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How bout wadcutters as self defense ammo??
montanajoe
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What do you think??[?][?][?]
Comments
Much easier to score your hits too !
[;)][:D][^]
anyways we may refer to the Hatcher Scale.
long before the obsession with "one shot stop" that followed on the heels of the 9mm vs .45 controversy, there was a major general in the U.S. Army named Julian Hatcher. he was also an expert on small arms, a gun writer, and a forensic pathologist, so he decided to come up with a system to predict stopping power of handguns.
I don't know when he invented that system, but his career in the army started with action in Mexico and ended with the close of WWII. that long ago.
according to the Hatcher Values, a cartridge with a score of 50 or more has 90% or better chance of "one shot stop".
a .44 Mag wadcutter scores 136.8, at the top of the list by far.
here are the rest of the values. they pretty much reflect the hypothesis that wadcutters must have a superior mushrooming effect over hollowpoints in a magnum revolver.
Hatcher Rating - Handgun Cartridge Type
136.8 - *.44 Magnum lead wad cutter 240 grain
92.3 - .44 Magnum full metal jacket 240 grain
80 - *.41 Magnum lead wad cutter 230 grain
76.5 - *.44 Special lead wad cutter 240 grain
62.1 - 10 millimeter jacketed hollow point 180 grain
60.7 - .45 ACP jacketed hollow point 230 grain
59.4 - .40 S&W jacketed hollow point 180 grain
54 - .41 Magnum full metal jacket 230 grain
53.4 - .40 S&W full metal jacket flat nose 180 grain
51.6 - .44 Special full metal jacket 240 grain
50.3 - 10 millimeter full metal jacket 180 grain
--- the following are less than 90% chance of one shot stop ---
49.1 - .45 ACP full metal jacket 230 grain
48.5 - **.357 Magnum lead wad cutter 158 grain
45.2 - .357 SIG jacketed hollow point 147 grain
39.9 - 9 mm jacketed hollow point 147 grain
39.7 - *.38 Special lead wad cutter 158 grain
36.6 - .357 SIG full metal jacket 147 grain
32.7 - **.357 Magnum full metal jacket 158 grain
32.3 - 9 mm full metal jacket 147 grain
--- the following are less than 50% chance of one shot stop ---
26.7 - .38 Special full metal jacket 158 grain
18.3 - .380 Auto jacketed hollow point 95 grain
11.1 - .32 Auto jacketed hollow point 71 grain
3.7 - .25 Auto jacketed hollow point 50 grain
4.2 - .22 Long Rifle jacketed hollow point 40 grain
* Jacketed hollow points will have the same rating as wad cutter bullets if the bullet hollow tip is greater than 1/2 of the caliber of the bullet.
* .357 Magnum ratings are taken from a firearm with a 3 inch barrel. Longer barrels will raise the rating of the round.
we may also note that .40 FMJ (53.4) isn't terribly far behind JHP (59.4).
38 Special WC in 'gel' ,,,,,,,
There's no bones in Gel.[;)]
I know a guy that loads 2 158 grain wadcutters into a .357 maximum for bowling pin shoots, does a great job
I would hate to be shot with one.
My thought as well.
Jon
I'm fairly sure I'd rather be shot in the foot with a 44mag. than
between the eyes with a 22lr.[;)]. If wad cutters is what I have,
that's what I'll use. If I have something I think is better, then
that's what I'll use. It all beats a sharp stick.
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Feeding would be an issue with autos but the chambered first shot could always be a full WC bullet.
I read recently the first meplat does all the damage on SWC bullets.
A 38/357 cylinder could be rechambered for the 357 maximum to shoot multiple bullets/ balls buck& ball etc; of course paying attention to total weight of the package transmitted.
caliber -- grains
.45ACP, 230
.40S&W, 180
.357MAX, 200
.357MAG, 180
9mm, 147