintain their effectiveness especially at close encounter distances.
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Does anyone change their self defense firearm or ammunition come winter time? With colder temperatures comes more layers. Is my 9mm with hollow point ammo enough?
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@Dawn, are you able to combine the thread with this one?
These are referring to the same problem.
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We dont all use hollow points. Iāve had plenty of newbs Iāve had to explain the benefit of hollow points, when I used to train armored car operators, most of them carry FM, had a buddy who was an ex ranger who literally said, āyou know how many people I killed with these?!ā When referring to FMJ.
Theres alot of people out there who dont understand.
As for reliability, hollow point need velocity to cause expansion. Thatās going to vary from one round to the next and from one barrel length to the next. Some hollow points are purposely designed to be shot from short barrel pocket guns and have a higher velocity.
Also the polymer tip hollow points seem to expand more consistently than the true hollow points.
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Check this video. This guys coat stopped the bullet.
Could have been a squib, who knows. But this is why we dont train to shoot X number of rounds, but we stop shooting when the threat stops.
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Hornaday Critical Defense or Critical Duty. Nuff said.
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What does it mean exactly? Always reliable? How many cloth layers these can go through?
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Watch the Paul Harrell video I posted farther up in this thread. He gets into more detail. But basically your standard hollow point can get plugged when going through too many layers of clothing and not expand. Critical Defense/Duty and other ballistic tipped ammo has a shaped plug in the tip to prevent this and also guarantee expansion in shorter barreled firearms that donāt get up to the same velocity as full sized.
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My oldest friend from High School, weāve been friends since 1963 graduated 1967 is retired now as I am. He was a US Marshal when he got tired of breaking down doors he transferred to the FBI now he is retired fully. He told me a few times that both agencies use Ball Ammunition, in other words they use what the agency purchases and not hollow points. Because you know the government has that tendency to overpay for every item.
I now use regular ammunition myself, At least here in IL the term is Range Ammo, not sure what exactly the same thing is called in other states.
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Robert, I think you are refreshing āfull metal jacketā and yes ball is another good name historically. Itās interesting to think that federal law enforcement had been playing to Geneva Convention rules of engagement specified during the war actions of Nationstates.
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I donāt know about any movie reference but Iām not exactly following you Chris
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a bullet that is generally lead antimony core enshrouded within a metallic alloy covering (often copper mix) was known as a FULL METAL JACKET (FMJ) bulletā¦
not some attempt at trying to describe a movie about people dealing with going to Nam.
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Oh ok I thought you were referring to the movie. I use them for range etc.
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