.45 ACP bullet-expansion test results

As I've done for years with new-to-me calibers, I tested expansion, etc., of a couple .45ACP factory-load bullets. I test these by shooting them thru 1-gallon plastic waterjugs* from 10 feet. Pistol was my S&W M&P 45c with 4" barrel. Velocities were measured with my usual CED M2 chrono system set at average distance of 10 feet.

These first cartridges are the Hornady Critical Defense loaded with 185g. FTX bullets, their latest and best, plus the older Federal Premium Law Enforcement Hydra-Shok 185g. +P load.

Advertised muzzle velocities from 5" barrels are (Hornady) 1000FPS and (Federal) 1130FPS. My 5-shot averages from my 4" barrel are 965FPS (SD = 11) and 998FPS (SD 9), respectively. So the Critical Defense was close, the Federal not so.

The bullet-expansion test results also were considerably different. The top row are the Hydra-Shoks, the bottom the FTXs. The left-hand bullets were shot with no cloth on the front jug, while the RH Hydra-Shok passed thru a bundle simulating thick winter clothing, specifically 4 layers each of denim, terry toweling, and denim, my thickest-yet challenge. The RH FTX passed thru 8 layers of denim.


As you can see, both bullets performed excellently with no cloth (LH column). The HS weighed 185g., the FTX 179 (both to the nearest grain), with maximum widths of about 0.75" and 0.85" respectively. Not much difference and both excellent.

The results with cloth in the way are substantially different (RH column). The HS failed to expand at all and again weighed 185g. The FTX produced a result virtually identical to that of having no cloth in the way, weighing, again, 179g. and expanding to about 0.83" wide.

The overall performance of the FTX is about perfect IMO, while the Hydra-Shok turns out to be a PD load suited for summer but not winter weather.

I have some 185g. Gold Dot ammo on the way and will test that and also retest the Hornady load with the 12-layer bundle I'm now using.

You were right about the Hydra-Shoks, forestinmathews.


* I use sufficient number of 1-gallon waterjugs, full of water, of course, tightly aligned front to back, with varying material taped to the front of the first jug.

Very interesting and very telling. Thanks for the time and effort to post this.

jeffreybehr said:

You were right about the Hydra-Shoks, forestinmathews.

Click to expand...

I appreciate the acknowledgement.

Hydrashoks are terribly poor performing bullets. I have used 230 grainers a wounded deer thinking that it would be a wonder bullet. Yeah right! The two that I recovered looked just like the right hand candidate except clogged with fur and fat. Another time I had one skid around the skull at point blank range in .380ACP 95gr IIRC. They're a proven poor choice in .380 and .45 for me. You'll do well to stay away from them.

Any chance you'll be testing any other bullets besides the Gold Dot?

Thanks for the information by the way! I'll be looking into some of that Hornady.

forrestinmathews said:

I appreciate the acknowledgement.
...

Any chance you'll be testing any other bullets besides the Gold Dot?

Thanks for the information by the way! I'll be looking into some of that Hornady.

Click to expand...

I'll test any premium PD bullet I have, but the GDs are all that are on the way. Years ago I had several Glocks in .45GAP and tried the 185g. XTPs. I recall, but can't find any definitively labeled pics, that the XTPs expanded but to a relatively small width. About a decade ago when I started fooling with pistols with a long-barreled Glock 35 in .40S&W, I tested many different PD bullets, with Gold Dots, Mag-Tech Guardian Golds, and Win. PDX1s performing really well, but I had not yet started using any cloth in front of the jugs. So I'd like to test 185g. Mag-Techs and also Golden Saber Bondeds; we'll see. I'd also like to try the Winchester PDX1s or Ranger Bondeds (the same bullet?), but IIRC they don't have a 185.

Don't remember where I got the 5-times-20 Hornadys, but they were a bit over a buck a round delivered...and I'll buy more the instant I find them (and, probably, the GoldDot 185s too).

You're certainly welcome; I LOVE doing this stuff.

Nice job! I envy you that you have the time and place to do these tests.


When I "tested" the Ranger T series in our .45s against a wounded deer, they expanded perfectly and were just shy of being 1" in diameter.

Don 73 said:

When I "tested" the Ranger T series in our .45s against a wounded deer, they expanded perfectly and were just shy of being 1" in diameter.

Click to expand...

Ranger T series. I couldn't remember that for the life of me. That's what I've got in my carry .45's. I chose the 230gr. +P round for my Sig 220's. Good to know that information! Thanks.

I'm about to turn over some 185+P Golden Saber. It's been around forever. I'll test it out and report back if and when.

Try the current top end offering from Federal, the HST. It has performed really well in other tests I've seen.

Thanks for doing the test.

Like a lot of things, for every Internet thread saying Hydra Shok is no good and doesn't expand, you can find another thread or youtube saying it works great and showing expansion.

Hard to know what to think.

But a 45 cal hole is still a big hole -- even without expansion.

