Speer Gold Dot Ammo or bullets
- Thread starter tackstrp
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mewachee
Member
I am not an expert, but I have put in serious research into these bullets. To start with, I don't know the link, but there is documentation compiled by police departments around the country. The tests varied, but for the most part were simular. Each performs differently under different circumstances. I wanted a bullet that would perform the best under most of these. The only situation that they did not expand was shooting through sheetrock into water. Shooting through leather and denim into water, I never had a problem. The maintain their mass very well. They expand big.
I will search my bookmarks to see if I can find that police study.
I shoot this bullet out of a .40 s&ww, .38 special, 357 mag., .45 colt and a .380 as defense loads. I use Barnes bullets and Lead for hunting out of these guns.
I will search my bookmarks to see if I can find that police study.
I shoot this bullet out of a .40 s&ww, .38 special, 357 mag., .45 colt and a .380 as defense loads. I use Barnes bullets and Lead for hunting out of these guns.
Crowbar Muldoon
Member
Speer Gold Dots are used exclusively by many law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad, particularly in France....so it's fair to say that a few experts have concluded that they are superior for their particular needs. That being so, there has been a shortage lately, and it can be downright hard to find in some calibers, especially .380. I just found some .38 .135 gr short barrel GD's after a lengthy wait.
Not to knock the Golden Sabers (love 'em in .357), or the Hornadys(XTP/FP for the lever), either. All good bullets...Steve makes a very valid point.
Not to knock the Golden Sabers (love 'em in .357), or the Hornadys(XTP/FP for the lever), either. All good bullets...Steve makes a very valid point.
jfh
Member.
the reputation may be at least partly forum-based
for the GDSB variety, but justified. The short-barrel variety was the first "modern" hollowpoint bullet that covered a lot of bases, in that it provided 'better' expansion at lower velocities. A few years ago, they made available the 'white paper' on this development as a PDF file.
The emphasis in the development was really about providing maximum performance suitable to shooter needs, not necessarily to provide maximum performance from a given cartridge. Further, it focused on bullet design using a new (cheaper) manufacturing technology--i.e., plated, rather than 'separate' jackets of varying type.
The performance criteria Speer used for its development really is / was a newer approach, and the product is, a newer (and arguably) better design than the Remington Golden Saber and Hornacy XTP designs.
I have PDF copies of the Speer white paper and the original "short barrel' recipes Speer published--e-mail me if you want them. However, the reloading recipes are both expanded and updated in Speer 14, so it is a manual well worth buying if you want to pursue reloading these bullets.
But, overall, it seems to me to really be about identifying a market demand and filling that niche.
Speer marketed these rounds--notably, in 38 Special and 357 Magnum--at about the same time that legal carry was expanding in the handgun gunny consciousness. IOW, the demand was building. As carry expanded into a more-general public consciousness, demand, this time by 'new' shooting enthusiasts, ramped up again.
Finally, they were (arguably) the first company to focus on, and publish, reloading information for ballistics with these bullets out of short barrels, and this information included loads that would nominally match the factory information.
Soooo--all these factors came together about four-to-three years ago: lots of new carry-ers were showing up, a lot of them were carrying short barrel firearms, and some of them were reloading. Two-plus years ago, several of us in this forum who committed to revolver carry--typically, j-frames--did a lot of testing to create "replica reloads" for practice, and that information has been posted here and there. (Googling for it in this forum--i.e., try 'GDSB,' 'Replica Reloads,' or such terms ought to bring up the information for reloading.)
...and, I suspect, that gets us to where we are today--in a postive feedback loop. As long as the bullets stay together--i.e., are shot at velocities over nominally 800 and under 1050--it works well (at least in simulation) and it's a shootable round for most users.
Jim H.
for the GDSB variety, but justified. The short-barrel variety was the first "modern" hollowpoint bullet that covered a lot of bases, in that it provided 'better' expansion at lower velocities. A few years ago, they made available the 'white paper' on this development as a PDF file.
The emphasis in the development was really about providing maximum performance suitable to shooter needs, not necessarily to provide maximum performance from a given cartridge. Further, it focused on bullet design using a new (cheaper) manufacturing technology--i.e., plated, rather than 'separate' jackets of varying type.
The performance criteria Speer used for its development really is / was a newer approach, and the product is, a newer (and arguably) better design than the Remington Golden Saber and Hornacy XTP designs.
