Do plated hollowpoints expand?

silicosys4 · June 12, 2013, 06:26 PM

Hello,
I picked up a 250 rd box of HSM .401 165 gr. plated hollowpoints to reload with, thinking I was going to make up some SD ammunition.
I loaded up some rounds of .40S&W at a verified 985fps, and then did my standard expansion test of a gallon jug of water in front of a box of tightly packed wet newspapers. This method has worked well for me in the past in checking expansion in other loads I've developed.
Shot out of a P229, I got absolutely no expansion, and 100% passthroughs.
I loaded them a little hotter, almost to max, at about 1050fps, and tried again with the same results. In each instance there was no deformation at all and the cavity was plugged with material.
Is this a common thing with plated bullets? My guess is the copper plating is holding the lead core in shape, not allowing for the cavity to expand and deform, or perhaps its my medium....

What plated HP bullets have people had luck with, as far as reliable expansion at reasonable velocities?
Thanks everyone, for your responses

kerreckt · June 12, 2013, 06:36 PM

The old Berry's plated HP bullets did not expand. Although everything else about them was good. I say old because I understand they are coming out or maybe they have come out with a redesigned hollow point. The old ones I tried were in 10mm ( shot from both a 10mm pistol and .40S&W pistol) and 38spl. loaded hot but not maxed out.

**Walkalong** · June 12, 2013, 06:39 PM

No, they are not designed to. The may open up a little etc, but will not perform anything close to a jacketed hollow point.

Fire_Moose · June 12, 2013, 06:41 PM

I don't have experience with the bullets you ask about, but my understanding is most HP bullets are for target shooting. HP makes the bullet linger with weight in the back.

Berry's new HP design is not out yet but those are supposed to be SD bullets.

Only others I know of is gold dots. They are plated SD HP. Which expand very well.

Sent from my CZ85 Combat

**Walkalong** · June 12, 2013, 06:42 PM

The hollow point give the bullet a longer bearing surface.

armoredman · June 12, 2013, 06:49 PM

Nope - the Berry's do not expand. They will deform, but the cavity is just for accuracy, nothing else.
Berry's does have a new defensive hollow point design ready to go...but the demand for the regular product is so high that had to be shelved to allow all available machines to try to meet current demand.

zxcvbob · June 12, 2013, 06:52 PM

Use them as cheaper practice ammo to duplicate the expensive JHP you use for self defense.

They are probably not *bad* for SD, they start with a '4' and have good penetration and a wide meplat.

rcmodel · June 12, 2013, 07:08 PM

They only expand if you shoot them against a steel plate target.

Other then that?

Not so's you'd notice.

rc

david bachelder · June 12, 2013, 10:23 PM

Right on target. I shot some of the old Bery's hollow points out of my 9mm. I found one after the shooting laying on the ground. The end was full of trash and the bullet looked almost new, less the rifling groves and a little powder burn.

Sport45 · June 12, 2013, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Do plated hollowpoints expand?

I wouldn't expect the cheap(er) plated bullets such as Rainier or Berry's meant for practice to expand.

On the other hand, plated bullets like the Gold Dot HP should expand just fine.

kelbro · June 13, 2013, 09:54 AM

If your hole is already .4 or larger, expansion is just a bonus

silicosys4 · June 13, 2013, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kelbro

If your hole is already .4 or larger, expansion is just a bonus

Man, they would work ok if it weren't for the fact that i couldn't stop them......the darn things went through 3 gallons of water then 10" of wet newspaper the last time I tried when I was loading them hot to try to get SOME expansion.
Out of 20 some odd rounds fired into increasing thicknesses of newspaper and water, I found 1 that was retained....barely

Hondo 60 · June 13, 2013, 11:10 PM

I've tried several brands of plated bullets.
And it's been my experince in 9mm, 38 spl & 357 mag, that no, they don't expand.

The question begs, why buy 'em?

