44 Mag Bullet Test

[RL338]

Today I laid out some 5gal pails of water to catch some bullets at a balmy 33* for mid April.
First was the Nosler 240gr JHP

Not much expansion , seems the bullet may have tumbled. Stopped in the second pail.

Next was a Winchester 240gr JHP.


The bullet never expanded and plowed thru 2 pails and stopped in the wooden backstop. I dug it out with a screwdriver hence a little damage to it as seen in picture.

Lastly was a Hornady ammo with the 225gr FTX.

Again not much expansion and seem like it tumble also. A least this bullet split the first pail up.
I’m guessing my short barrel 44 Mag doesn’t provide enough oomph for heavier bullets.

 

[Hunter26]

Interesting results. Not much expansion going on there. The Hornady FTX tends to like being driven a lot faster, not sure about the others. Not your pretty full mushrooms, but results are results.

 

[JD338]

The Hornady XTP is suited for handgun velocities and will give you more expansion.

JD338

 

[RL338]

There were 8 FTX loaded rounds left in the box from when my son started hunting. At the time my brother borrowed him a Ruger rifle to hunt with. He shot a doe with that FTX in the shoulder , and did it ever make a hole thru it.

 

[jimbires]

disappointing results .

 

[JD338]

There were 8 FTX loaded rounds left in the box from when my son started hunting. At the time my brother borrowed him a Ruger rifle to hunt with. He shot a doe with that FTX in the shoulder , and did it ever make a hole thru it.

That was partially due to the higher velocity from the rifle barrel.

JD338

 

[TackDriver284]

Not much expansion by the looks of it, perhaps it needed more velocity to fully open. I dug in my old bullet collections, found three .41 Magnum bullets. Fired from a 6 inch barrel, into water jugs, left is a full metal jacket, possibly the older Hornady XTP FMJ, can't remember, 2nd bullet is possibly a soft nose or a JHP, shot at a 300 plus lb sow head on at 15 yards, entered the left cheek, plowed into the shoulder / neck junction and ran a straight line to the rear ham, just under the skin, the bullet was recovered. There are little bits of shattered bone in the lead, the 3rd bullet is a 210 XTP HP shot into water jugs, nice expansion. This was about 30 years ago, and I no longer own the .41 and I regret selling it. If I could remember, velocity was in the 1600 fps range, pushed with H110.

RL33, are you able to run those bullets faster or were you using mild charges? Try the XTP, it won't disappoint.

 

[RL338]

Hornady list 1410 fps on the box , I got 1212 fps. I thought it would expand a little better than it did 200 fps slower.
23.1grs of H110 with the Noslers is about all my Taurus will take.
I mostly tested these as I got a bunch of 5gal pails from my brother for catching bullets. I will catching a lot more bullets throughout the year.