No handgun round has sufficient velocity to produce hydrostatic shock to the point that it would a significant factor in wounding capability. You have to get into centerfire rifle cartridges to get enough velocity for the pressure wave of the bullet to cause damage to the bodily structures that the bullet passes by and does not contact directly. Handgun rounds make holes. That's it. The temporary stretch cavity disappears a fraction of a second after the bullet enters the body.
The body closes around the wound and actually makes the hole smaller than the size of the bullet expanded or not. Surgeons and others clearly state they cannot which pistol bullet (speaking of the major service calibers) a person has been hit by until the bullet is removed. So if a handgun bullet expands to say .65 caliber and penetrates to 12" it doesn't matter if it starts off 147gr.'s at 1000 f.p.s. or 124gr.s at 1250f.p.s.. One is expanding to that caliber and depth by being designed to do so at a certain weight and velocity. Same with the other.
A well designed 147gr. round will do essentially the same damage a well well designed 124gr. bullet will do. Might be some difference in expansion/penetration. But a well designed JHP will meet the F.B.I. criteria regardless of the weight and velocity. Several 147gr. bullets do very good with todays designs. This was not always true. It was not always true of the light or mid-weight bullets either.
The old rule of a JHP must travel at least 1000f.p.s. to work was because of the poor design of earlier JHP's. They nedded velocity to work. Not anymore. The deciding factor should be does the round function reliably in your gun? Does it hit to point of aim? Is the recoil mild enough to allow fast follow up shots? Rounds like the Federal HST 147gr. bullet are coming on very strong because of good performace.
The body closes around the wound and actually makes the hole smaller than the size of the bullet expanded or not. Surgeons and others clearly state they cannot which pistol bullet (speaking of the major service calibers) a person has been hit by until the bullet is removed. So if a handgun bullet expands to say .65 caliber and penetrates to 12" it doesn't matter if it starts off 147gr.'s at 1000 f.p.s. or 124gr.s at 1250f.p.s.. One is expanding to that caliber and depth by being designed to do so at a certain weight and velocity. Same with the other.
A well designed 147gr. round will do essentially the same damage a well well designed 124gr. bullet will do. Might be some difference in expansion/penetration. But a well designed JHP will meet the F.B.I. criteria regardless of the weight and velocity. Several 147gr. bullets do very good with todays designs. This was not always true. It was not always true of the light or mid-weight bullets either.
The old rule of a JHP must travel at least 1000f.p.s. to work was because of the poor design of earlier JHP's. They nedded velocity to work. Not anymore. The deciding factor should be does the round function reliably in your gun? Does it hit to point of aim? Is the recoil mild enough to allow fast follow up shots? Rounds like the Federal HST 147gr. bullet are coming on very strong because of good performace.