Federal HST Ballistics Test (.40 s&w 165gr vs 180gr)

[LoneStarWings]

Here is my informal HST ballistics test just to make sure they worked well in my carry gun (s&w m&p .40 w/ 4.25" barrel). All rounds fired from 7 yards into plastic milk jugs filled with water stacked 48" deep.

On the left: 2 180gr .40 bullets, On the right: 2 165gr .40 bullets
Pictured here with a nickel for comparison.


The 180's penetrated 2 milk jugs compleltely, made holes in the wall of the 3rd but came to rest in the bottom of the 3rd jug. They expanded to .83".

The 165's penetrated 3 milk jugs and came to rest in the bottom of the 4th. They expanded to about .70".

Either one seems to work fine, but I think I will stick with the 180's. It was fun watching the caps to the front milk jug fall to earth 3 seconds after the shots were fired. In all cases the front jug was ripped apart. I would've tested more to get a more scientific sample but I ran out of jugs.

 

[proud2deviate]

Pretty, ain't they? I put a 230 gr .45 into soft mud with much the same results, but I lost a petal and a half due to gravel. Good stuff

 

[psyopspec]

Now you can solder the backs of the expanded bullets to pieces of 4" wire cut from a coat hanger. Voila! Instant bouquet for the SO!

 

[LoneStarWings]

For some reason I thought the 165 grain bullets would expand more due to their higher velocity, while the 180's would penetrate deeper. The opposite turned out to be true.

 

[JTQ]

Have them put in blocks of lucite and you have the perfect paper weights.

 

[Deus Machina]

For some reason I thought the 165 grain bullets would expand more due to their higher velocity, while the 180's would penetrate deeper. The opposite turned out to be true.

If you look, the 165's did expand more--they actually folded the petals back further.

If you try it in ballistics gel, they may have a larger temporary cavity about at that point.

 

[kmbrman]

Fed HST ?

LoneStarWings .Now I wish someone would put a jug test out on the same two loads out of say, a Glock 27 ,23 or some other popular brand of compact pistol so we would know what shorter barrels would do with them.

 

[Kangspec]

awesome test!!!

now real question is where did you get HST

 

[LoneStarWings]

awesome test!!!

now real question is where did you get HST

Ammunitiontogo.com had a good deal not too long ago so I ordered 500 rounds for $29/box, but I have 1000 more that I won a gunbroker auction for a few months back. I got the 2 boxes of 165gr through a LEO friend, mine is all 180gr.

LoneStarWings .Now I wish someone would put a jug test out on the same two loads out of say, a Glock 27 ,23 or some other popular brand of compact pistol so we would know what shorter barrels would do with them.

As if I need another excuse to buy a new gun

 

[Kind of Blued]

Just a friendly idea:
If you use one water jug in front a couple phonebooks, the single jug will expand the JHP completely and the phonebooks will stop it. Its less messy, easier to transport, and you still get a good idea of penetration.

Thanks for sharing. I have an expanded .230gr .45 ACP +P HST bullet on my dresser. They sure do look neat.

 

[Diggers]

It is a nice looking bullet.

BUT does anyone here think they might make them a little too soft??

They expand real nice but I wonder about penetration in the real world.

Seems to me a 180 grain slug going 900-950 fps should go through more than 2 jugs of water.

 

[Kind of Blued]

If I'm not mistaken, bullets tend to penetrate further in ballistic gelatin than in water, especially JHPs. In theory, they should penetrate further in living tissue than in water as well, lest they hit bone.

 

[LoneStarWings]

I think the water in the test caused the 180gr bullets to expand a good bit more than they would in ballistics gel. They penetrated about 18" in the water, as evidenced by the cuts they made in the back of the 3rd milk jug.

According to most credible sources who have tested his ammo in ballistics gelatin, the 180gr HST will expand somewhere between .55 and .80" and penetration 13-18" in ballistics gel, regardless of rather or not it's covered with a 4 layer denim barrier. I wish I had the time and resources to test that myself.

In the end, shooting milk jugs like I did is pretty meaningless for anything other than making jewelry out of bullets. I never really had any doubts that these bullets would perform as advertised.