I just bought a couple boxes of this from Midway, because they were on sale and I'm curious. I've always liked the bullet weight, but I've never been an XTP fan, due primarily to the lousy expansion characteristics except in super-hot loadings. (LOVE 'em in .460 Rowland!) Anybody out there do any expansion testing on these loads? The box says 1350fps, but does not reference a barrel length. Anyone chrono any?

I'm looking forward to hearing your results - I've always thought the 140-to-145-grain load is smart for social work at .357 velocities. Also, have been curious as to whether the XTP bullet penetrates decently. This load has intrigued me . . .

Erich, penetration has never been a problem with any XTP I've tried, or of which I've heard. OVERPENETRATION, on the other hand...

Yeah, there is that. That's why I didn't buy any from Midway last week when I picked up a Fastfire red dot . . . I'll leave it to you wealthy private-bar types to test and tell me if they're a good way to go!

quote:

Originally posted by Erich:
I'll leave it to you wealthy private-bar types to test and tell me if they're a good way to go!

Would that it were so...

Supposedly, XTP expands less and penetrates better than most JHP's.

I just suggested it to a friend who wants an emergency bear load for his S&W M-66 snub .357.

There, you WANT that added penetration.

I've used "Factory" hornady 140 gr. XTP's on hogs with great results and wonderful expansion. I like to use them in my 586 with 8 3/8 inch barrel.

For self defense I'd rather use Corbon's 140 gr. load. I know that the Sierra JHP bullet will fragment like one would expect from Remington 125 gr. SJHPs.

I had just a few minutes last night before it got too dark, to do some unscientific testing. I chronoed 3 rounds through one of my trusty 3" 65-3s, and shot a round from the same gun into jugs of water.

Chrono results: Mean velocity- 1193.6 fps. (443 ft.lbs. energy) ES- 42.8 fps. SD-23.9 fps. Recoil was noticeably greater than Remington 125gr. Golden Saber (1205-1225fps., with an ES of about 20fps. from this gun) but nonetheless very controllable. Flash was not visible to me in the daylight, but I did not shoot after it was really late enough to tell much about flash.

I usually line up one-gallon milk jugs of water to test expansion, but was low on them, so I shot into a 1 gallon milk jug, backed by a much heavier one-gallon windshield washer fluid jug, with a 48 oz. Drano jug (heavier still, and edgeways) behind that. The bullet stopped, barely, inside the Drano jug, after almost penetrating the back side. I'm convinced that it would have at least entered, and likely penetrated, a 4th gallon milk jug, if only those had been used. The moderately expanded bullet measured 0.49"-0.52" across, and appeared to have lost little to no weight. I did not weigh it, since my lovely wife was by then asking for my presence indoors.

Conclusions? Well, I'm with flopshank on this one, at least for social use and shorter barrels. The loads with the known best street records pretty much always stop in the third milk jug, and exhibit better expansion or fragmentation.

I haven't loaded any 140 XTPs but I have loaded a bunch of 180s and they shoot great with AA#. Very accurate also.

quote:

Originally posted by 38-44HD45:
The loads with the known best street records pretty much always stop in the third milk jug, and exhibit better expansion or fragmentation.

Love him, or hate him, Evan Marshall says that bullets that fragment in gelatin will pretty much always expand in street shootings (I don't remember the exact quote, but that's the jist of it).

Interesting: it comes real close to the performance of STHPs. I'll stick with the Winchesters - thanks for the great data, John.

I've got 1000 free rounds of the 125xtp that I'm planning on maxing out with some sr4756. I'm curious how they will perform at max velocity.

Erich, you are most welcome. PPS, I expect that you'll be happy with the XTPs at high velocities. My limited experience with them is that they really come into their own at top speeds.

One of the few 357 loads I have not shot.