.357 158 grain Gold Dot

[CCantu357]

Anyone have any thoughts on this round?
I noticed on the ammo test done at Lucky Gunner, this round seemed to perform quite differently than other 158 hollow points. While I do not place all of my confidence in gel tests, I noticed that in their testing the Hornady XTP expanded nicely with deep penetration between 1100 and 1240 fps. The classic Remington SJHP had shallower penetration but even greater expansion between 1115 and 1300 fps. However, the Speer Gold Dot 158 showed massive penetration but no expansion, with velocities between 1000 and 1200 fps. (The lower velocities represent a 2", and higher ones a 4").

I have always heard that the Gold Dot is a premier defensive round, but no expansion with over 30" of penetration seems a little excessive. What are some of y'alls thoughts on this?

 

[stansdds]

Perhaps that Gold Dot load is intended more for protection against dangerous, four-legged animals.

 

[phonejack]

I would think most handloaders would be surprised to learn that the gold dot line is a plated bullet. I was.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I would think most handloaders would be surprised to learn that the gold dot line is a plated bullet. I was.

Yes, the GD bullets are technically plated because of the bonding process but the plating is just as thick as cup & core JHP bullets. Just saying they are plated is a misleading statement.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Expansion is a fickle thing..............

it depends on the bullets design, FPS fired at, distance at impact and the thickness of the copper jacket or plating.

I have had bullets that just had "A Bad Day" and then work out in a later test
be it a little different fps or even air temperatures etc......

It could even be a bad batch of bullets , powder and bullets can have a bad Lot
due to human or mechanical failures, it just happens.

One reason it pays to "Know" what the bullet type is best used for before using it.
I know this a person SD post but just for your information, the Speer bullet company
in a hunting 30-06 bullet has SIX different grades of hunting bullet styles to be used
on small game all the way to Dangerous African Big Game, c/o jacket thickness.

Since the 357 has so much velocity on hand a lighter bullet may
be a better choice for a weapon that gets spotty results.

Just because you are shooting top notch "Quality" , high dollar bullets......
does not mean that they will be "Wonder bullets".

 

[Cal44]

I noticed that problem with the 158 GD in the lucky gunner tests.

I figure it might do ok in 6" barrels like my m28.

Or in my Marlin 1894c with it's 18.5" barrel.

I might get some if I ever see it for sale.

But for now I've stocked up on the 135gr short barrel 357 for my snub, and the 125gr for my 3" m60-15.

 

[Rule3]

Expansion and penetration are related. Less expansion usually means More penetration.
Expansion by itself really has no bearing on the damage inflicted (with a handgun) and temporary wound cavity doesn't mean much either. Over penetration can be a problem however but every test is different and a real life situation will also be different.


Check out the article here on the testing.


https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/


"Bullets fired from handguns do only one thing: poke little holes in stuff. If the little hole doesn't go through something that's important for a human being's body to remain upright and functioning, that person can still go about their business, which may include trying to hurt other people.


o with that in mind, a handgun can quickly and definitively stop a determined attacker only if two conditions are met:

1. Adequate shot placement: The gun must be fired at a so-called "vital area" of the attacker. This usually means the heart or the brain/spine. Hits to the lungs and other organs can also be effective, but results may be slower.
2. Adequate penetration: The bullet must have the ability to penetrate whatever is between the muzzle and those vital organs in order to disrupt their function — for non-uniformed civilians, this typically includes clothing, tissue, and bone.

That's it. No matter what else may happen during the course of a lethal confrontation, if you shoot the guy in the right spot with a bullet that penetrates deep enough, the threat will go down.


Unlike penetration, there is no widely accepted minimum standard for expansion. One commonly used threshold is an expanded diameter at least 1.5 times the original diameter, but that's far from universal. Most law enforcement agencies that have a minimum standard for duty ammo tend to prioritize penetration over expansion, and consistent expansion is often considered more important than a specific target minimum diameter.


Furthermore, most ballistics researchers believe the temporary cavity created by handgun ammo does not lead to any significant wounding effects. Rifle bullets travel at a much higher velocity and can create temporary wound cavities that tear and disrupt tissue not even touched by the bullet itself (sometimes called "hydrostatic shock"). Because handgun bullets typically travel at relatively low velocity, they possess little to no capacity to induce this phenomenon.
Generally, for handgun ammunition, only the permanent wound cavity should be considered to have any reliable effect on the target."