# Good SB loads



## fivehourfrenzy (Aug 12, 2007)

Here we go again, talking about the golden bullet, lol. This is about good loads to use in short-barreled handguns. Here are the problems we deal with:

1. Not enough barrel to produce a high muzzle velocity/energy. This translate into low terminal velocity/energy, which results in JHPs failing to expand.

2. To counteract the low velocities, we use a lighter bullet that will produce enough velocity to cause reliable expansion upon impacting the target. However, because of the lighter weight, there is decreased momentum, which can result in lack of penetration.

3. To achieve desired penetration, we move up to a heavier bullet. However, due to the increased weight, velocity is decreased to the point that the bullet will not reliably expand upon striking its target, and therefore will not create a larger wound channel that is desired and expected of modern JHPs and possibly will overpenetrate the target, thus functioning like FMJ hardball ammo.

So which do we choose? A fast, light bullet that will expand, but not have the necessary momentum to penetrate to the desired 12-16" depth? Or a slow, heavy bullet that will certainly have enough momentum to reliably penetrate to the 12-16" depth, but will have a drastically decreased chance of expansion, and can result in overpenetration (18+ inches)?

After doing some pretty extensive reading of reviews and ballistic tests, it seems Speer and Corbon have found the answer.

The Speer Gold Dot short-barrel load can be had in 124gr, 180gr, and 230gr in 9mm +P, .40S&W, and .45ACP, respectively. They have chosen loads on the heavy end of the spectrum for reliable penetration. However, the bullet designed has been modified to expand at lower velocities, typical of short-barreled handguns. Also, they load the SB Gold Dots with a faster burning powder to give additional velocity once it exits the muzzle out of a 3-4" barrel.

Corbon's DPX (deep penetrating X-bullet by Barnes) is 100% copper, and is a solid, one-piece design. This eliminates core/jacket separation, as neither exist in the bullet. Because copper is lighter than lead, the bullet is longer than a typical JHP, so it is packed deeper into the casing. The longer bullet hypothetically could have better accuracy than typical JHPs as it has more surface area for the rifling to impart spin upon. Even after being fired through steel, wood, drywall, and glass, it has been shown to reliably penetrate 10% gelatin, and have extremely reliable and symmetrical expansion. It also retains virtually 100% of its weight as opposed to lead/copper composite bullets that tend to have core/jacket separate when passing through hard surfaces. The DPX utilizes loads on the lighter end of the spectrum for increased velocity to aid in expansion. The deep cavity allows the bullet to expand more quickly upon impact, and also aids in expansion at lower velocities, as its expansion threshold velocity was rated at 800fps. Although the DPX is a lighter bullet, its design and materials penetrate reliably in 4-layer denim tests, and even the lightweight 80gr .380ACP (not +P rated) penetrated 9" after passing through 4-layers of denim. The DPX is available in standard and high pressure loads, and all but the 225gr .45 Colt +P are loaded within SAAMI specifications.

So for those of you with short barrels, consider these two premium defense loads. The 1st general consensus is that heavy loads penetrate reliably, but do not expand reliably. Speer has supposedly changed that with their SB Gold Dots, which will expand at lower velocities, and utilize faster burning powders. The 2nd general consensus is that lighter loads will generate velocities that allow the bullet to expand reliably, but do not have enough momentum to cause deep penetration. Corbon has solved the issue with the DPX.

Although there is no perfect bullet, and mindset, marksmanship, tactics, and training are a much more important factor in SD, a load that is more likely to both expand and penetrate reliably out of a short-barreled handgun is a good thing. In other words, in the event you ever need to fire your gun in self defense, it's up to YOU to be mentally prepared, and to draw, fire, and hit COM until the BG goes down. But once you've fired and gotten your shots on target, you've done all you can do. The rest is determined by what the bullet does when it hits the perp in the chest, and generally speaking, any premium defense load will work. But for shorter barrels, picking a load that is specifically designed to reliably expand AND penetrate when coming from a short barrel can only help. That being said, it should be tested for functionality in your carry gun, and be occasionally practiced with.


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## fivehourfrenzy (Aug 12, 2007)

I read today that the Winchester SXT +P was specifically designed for use in short-barreled handguns, and that the Hornady XTP will reliably expand at the low speed of 750fps. That being said, the SXT +Ps and Hornady XTP or TAP in a lighter weight should ballistically do well in a short barrel.


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