Thanks for making these posts. I like seeing the results of the gel testing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by agtman
That's a .40 load masquerading as a "10mm."
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More so than you might think.
I shot the 180 gr. Hydra-Shock over the chronograph in both Federal's 10mm and .40 loads back in 2004 using guns with similar length barrels (Glock models 29 and 23). I found Federal loads the two essentially the same. The 10mm averaged 962 fps, which was all of 14 fps faster than the .40 version. Statistically they were the same.
I have since wondered about that. I'm sure Federal is aware of this, and could easily push the bullets faster. I'm guessing the bullet comes apart and does not perform as well at higher speeds. Or, maybe they determined that was the ideal velocity / expansion / penetration for that bullet, and going faster gave less good results.
The testing above shows we get 15-20" penetration with expansion of .50" to .75". Is that "good enough"? Maybe.
For the record, I like Hornady "Custom" JHP or Win Silvertip in 10mm. They both do 1200+ fps from a 5" barrel. But I wouldn't feel inadequate with the Hydrashocks either.