Kevin:
Jeff Cooper? Elmer Keith? The question comes down to the right bullet for the right game. Dangerous game gets a heavy where expansion isn't the primary quest. Shooting people qualifies as dangerous game because they are doing something dangerous to me or to someone else.
I've hung up my badge and credentials so I no longer care about the latest "Ed Sanow" wonder projectile. The world can keep spinning without me. I know what works...er what has worked, and I like solidly constructed bullets. By the way, my TCs in .45 are lead so there may be some expansion. The other TCs I carry say expanding on the box. Evidently the cone is exposed lead that is then copper plated. Haven't shot them in anything that would demonstrate that property.
As has been pointed out, a conservative estimate of rounds fired by law enforcement involves 70% misses. After 25 years of law enforcement, I'd have to say that estimate is low. I'd put it closer to 80% or even higher now that the semi-automatic pistol is in every holster.
People, CCWs, homeowners/property owners, kill several times more felons every year than do the cops. Most of them aren't carrying the most expensive anti-personnel ammo they can buy. Most of them probably don't even know what they are carrying as far as bullet construction, velocity, bullet weight etc. They shoot and the bad guy either dies or makes his getaway dribbling blood. While we decry overpenetration, we seldom read about a case of it. In fact, I can't remember a case of it. What we do read about is cops missing a lot. Dozens of rounds fired...perp hit once or twice (on a good day and not at all most times.)
No my friend, I believe over penetration is a buzzword that has little actual value in the discussion. It represents a potential tragedy, but it falls into the category of building a bomb shelter at your home...in the mountains!
I have nothing against hollowpoints. Nothing at all. They are probably "provably" better projectiles than the ones I choose to stoke my pistols with. I want to be able to break auto glass. I want to be able to sent a bullet at an angle through my patio door (making appropriate adjustments to my aiming point of course), I want to know that if the perp takes refuge behind my couch, I can use up a magazine feeling him out and flushing him for my dog to chew on! My Uncle Sheridan killed a Kraut by slowly cutting through a big pine tree with a Browning .50 until the poor soul had no where else to go. I didn't ask if his hands were up when he stepped out from behind the tree coz it's none of my business.
Regards
Dan
