185 grain .45 cal Nosler Hollowpoint

big rifle man

Handloader
Dec 21, 2005
850
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I'd like to get some input from fellow .45 shooters in regards to their experience with this bullet, I.E. Penetration, expansion and feeding reliability. The bullet looks like it has a large hollowpoint which, I'm sure would initiate expansion. Any feedback would be appreciated.
 
big rifle man

What are you going to use this bullet for? i85 gr is pretty light cor caliber so you won't get near as deep penetration as you would get from a 230 gr.
IMHO, the 230 gr weight is what made the 45 ACP the noted man stopper.
For carry, I use Federal Tactical 230 gr HST. 100% feeding and reliability in my Kimber.
45ACP230grHST.jpg

I wish Nosler would make a 230 gr offering.

JD338
 
JD, not for me but for a friend who would like to do some small to medium game hunting. I agree with the heavier bullet combination and feel for personal use the 200 grain should be the minimum weight carried. My buddy is a fairly good shot and wants to test his ability in a hunting situation. I am also interested in the POI difference. Any thoughts?
 
The 185 would be fine for small game.You probably won't get the same accurate range out of the .45ACP that you would with the 230.
I would not personally use a 185 on deer.I have killed rabbits and such with my .45
 
big rifle man":4mwtt0rg said:
JD, not for me but for a friend who would like to do some small to medium game hunting. I agree with the heavier bullet combination and feel for personal use the 200 grain should be the minimum weight carried. My buddy is a fairly good shot and wants to test his ability in a hunting situation. I am also interested in the POI difference. Any thoughts?

No idea on the POI difference. I only shoot 230 gr loads out of my Kimber.

JD338
 
I have used the old Remington 185gr. +P Jacketed Hollow Point and the 185gr. Nosler Jacketed Hollow Point loaded to the same velocity level (1145 FPS) on quite a few Whitetails. Granted most were at the scenes of Deer / Vehicle Accidents, but some were under hunting conditions as well. I never did recover a bullet from a Whitetail as all were chest shots with complete penetration.

If your buddy keeps his range to 50 yards or less he'll be fine unless he hits the front shoulder. In my opinion the above mentioned loads are way more effective than anything I have ever used in a 4" .357 Magnum.

Larry
 
Larry, thanks for the info. The deer where I live in Florida (Central East Coast) are not known for their size so a .45 should work. It was interesting to note that you had complete penetration. Bullet weight means a lot. There is really no contest between the .357/.45 as far as stopping power. Mass means a lot.
 
big rifle man":35ubp7is said:
Bullet weight means a lot. There is really no contest between the .357/.45 as far as stopping power. Mass means a lot.

There is No Replacement for Displacement. :wink:

JD338
 
I don't consider the .357 mag in a revolver adequate for deer. The .357 mag is legal in Ga. and the .45 ACP is not , go figure?The .41 mag is marginal.It will work provided you use the correct bullet.
 
JD338":29ot3esg said:
big rifle man":29ot3esg said:
Bullet weight means a lot. There is really no contest between the .357/.45 as far as stopping power. Mass means a lot.

There is No Replacement for Displacement. :wink:

JD338

You're very welcome. I guess I should have also noted that in every instance in which I shot a Whitetail with the .45 ACP +P 185gr. Ammo the only bone ever hit was a rib either on entrance or exit. I am quite sure if I had hit a shoulder the outcome would have been different.

On a different note I did finish off a buck one day that had it's back broken and required a finishing shot (shot initially with a .30-30 AI Contender Handgun). I shot the buck in the neck from behind with the +P 185gr. Ammo (don't remember if it was a Remington Factory Load or a Handload with the 185gr. Nosler JHP). At any rate the distance was about 15 feet, and the bullet did seperate. I found the pieces when we skinned and butchered the buck, but it finished the buck so I guess it did it's job.

Larry
 
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