185 vs 230

[SJAdventures]

What's all your opinions on which is better for a defense round out of a 45acp. 185 gr with considerable higher velocities and considerable higher kinetic energy or the sheer weight of the slower 230gr? Isn't the overall kinetic energy the bottom line whenused witha sufficient mass?

[Paul L Mohr]

For defense ammo I personally would rather have the lighter faster bullets as long as they were a better bullet designed to expand rapidly.

A heavy bullet really isn't going to do you more good if doesn't expand and over penetrates. Now a heavier bullet with the same expansion would be better though.

You are more concerned with creating the largest wound channel as you can, not how much energy the bullet can carry to the target. All that energy does you no good if it can't be transfered and used to create more damage.

I know you are asking about defense ammo, but lets take a look at three different hunting rounds since you are looking for the same end result, putting a 200 lb or so critter on the ground as quick as possible.

We have three bullets to look at.

One being a shotgun using a 600 grn 12 ga round which is basically a .73 caliber lead bullet moving at 1500 fps and creating near 3000 ft/lbs of energy.

The next being a modern black powder muzzle loader using a 350 grn .45 caliber bullet designed for controlled expansion moving at 1600 fps and delivering nearly 2000 ft/lbs of energy.

And lastly the trusty .270 high powered deer rifle shooting a 150 grn hunting bullet moving at 2800 fps and delivering 2700 ft/lbs of energy.

From experience I can tell you that while the large shotgun slug will kill a deer the muzzle loader with the lighter, faster, better designed bullet is more effective and does more internal damage. And the .270 is far more effective than either one of them even though it shoots a bullet more than half the weight of the muzzle loader and a quarter the weight of the shotgun.

While the heavy large bullet has impressive numbers and seems like it would be devastating the truth is a faster lighter bullet designed to expand properly can actually transfer more energy and cause more internal damage.

Anther good analogy would be shooting a woodchuck with a typical 30-06 round and shooting one with a 22-250 varmint round. The 30-06 will kill one not doubt about it, but the 22-250 will blow one apart. Which round do you think was more effective at transferring energy

The heavier pistol load would have an edge over the lighter one in shooting through a barrier or through heavy clothing.

Something to keep in mind is when people compare different 45 weights or the 45 to the 9mm they are usually talking standard rounds or military ball ammo, which is not overly effective for defense in the first place. When you factor in all the different types of ammo choices you have they are all pretty darn effective.

My opinions anyway.

Paul

[whiskeysnoot]

185 gr. in short bbls for reliable expansion and function, 230 gr. in full size models. Need to keep the velocity up in your compact models. Same rule of thumb goes for other auto chamberings. e.g. in a .40 S&W Baby Glock use 165 gr., in full size use 180 gr.

[Swampdog]

My opinion on this would be the time of year and how much clothing the target is wearing thick coats and multiple layers of clothing tend ( so I have read ) to slow down penetration. With my 10 mm most reccomend a 165 in summer and the heavier rounds in the winter.

[jtb1967]

A lot of good points made above, but I normally look for what accurate and 100% reliable in my weapon, rather than any particular bullet weight.