rdrancher
Member
Today I fired three rounds of the BB Standard Pressure Short Barrel Heavy .38 Special 158gr. very soft lead cast, SWC-HC (20C/20) into one-gallon water jugs from my 642-1 at a distance of 10'.
The results were surprising.
Round #1 exited the rear of the 4th jug at an upward angle and deflected off of 5th jug, denting it. The bullet started to break apart upon impact with the 1st jug. Very small fragments were found in all four jugs.
Rounds #2 & 3 left perfect wadcutter-like exit holes out of the back of the 5th jug. Apparently none of the bullets expanded! Small fragments were recovered in the jugs, but I failed to note which jugs they were in.
I would love to show you recovered bullets, but unfortunately, all of them continued on to bury themselves in the dirt backstop. Did they expand upon impact with the dirt? We'll never know. It would be impossible to distinguish recovered bullets from the hundreds of lead bullets in the backstop left from previous practice sessions.
This was by no means a scientific test. I started carrying this ammo a couple of weeks ago and finally had the time to test the Buffalo Bore ammo out for myself. I did not use a chrono, nor did I make provisions to recover bullets that penetrated all of the jugs of water. Truth be told, I expected them to possibly shed large fragments (as they did in brassfetcher's test) or expand and be recovered in or between the jugs. I was wrong.
I had planned to use the BB round in both my 642-1, Vintage Undercover, and in a speed strip for reloads (to include my SP101 in .357 mag) to simplify my carry routine. But I'll have to rethink my options. I will repeat this test again (with better planning) when I get the chance, but until I can prove that this round will expand reliably out of the 1-7/8" barrel of the 642-1, I'll go back to Speer 135gr GDHP+P's that I have on hand. The Gold Dots (including Buffalo Bore's .357 mag version 19E/20) I've fired into water and mud have consistently expanded.
rd
The results were surprising.
Round #1 exited the rear of the 4th jug at an upward angle and deflected off of 5th jug, denting it. The bullet started to break apart upon impact with the 1st jug. Very small fragments were found in all four jugs.
Rounds #2 & 3 left perfect wadcutter-like exit holes out of the back of the 5th jug. Apparently none of the bullets expanded! Small fragments were recovered in the jugs, but I failed to note which jugs they were in.
I would love to show you recovered bullets, but unfortunately, all of them continued on to bury themselves in the dirt backstop. Did they expand upon impact with the dirt? We'll never know. It would be impossible to distinguish recovered bullets from the hundreds of lead bullets in the backstop left from previous practice sessions.
This was by no means a scientific test. I started carrying this ammo a couple of weeks ago and finally had the time to test the Buffalo Bore ammo out for myself. I did not use a chrono, nor did I make provisions to recover bullets that penetrated all of the jugs of water. Truth be told, I expected them to possibly shed large fragments (as they did in brassfetcher's test) or expand and be recovered in or between the jugs. I was wrong.
I had planned to use the BB round in both my 642-1, Vintage Undercover, and in a speed strip for reloads (to include my SP101 in .357 mag) to simplify my carry routine. But I'll have to rethink my options. I will repeat this test again (with better planning) when I get the chance, but until I can prove that this round will expand reliably out of the 1-7/8" barrel of the 642-1, I'll go back to Speer 135gr GDHP+P's that I have on hand. The Gold Dots (including Buffalo Bore's .357 mag version 19E/20) I've fired into water and mud have consistently expanded.
rd
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