357 Partition HG Bullet?

[steel]

How slow of FPS will the 357cal 180gr Partition HG bullet expand well? Any info I can get will be great I was doing some mild loading for a 357 pistol but don't what to get to slow FPS for the bullet to open up well. Would 850-900FPS be to slow? Thanks for any help!

 

[steel]

I went ahead and ordered a box of the 180gr 357 HG bullets to try out and will report back later on how they do at lower FPS. I am loading around 1000FPS at the muzzle so impact FPS should be around 900 out at 50 yards or so my normal shooting range.

 

[JD338]

I would think that 900 fps would give you positive expansion. Try shooting a few into gallon milk jugs filled with water. Line up 6 jugs in a row and put the bullet dead center. I am guessing you will find your expanded bullet in jug #5.

JD338

 

[steel]

Nope they did not expand at all. One had the tip start to pull back and thats it. My FPS on the test rds was about 935 to 950 FPS fireing into a large bucket filled with water and trash sack to hold the water inside since I was putting many holes through my good bucket. I tried the 180gr XTP Rd the front expand to maybe .45-.50 cal not much but all test bullets look the same so the do expand. The HG rds may do better on game ay slow FPS as water is mostlikey not the best test but all I have to use.

 

[JD338]

Water is actually a hard test media. Wet news paper /phone books is closer to but still not the same as game animals.
The 250 gr PT from my 44 Mag expands well in water and on WT deer.

JD338

 

[Nosler4]

The folks in the ballistics lab were able to get expansion as low as 700fps in the ballistic glue (that 700fps is impact velocity, not muzzle velocity). I agree that the wet newspaper is better than water for testing.