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Old 12-02-2012, 07:02 PM
tx_oil tx_oil is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris642 View Post
OK... so the grain weight is the actual bullet, and not the powder level (grains of power?). This explains a lot. That is why a .45acp can hit so hard, and a .22LR can travel so far?

So I should be looking at the highest muzzle velocity plus ft/lbs energy rather then grain weight of bullet for a small snubbie?
First, I appreciate your wanting to learn some facts about different cartridge loads, and it can be confusing to have a lot of numbers/stats/charts thrown at you. For a self defense load in a snubbie, you want the bullet to expand as much as it can, and expend as much energy as it can in it's intended target (bad guy).
As several previous posts indicate, there is no one best load...you have a choice of bullet weight, bullet design, bullet material and then factory powder loading. IN NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHOULD YOU USE A HANDLOAD FOR SELF DEFENSE...simple legal truth here, dont take my word for it, but do some reading on this.
Now, in a snubbie you will probably feel the recoil more intensely than in a heavier gun especially with a .357 or .38+P load. Simple physics here and much has been written on this topic by scribes smarter than I. Heavier bullet out one end=more recoil on the other end. Shorter barrel = more muzzle flip and flash.
Choose a bullet design which best serves YOUR needs. For example, if you are in a cold area and a potential social encounter would include heavy winter coats and multiple layers of clothing, perhaps something like a CorBon Powrball round with a hollow point containing a polymer ball to prevent becoming clogged with leather/denim/whatever and possibly not expanding.
The good news in all of this rambling is that there are many choices for defensive ammo available now, and I hope that this is helpful to you.
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