I have PDF copies of the Speer white paper and the original "short barrel' recipes Speer published--e-mail me if you want them. However, the reloading recipes are both expanded and updated in Speer 14, so it is a manual well worth buying if you want to pursue reloading these bullets.
But, overall, it seems to me to really be about identifying a market demand and filling that niche.
Speer marketed these rounds--notably, in 38 Special and 357 Magnum--at about the same time that legal carry was expanding in the handgun gunny consciousness. IOW, the demand was building. As carry expanded into a more-general public consciousness, demand, this time by 'new' shooting enthusiasts, ramped up again.
Finally, they were (arguably) the first company to focus on, and publish, reloading information for ballistics with these bullets out of short barrels, and this information included loads that would nominally match the factory information.
Soooo--all these factors came together about four-to-three years ago: lots of new carry-ers were showing up, a lot of them were carrying short barrel firearms, and some of them were reloading. Two-plus years ago, several of us in this forum who committed to revolver carry--typically, j-frames--did a lot of testing to create "replica reloads" for practice, and that information has been posted here and there. (Googling for it in this forum--i.e., try 'GDSB,' 'Replica Reloads,' or such terms ought to bring up the information for reloading.)
...and, I suspect, that gets us to where we are today--in a postive feedback loop. As long as the bullets stay together--i.e., are shot at velocities over nominally 800 and under 1050--it works well (at least in simulation) and it's a shootable round for most users.
Jim H.
i ask because i have both the Seecamp in 32 ACP, and the Kel TEC P3AT in 380. The Seecamp 32 much more pleasent to shoot. Seecamp has a 2 1/16 barrel while the KT 380 has 2.7. With a heavey 100 grain bullet full house it is uncomfortable from the get go.
One of these must go. Been looking at al the balistic tables and the 380 always has considerable more to 100% more engery at the muzzel. Have a CT on the KT, sure do like that. Seems to work and function as well as my Seecamp.
Thanks for the rapid response. You answered my question about Speer gold dots. Midway has some 32 gold dots for reloading, but not the 380. $18 a hundred sure better than $28 for box of loaded ammo of 20 rounds
One of these must go. Been looking at al the balistic tables and the 380 always has considerable more to 100% more engery at the muzzel. Have a CT on the KT, sure do like that. Seems to work and function as well as my Seecamp.
Thanks for the rapid response. You answered my question about Speer gold dots. Midway has some 32 gold dots for reloading, but not the 380. $18 a hundred sure better than $28 for box of loaded ammo of 20 rounds
jfh
Member.
tackstrp: 18 cents a bullet plus perhaps 6-7 cents or so for the other components is, as you say, cheaper than the $1.40 of the factory round.
Whey not try finding a "replica reload" for the Speer 32 / .380 round?--that should reduce your loading cost to perhaps 12 cents a round, or maybe less. You can even do this kind of load development without a chronograph; you just need to learn to evaluate the subjective recoil characteristics of your chosen factory round.
Jim H.
Whey not try finding a "replica reload" for the Speer 32 / .380 round?--that should reduce your loading cost to perhaps 12 cents a round, or maybe less. You can even do this kind of load development without a chronograph; you just need to learn to evaluate the subjective recoil characteristics of your chosen factory round.
Jim H.
Marlin 45 carbine
Member
I haven't tryed any GD's in .380acp but have GS and XTP. crude expansion testing reveals that GD can't be a helluva lot better than GS (102gr also). this from my BDA.
loadedround
Member
Tackstrp, I carry my Seecamp SWC-32 on occasion and the only ammo that Seecamp recommends is the Speer Gold Dot. If. I'm not istaken that ammo is marked on the magazines. I know this doesn't answer your question, but it's good stuff. I was lucky to be able to buy 5 bx of Gold Dots when I bought my Seecamp a few years ago. Since I only fire 2 mags a year of my Gold Dot stash, it should last me severral years more.
would really like to fire a Seecamp 380, the recoil on the kel tec 380 is bad enough. Suspect the recoil on the Seecamp would be worst. No way I will pay a grand or more or even Seecamp Retail for the 380. Should not complain, small guns going for big gun power are going to bite some. Got up this morning, thinking i need to stick with a 38 snub nose and sell the other stuff.
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