Well, they're usually cheaper than jacketed.
I like 'em for the looks & for plinking.

For SD, I prefer larger holes, as in .452"

ArchAngelCD · June 13, 2013, 11:31 PM

Please stop with all the "Gold Dot Bullets are plated" stuff. Yes the process they use is the same as plating but the outer layer on the Gold Dot bullets is just as thick or thicker than normal jacketed bullets. Speer is using that process to bond the "jacket" to the core preventing separation. So, while the process is the same you really can't compare Gold Dot bullets to any plated bullets made.

Sport45 · June 13, 2013, 11:36 PM

I didn't lump them in with the cheap plated bullets, now did I?

To answer the OP's question:

Quote:

What plated HP bullets have people had luck with, as far as reliable expansion at reasonable velocities?

I'd have to say Gold Dots are good.

allaroundhunter · June 13, 2013, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silicosys4

Man, they would work ok if it weren't for the fact that i couldn't stop them......the darn things went through 3 gallons of water then 10" of wet newspaper the last time I tried when I was loading them hot to try to get SOME expansion.
Out of 20 some odd rounds fired into increasing thicknesses of newspaper and water, I found 1 that was retained....barely

Again, these are not defensive bullets that you purchased, they are target/competition bullets. They are not designed to expand (unless, as rc mentioned, they hit steel), they are designed to be more accurate.

total recoil · June 14, 2013, 03:05 PM

I believe they will expand when driven to at least 1200 fps or slightly more. That is a no-no with plated bullets as they may start to flake off the plating. Plated hollow points are like liquid drain cleaners. They very seldom work.

KansasSasquatch · June 14, 2013, 03:34 PM

They work just fine. They aren't designed to expand. But they work as designed.

June 12, 2013, 06:26 PM	#1
silicosys4 Member Join Date: June 29, 2012 Posts: 892	Do plated hollowpoints expand? Hello, I picked up a 250 rd box of HSM .401 165 gr. plated hollowpoints to reload with, thinking I was going to make up some SD ammunition. I loaded up some rounds of .40S&W at a verified 985fps, and then did my standard expansion test of a gallon jug of water in front of a box of tightly packed wet newspapers. This method has worked well for me in the past in checking expansion in other loads I've developed. Shot out of a P229, I got absolutely no expansion, and 100% passthroughs. I loaded them a little hotter, almost to max, at about 1050fps, and tried again with the same results. In each instance there was no deformation at all and the cavity was plugged with material. Is this a common thing with plated bullets? My guess is the copper plating is holding the lead core in shape, not allowing for the cavity to expand and deform, or perhaps its my medium.... What plated HP bullets have people had luck with, as far as reliable expansion at reasonable velocities? Thanks everyone, for your responses

June 12, 2013, 06:36 PM	#2
kerreckt Member Join Date: April 23, 2011 Location: SE Virginia Posts: 317	The old Berry's plated HP bullets did not expand. Although everything else about them was good. I say old because I understand they are coming out or maybe they have come out with a redesigned hollow point. The old ones I tried were in 10mm ( shot from both a 10mm pistol and .40S&W pistol) and 38spl. loaded hot but not maxed out. __________________ "A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have". Thomas Jefferson Μολών Λαβέ

June 12, 2013, 06:39 PM	#3
Walkalong Moderator Join Date: November 20, 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 30,066	No, they are not designed to. The may open up a little etc, but will not perform anything close to a jacketed hollow point. __________________ Do you ever wonder why nobody ever robs the bag man for the mob? No, you don't. "Oh bother" said Pooh, as he chambered another round. Author unknown.

June 12, 2013, 06:42 PM	#5
Walkalong Moderator Join Date: November 20, 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 30,066	The hollow point give the bullet a longer bearing surface. __________________ Do you ever wonder why nobody ever robs the bag man for the mob? No, you don't. "Oh bother" said Pooh, as he chambered another round. Author unknown.