If you were using a .357 and it expanded to .45 inches in a game animal, you would consider it great.

jeffhughes said:

Try the current top end offering from Federal, the HST. It has performed really well in other tests I've seen.

Click to expand...

That's my understanding, too, but it's tough to find in the affordable 50-count boxes.

jeffreybehr said:

That's my understanding, too, but it's tough to find in the affordable 50-count boxes.

Click to expand...

SGAmmo has it right bow for 33.00/50

jeffhughes said:

SGAmmo has it right bow for 33.00/50

Click to expand...

Yes but only in 230s.

Finally got the Gold Dots tested...

...in my usual manner, shooting them from ten feet into a series of 1-gallon plastic waterjugs. Here's a pic of all results.


The 4 LH columns of bullets or pairs are Speer Gold Dot 185s. The members of the first pair were shot into bare, that is 'unclothed', jugs. Each cracked the back wall of jug #3 (that's 18") but didn't exit. The next single bullet was shot thru 8 layers of denim. It entered jug #4 but did not crack the back wall. The next bullet (3rd-left 'column') was shot thru a pack of 4 denim layers, one terry towel, and 4 more denim layers. IMO, all these bullets performed perfectly, expanding fully and losing no weight. The 4th column of 2 bullets were shot thru a thicker pack of 'clothing', that being 4 denim layers, two terry towels, and 4 more denims. The lower bullet expanded nicely and cracked the rear wall of Jug #4 but didn't exit. The upper bullet didn't expand and stuck in the rear wall of jug #8. All these GoldDots weighed from 184 thru 186 grains.

The RH pair of bullets are Hornady 185g. FTXs from their Critical Defense ammo. The LH one was fired into unclothed jugs, while the RH one was fired thru 8 layers of denim. These two performed perfectly IMO, but I need to test the FTX with the thick bundle. I believe my 'thick bundle' will be 1 layer of denim, 2 of terry towels, and another of denim, better representing an insulated jacket.

Altho I'm not happy with the performance of the single GoldDot that did not expand after being fired thru 3/4" of fabric and toweling, one did expand, and, overall, I'm very pleased with the performance of the GoldDots.

ALL the .45ACP PD cartridges I tested--Federal, Speer, and Hornady--functioned 100% perfectly in my S&W M&P 45c.

IF I couldn't afford to buy and practice with very many PD cartridges, I think I'd carry the FTXs. As it is, I can and do buy and shoot lots of PD ammo--plenty enough to continuously test its functioning in my pistol--so I'm carrying GoldDots, as they're about 40% less expensive than the Critical Defense FTXs.

Ten-foot-average-distance velocities were 938FPS (9 samples, SD of only 8) for the GoldDots and 965FPS (5 samples, SD 11) for the Hornadys. The +P-loaded Federal Hydra-Shoks achieved 998FPS (5 samples, SD 9) compared with the factory rating of 1130FPS.

I'm finished for a while. I destroyed about $40 of waterjugs today testing the GoldDots.

Interesting result, may I assume that all the layers of denim and terry were more or less 'packed' together in a solid 'wall' of fabric? If so, I think that it would tend to be a worst case scenario for the bullets and not let them perform as they would on a regularly clothed individual where the layers of fabric are loose and not packed tightly together.

Thanks for sharing your findings in such an elaborate manner.

I did the same test with Ranger-T's (non-+p) at the same distance with my P220




expanded to .981 diameter and weighed 229gr.

jeffreybehr said:

That's my understanding, too, but it's tough to find in the affordable 50-count boxes.

Click to expand...

Try here. It's where I get mine.
50 rd box - 45 Auto Federal HST 230 grain HP hollow point LE ammo P45HST2 | SGAmmo.com

Don 73 said:

Interesting result, may I assume that all the layers of denim and terry were more or less 'packed' together in a solid 'wall' of fabric? If so, I think that it would tend to be a worst case scenario for the bullets and not let them perform as they would on a regularly clothed individual where the layers of fabric are loose and not packed tightly together.

Click to expand...

Yes, it's a about-5"-by-7" pad at least a halfinch thick ducttaped (top and bottom only; the bullet does not pass thru the tape) onto the front of the jug.

I took a bunch of pics last week, but my smartfone is smarter than I am, and I don't know how to get the pics onto my computer. All others I've used simply appear as a USB storage device, but this one doesn't, even tho W7 installed a driver for it.

I think I'll change my thick-clothing imitation to a 1-denim, 2-terrytowel, 1-denim pack to better imitate an insulated jacket, and then retest the Hydra-Shok, FTX, and GoldDot...maybe next week.

forrestinmathews said:

Thanks for sharing your findings in such an elaborate manner.

Click to expand...

YW...and it seems I'm not quite finished. But I think I'll wait until I have about 30 FREE waterjugs to use.

While we are on the subject, what does everyone think of Nosler JHP controlled expansion?

I guess I'll have my friends save up some water jugs. I guess if it gets desperate we could use beer or soda cans...

If there's any way you could include the Federal Premium HST it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.