357 SIG in 147 gr. ?

[hawk_sixsix]

There's volumes written on the praises of the 125gr. 357 SIG load, and even a few threads (on this site!) arguing in defense of the 147 gr 9mm load . . .

. . . but precious little on the pros/cons of the 147gr. 357 SIG.

Seems only Hornady and DoubleTap offer the heavy 357. My DoubleTaps are loaded with Speer Gold Dot - (I'm assuming the 9mm-intended-bullet) - and rated for 1255 fps. If the 147gr. 9mm moving at 975 fps has it's supporters, where's the love for the heavy SIG? Surely that same heavier .355" bullet now being pushed 200-230 fps faster should have it's fans!?

In short, is the 147gr. DoubleTap / GoldDot a better defense round than the 125gr.?

 

[RyanM]

If you want heavier bullets, you're probably better off buying a .40 S&W barrel. Doubletap's .357 SIG 147 gr is 1250 fps. In comparison, their .40 S&W 155 gr load is 1275. 8 more grains and 25 more fps.

.357 SIG is more for the "lighter, faster, more energy" crowd, not the ones that use heavier bullets.

Me, I'll stick with .40 caliber 180 gr bullets at moderate velocities. Comfortable recoil, controllable rapid fire, and JHPs make nice, big, .68 caliber holes.

 

[hawk_sixsix]

I'm looking for an objective discussion on how the 147gr. 357 SIG performs as a defense round, compared to the 125gr. 357 SIG and the 147gr. 9mm. I certainly don't want to start the latest 357 vs 40 thread.

 

[outerlimit]

I think the 147gr. 357Sig load by Double Tap is the best loading in that caliber. There were some tests done over on Glocktalk and it performed very well, much better than the 125gr in terms of penetration and expansion was excellent.

 

[kirkcdl]

I carry Hornady XTP 147gr in my G32,G33,and M&P fullsize...

 

[Rexster]

RyanM said it best. The .357 SIG is optimized at the 125-grain weight. Not that there is anything wrong with a 147-grain bullet, but for most folks, .40 is the better choice due to less expensive practice ammo, and even handloaders have more drama with the bottlenecked cases.

I should add the disclaimer that I have little experience with the .357 SIG, but have done a bit of research on it, as well as the .40 S&W, as I use the forty on duty, but have the luck of being able to use a wide range of loads. (With the drawback that I do have to buy it all myself.) Due to availability at a fairly decent price, I have used a lot of Federal 155-grain JHPs.

 

[hawk_sixsix]

I'm already a fan of 155gr. 40 S&W. I appreciate the additional opinions that I've chosen the right round in my .40, but I'm looking for info on the 357 SIG only. I'm not deciding between calibers; I own both. I'm deciding between bullet weights - for the 357.

Can someone offer info on how a 147gr. performs? Maybe gelatin test results? How it performs vs. the 125gr.?

Please, no replies containing the number 40 or the letters S&W.

 

[Kind of Blued]

It makes sense to me. You'll still have plenty of velocity for reliable expansion, and the heavier bullet should penetrate more.

Why not buy some and do your own tests? Those are the only kind I trust anyway.

 

[hawk_sixsix]

I bought a box of DT but I don't have the means to perform testing here. Any existing test info would be great.

What about LE agencies? Seems they all use the 125gr. Does anyone know otherwise?

 

[hawk_sixsix]

Anyone? Anyone?

Even 9mm 124gr vs 147gr?

 

[BlindJustice]

Didn't have time to read the entire thread, however,
the O.P. states DT 147 gr. .357 SIg @ 1255 FPS then
quotes 975 fps for a 9mm load.

The Double Tap 9mm LUger+P 147 gr. Speer Gold Dots
in my CZ 75B are rated at 1,135 FPS that's 120 FPS less
than the Sig load

Randall
.

 

[kirkcdl]

Terminal ballistics of 357 Sig: http://stevespages.com/page8f357sig.html

 

[hawk_sixsix]

AH! Great link! THANK YOU!

 

[glocks rock]

In a 125 gr the 357 sig just about equals the 357mag. . When you go heavier the 357mag wins the velocity game. I like the 357sig. I think it is a much better round than the 40.

 

[NG VI]

Tell you what I'd like to see, the Federal HST .357 in 147 grain. The 9mm 147 HST outperforms the 124 grain, expands better and penetrates a little bit more. And the heavier bullets have more material to work with, so they can expand wider and still have enough core material behind it to penetrate deeply.

 

[KBintheSLC]

The 147g will likely give you more penetration than the 125g due to slower expansion, slower energy transfer, and more mass/momentum.