Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns ...a few bullets tests...

Yes, it, the 41 Magnum does have more power and destructive ability. But it also has alot more blast and recoil. E

Test #14
S&W Model 57
4"
Winchester 175 Silvertip HP
1143 fps

Split carton, punched hole in and out of Jug #1 and was found in Jug #2...

That's a big difference in bullet performance between the WW Silver Tip and the Remington soft point. I'm surprised to see that. In the .44 Magnum, the soft points and especially the HP stuff has always had a rep for expanding to the point where they come apart. E

Will need to run the Silvertip over the chrono again as I must have written it down wrong. That same box of ammo and gun ran 1225 last time it was tested. They normally run 1300 fps from a 6".

Can't say I am surprised at all. I have never heard of the Remington 210 SPs ever coming apart. Remingtom HP ammo was not out very long....never even heard about it until the 170s had been discontinued.

The Winchester round was specifically designed to be a defensive round even thought it say "Hunting" on the box. Low recoil, fast followup shots, fast bullet expansion for relatively low velocity....

CorBon designed their 170 .41 Mag. to be the same...there is one problem however...there are no lightweight self-defense bullets made for the .41 Magnum except for the 170 Silvertip. Everything else if made for hunting. In this case CorBon used the Sierra 170 Jacketed Hollow Cavity that has a lightbulb shaped cavity instead of the traditional HP. The bullet is also toughened with 1.6% antimony.

I used a 180 .44 at 1650 fps and blew through over 2' of deer breaking 2 ribs on the way out. Gary Reeder of Reeder Custom Guns uses the 170 .41 in his .41 GNR #2 at 2K fps to take elk...they are not made for self-defense....

Bob

Test #15
S&W Model 57
4"
CorBon 170 grain JHC
1257 fps

Split carton and Jug #1. Punched holes through jugs 2-3-4 and stopped at the vest insert.

That looks pretty good to me. I'll bet that load doesn't kick much either. E

The Silver Tip is a real dog IMHO. The 170 as loaded by Buffalo Bore is my choice as a self defense load in the 41 mag. In fact I suspect about any of the 210 grainers will do the job nicely

That 210 gr Remington done a very nice job, if accuracy was there and I didnt handload, I would consider that bullet for everything 41 Mag.

Gunner

Test #16
S&W Model 57
4"
Federal Vital-Shok 180 Barnes All-Copper HP
1341 fps

Split carton and blew up Jug #1, punched a large hole through Jugs 2 and 3 and ended up in #4.

Fascinating. I really appreciate your tests and posting the pics taken of them. E

U R welcome....Bob

Test #17
S&W 500
4" (3" barrel and 1" Comp)
Handload: 250 Sierra HP with 20 grains of Unique (Incorrect in picture, says Hornady)
1251 fps

Blew carton to pieces. Blew up Jug #1 and started leaving bullet pieces behind! Lead petals from HP left behind in Jug #2. Jacket found in Jug #3. Core went through Jug #4 and hit the vest insert.

20 grains of "Unique"??????

...it's a big case.

Lyman #49 20 grains with a Hornady XTP

Cases fall right out. I use 18.0 with the Berry's 350 plated. That is the load that my assistant shot his milk carton with above...

Unique works in everything...

Bob

psi listed at 48K...there are loads over 50K listed in other manuals so it seems fine...

Lots more interesting stuff there Bob. Thanks again.

I appreciate your comments in regards to the toughness of the Sierra 41 cal 170 gr bullet and self defense.

While I did manage to mutilate that bullet at magnum revolver velocities at point blank range into water.



I have used the 170 Sierra on flesh and blood one time. I was forced to dispatch a large feral dog (80 lb female) a few years ago. I hit it from about fifty yds with the same load as used for the photo above. Except that the bullet was fired from the Marlin carbine.

The shot was true, centered on the forward ribs. But the dog jumped and ran for 125 yds before falling over. The bullet exited without a lot of damage on the off side.

Had the target been a human assailant, he could have inflicted a lot of damage upon the defending citizen before expiring. Of course, we all know there is no true "one shot stopper" without a CNS hit.

I would not be scared to take a deer with the 170 Sierra from the revolver, but the 210 XTP would, I think, be an even better choice.

What I would really like to see though, is an elk taken with that 210 gr Remington.

Notice that the 170 Remington and 175 Silvertip both stopped in the second water jug even though they were 100 fps apart...that is because the bullets were both opening up rapidly. Both dump their energy early which is what you need in shooting lightly build Kritters.

The Sierra opened slower and was able to keep penetrating even though at the end it was about the same expanded size as the other two. As a result you loose all your energy on the off side of the target.

The Dallas Co. MEs office had a list of energy dumps for favored LE cartridges back in the 1970/80s. They put a chrono before and after a block of ballistic gelatin, recorded the velocity loss and then calculated the energy dump. There were a lot of rounds that would exit the block having dumped little into it where others of the same caliber and grain weight dumped a lot more.

There is a poster over on the S&W forums who shot over 20 deer while stationed in Alaska with a 6" 57 and the 210 SP....never lost a deer and I think no recovered bullets.

Pull the skin off a deer and look what is underneath...couple inches of meat, then ribs and then lungs...there isn't much more to a human.

The standard by which all defensive rounds are judged is the .357 Magnum 125 HP at 1400+- fps from a 4" barrel....it is a proven fight stopper. The sectional density of the 125/.357 is the same as the 170/.41 and 180/.44. Run a lightly constructed bullet in those calibers that will open up like the Silvertip or the Remington at 1400 fps and you will get the same results...that is why I think that the Remington 170 SCHP would have been the top self-defense round for the .41. The Silvertip has been proven to be an excellent stopper but if boosted to 1350 would easily equal the .357.

That said the Silvertip has modest recoil for a Magnum which allows followup shots...course with another 100 fps a followup shot might not be needed...

Bob

a few years ago i got into a bunch of those 210grain remington half jacket softpoints. I loaded them up thinking i wanted penetration. From your pictures, it would seem to be a good choice.
I would be interested to see when you get to it, what that hungarian mould keith style 230 grain bullet does with the pentad hollow point. I haven't cast any yet.

More fun stuff to look at and read! Enjoying this thread, immensely. Did you get the 380 and 10mm ammo I sent to you yet?

I have predictions and pre concieved ideas about what I THINK they will do, dyin to see what turns up here.

I am anxiously awaiting the return of these tests! RJM, are you back among us again, yet?

Bob,

While you are at it, how about the factory Speer 210gr GD round? They say it is a hunting round, but it goes with me on the trail, and in town from time to time.