.357 mag American Eagle 158 gr JSP fired from Marlin 1894C 18.5" barrel lever action carbine into calibrated gelatin.
BB: 585.6 fps, 3.7"
Impact velocity: 1,840 fps
Penetration: 15.1"
Retained weight: 153.8 gr
Max expansion: 0.892"
Min expansion: 0.674"
10mm Littlestone 155 gr Barnes XPB fired from 4.5" EAA Witness through four layers of denim into calibrated gelatin.
BB: 585.6 fps, 3.7"
Impact velocity: 1,128 fps
Penetration: 12.8"
Retained weight: 155.3 gr
Max expansion: 0.751"
Min expansion: 0.470"
For comparison, here's an older test of the same .357 load from a 4" revolver:
Federal American Eagle 158 gr Jacketed Soft Point fired from 4" S&W Model 13 into calibrated gelatin through four layers of denim.
BB calibration: 607 fps, 3.4"
Impact velocity: 1,182 fps
Penetration: 22.1"
Retained weight: 157.3 gr
Max expansion: 0.398"
Min expansion: 0.363"
I would have expected a bit more penetration from the 4" gun, did the bullet yaw?
This test makes me want to set up one of those Ruger 77/357s with an RMR even more.
If you mean the 4" .357, yes. It's fairly typical for non-expanding bullets to turn 180 degrees at some point. In my own tests, this seems to happen with pistol bullets near then end of their "travels." If you look closely in the last photo, you can see the bullet facing backwards. I believe that what's happening is that, as the bullet slows down, the drag overcomes the spin stabilization and the bullet turns around because it is heavier in the base. Hopefully Doc will be along shortly to correct me.Originally Posted by Chuck Haggard
Here's a closer pic:
One of the reasons that I believe the yaw occurs near the end is because you can see denim fibers right next to the final location of the bullet. The denim should only be stuck to the front of the bullet and fall off as soon as it yaws so if the denim is that deep, I expect the yaw occurred at or near that depth.
That makes much more sense now. Bullets getting sideways slow down LOTS faster than if they stay point forward.
That appears to be a workable general purpose load for 4" plus .357 mags, widely available, cheap for .357 ammo
This makes me feel like a smart person, because that's honestly what I carried for a long time in my .357s before I started buying "good" bullets. Pretty much because it was cheap and easy to find. Plus, I was a big believer back then in the mystique of the .357, and I had seen this load used to good effect on some various Indiana four legged critters.
I would hesitate to carry it in town as a cop or for personal defense if I could get a JHP, but I think it's a great going to the woods load, and that guys back in the day that carried such ammo while doing stuff like highway patrol work were well served.
I was in my early 20s when I carried it, because I *knew* that .357 Magnums were cool, but proper JHP ammo was like, expensive and stuff.
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