VERN HUMPHREY wrote in a message to ROY J. TELLASON:

RJT> RJT> Can any of you guys fill me in on what the tradeoffs are with these
RJT> RJT> choices?

RJT> TS> You might check ballistics tables and compare projectile energys.

RJT>Where would such tables be found?

VH> Most ammo manufacturers produced ballistic tables -- you can 
VH> usually find them at gunshops, lying around as fliers.

Funny thing today was...   We were looking for something,  not directly
gun-related,  but the sort of thing you'd find in a sporting goods shop. 
Actually it's an extension for her fanny pack,  which won't extend any
further by itself (no more comment from me on _that_ issue :-).  We did
pick up such a thing,  calling itself a "lashing strap" at the
one gun shop I'd stopped at recently,  only the plastic bits at the ends
weren't compatible with the ones that were there.  So today we stopped at a
couple of places that were like the big chains,  there was Dunham's,  and
Dicks (are they all over?).  Neither one could help us out.  Now I'd been
in both of these before,  and in fact bought my Taurus at Dunham's,  though
a different store.  And I noticed today that in both cases,  where there
used to be a whole mess of glass cases that had handguns in them,  there
weren't any in there today.  One store had some 2-way radios and a scope or
two in there.  Rifles and shotguns on the wall behind,  I didn't take
notice of how those might have been secured.

On the other hand,  that gun shop I was at last weekend or whenever it was,
 I walk in there and they've got tons of stuff.  Including a whole mess of
reloading gear,  right there in the middle of the floor.  And the people
there knew what the heck they were talking about.  I think I'm gonna go
back there again,  and ask them if they maybe have that info.  Oh,  and the
price for what I paid for that box of hollowpoints was only a few cents
different from the cheaper rates at Wal-Mart,  so there's no point in me
giving them my business,  different than when it used to be several dollars
worth of difference in price.  I think I'd like to help keep an independent
store in business anyhow.

VH> You can also get computer programs, like Ballistic Explorer, which
VH> have libraries of data on commercially available ammo.

Not familiar with that one,  maybe I oughta check it out.  Is it
commercial,  shareware,  freeware,  or what?

VH> Be warned, however, that kenetic energy is not the end-all, be-all
VH> of stopping power.

Oh no,  I expect that it's just one factor to consider.  Something that
just tears through too fast to expand isn't gonna do me as much good as
something that opens properly and creates a bigger wound channel,  right?

RJT> TS> Lighter rounds generally are faster, but most people prefer
RJT> TS> heavier, as they keep their energy further downrange.

RJT>Considering the "up close and personal" nature of using a defensive 
RJT>round, don't think that's going to make a whole lot of difference.

VH> There are other factors to consider.  Sometimes light, fast bullets
VH> will simply disintegrate on impact, causing gory but not
VH> immediately incapacitating wounds.  Sometimes they will not
VH> penetrate deeply enough -- there is a case of a guy in New York who
VH> was shot in the back by a 9mm submachine gun as he lay prone on the
VH> floor.  All of the bullets entered at an angle, and none of them
VH> penetrated through the big "pullup" muscles.

Hmm.

VH> A heavier bullet may penetrate much deeper, and hang together
VH> better. On the other hand, it may not expand very much, if any.

No?  I would have thought that slower-moving would've meant that the
expansion would be more likely to work better.

RJT> TS> Just off the top, I'd say the 147 gr JHP would be a good beginning,
RJT> TS> as they're available almost everywhere.

RJT>When I first got this gun a number of years ago,  that was the
RJT>only bullet there in hollowpoints.  As I recall,  I tried both 
RJT>Speer Gold Dot (?) and Remington Golden Sabre.  The gun seemed to 
RJT>like them both.  I'm looking for to seeing how it likes these 
RJT>Hydra-Shocks...

VH> I think the consensus is the 147 JHP is a bit too much for the 
VH> 9mmX19.

Too much?  You mean I *should* consider a lighter load?

VH> IF I were forced to carry a 9mm, I'd go with the ammo you
VH> just listed.

These Federal?  I'm going to get out to the range as soon as this heat lets
up a bit,  right now it's just *too* hot and humid out there.  I aim to put
a few rounds through it and see how it likes the stuff,  and blow through
some of that hardball I have several boxes of.

There was one time I went out to this club,  and they had metal dish-shaped
targets,  six of them.  I got into that stuff,  took a couple of shots to
get used to it and then kept on knocking them down.  (There was a steel
cable attached to a lever near where I stood to set 'em back up again.)  I
went through all of the hardball I had with me that day,  and then all of
the two mags of HP as well,  and they all did a fair job of knocking those
things over.

I've otherwise just shot at typical paper targets,  and have been thinking
that "silhouette" might be something I could get into,  if I
could find a club in the area that's got those sorts of targets.  I also
have at hand here a small stack of those little aluminum pie plates,  the
ones that are maybe 4 inches across?  Seems to me it'd be pretty easy to
get a push pin through those,  and maybe use them as targets too.  Probably
better than paper,  anyhow.  We'll see how it goes once I feel like I won't
roast when going out there.

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