After seeing my PT145 blast through all 3.5" of a 2x4 on edge, with 230 grain hollowpoint, I'm not that worried that I'm underpowered. IIRC, these were loaded with Unique powder, about in the middle between Bullseye and BlueDot. Anyone have any real velocity data to share. Unfortunately, I don't have a chrony or I would share.
On that note, does anyone have any handloads with fast powders like bullseye that have chrony numbers. The fast powder for propulsion out of a short barrel seems obvious, but the chrony numbers would eliminate all this speculation and we could discuss real data instead. Then we could work to an optimized load for short barrel CCW applications.
Light and fast is great, but you're not going to use a .223 with a blazing fast bullet against a moose. Energy is fine and dandy, but a 45-70 with the same energy and much more mass is going to better stop said moose than a small bullet doing mach 3+. Just an example to relate to, I'm not interested in digging up the math at the moment. You guys get the idea though, right?
I don't disagree with light and fast, but diminishing returns will play in quickly when penetration is really what is needed. Anyhow, a 185 grain handgun bullet in a defensive format is not exactly considered "light." When you compare to the other standard offerings like the 9mm and 40S&W, 180 grain is considered the heavy hitter in those guns. Or non-existent in the case of the 9mm.
I asked this question in the handloading forum and the feedback I recieved was to use fast powder. I'll see if I can find that thread and link it here if there are any real chrony numbers to discuss.
Found it.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=284247