June 12, 2013, 06:49 PM	#6
armoredman Member Join Date: November 19, 2003 Location: proud to be in AZ Posts: 15,061	Nope - the Berry's do not expand. They will deform, but the cavity is just for accuracy, nothing else. Berry's does have a new defensive hollow point design ready to go...but the demand for the regular product is so high that had to be shelved to allow all available machines to try to meet current demand. __________________ If total government control equals safety, why are prisons so dangerous? http://czfirearms.us/ The original CZ Forum, new address.

June 12, 2013, 06:41 PM	#4
Fire_Moose Member Join Date: December 31, 2012 Posts: 226	I don't have experience with the bullets you ask about, but my understanding is most HP bullets are for target shooting. HP makes the bullet linger with weight in the back. Berry's new HP design is not out yet but those are supposed to be SD bullets. Only others I know of is gold dots. They are plated SD HP. Which expand very well. Sent from my CZ85 Combat

June 12, 2013, 06:52 PM	#7
zxcvbob Member Join Date: September 15, 2007 Location: S.E. Minnesota Posts: 4,530	Use them as cheaper practice ammo to duplicate the expensive JHP you use for self defense. They are probably not bad for SD, they start with a '4' and have good penetration and a wide meplat. __________________ "Nobody wins in a Dairy Challenge" —Kenny Rogers

June 12, 2013, 07:08 PM	#8
rcmodel Member Join Date: September 17, 2007 Location: Eastern KS Posts: 41,867	They only expand if you shoot them against a steel plate target. Other then that? Not so's you'd notice. rc __________________ Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Or all your primers in a glass jar!

June 12, 2013, 10:23 PM	#9
david bachelder Member Join Date: May 24, 2012 Location: Trinity Texas Posts: 83	Right on target. I shot some of the old Bery's hollow points out of my 9mm. I found one after the shooting laying on the ground. The end was full of trash and the bullet looked almost new, less the rifling groves and a little powder burn.

June 13, 2013, 09:54 AM	#11
kelbro Member Join Date: November 11, 2007 Location: Desert Southwest Posts: 1,135	If your hole is already .4 or larger, expansion is just a bonus

June 13, 2013, 11:10 PM	#13
Hondo 60 Member Join Date: September 6, 2009 Location: Manitowoc, WI Posts: 3,601	I've tried several brands of plated bullets. And it's been my experince in 9mm, 38 spl & 357 mag, that no, they don't expand. The question begs, why buy 'em? Well, they're usually cheaper than jacketed. I like 'em for the looks & for plinking. For SD, I prefer larger holes, as in .452" __________________ Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway - John Wayne <>< When you're holdin a hammer, everything looks like a nail - Bryan Glover

June 13, 2013, 11:31 PM	#14
ArchAngelCD Member Join Date: November 25, 2006 Location: PA, USA Posts: 14,007	Please stop with all the "Gold Dot Bullets are plated" stuff. Yes the process they use is the same as plating but the outer layer on the Gold Dot bullets is just as thick or thicker than normal jacketed bullets. Speer is using that process to bond the "jacket" to the core preventing separation. So, while the process is the same you really can't compare Gold Dot bullets to any plated bullets made. __________________ Remember boys and girls, gun control only prevents law abiding Americans from owning guns because the Bad Guys don’t obey the laws, no matter how restrictive or lenient the laws are!

June 14, 2013, 03:05 PM	#17
total recoil Member Join Date: July 30, 2010 Location: Michigan Posts: 46	I believe they will expand when driven to at least 1200 fps or slightly more. That is a no-no with plated bullets as they may start to flake off the plating. Plated hollow points are like liquid drain cleaners. They very seldom work.

June 14, 2013, 03:34 PM	#18
KansasSasquatch Member Join Date: July 22, 2012 Location: LV county KS Posts: 633	They work just fine. They aren't designed to expand. But they work as designed.