200gr .44 Gold Dots?

[LHS]

Has anyone had any experience with the 200gr .44 Gold Dots, in particular at magnum velocities? From what I've been able to gather, it's intended for .44 Special loads, but since I'm getting 100 of them as a freebie with my .44 Mag dies, I'm curious if they'll work properly at ludicrous speed or if I should download them to Special velocities.

[Al T.]

Guess that the velocity wanted would depend more on what your intended target is actually. FWIW, I'm unaware of any factory Magnum loads using the 200 grain bullet, so if you speed'em up, I'd suspect less penetration.

[Tamara]

That honkin' huge JHP cavity is designed to ensure expansion when toddling along at .44 Spl velocities. I'd imagine that if you drove that thing at >1,000fps, it would turn inside out on impact.

[tomrkba]

http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb425/tomrkba/firearms/44loads.jpg
44 Special velocities

I am not certain at effect the phonebook had upon expansion.

[Tamara]

44 Special velocities

I don't think anyone's disputing that it will expand at .44 Spl velocities.

[Chuck Haggard]

From seeing hot rodded .40 Gold Dots launched from 10mms I'm pretty sure your bullet would look more like that pic of the Cor Bon round above.

[tomrkba]

I don't think anyone's disputing that it will expand at .44 Spl velocities.

The point was to show the Corbon bullet @1205 FPS. The 44 Magnum version launches it at 1300 FPS. (http://www.shopcorbon.com/Self-Defense-JHP/44-Rem-Mag-165gr-CORBON-Self-Defense-JHP/SD44M165-20/100/Product)

[Tamara]

The point was to show the Corbon bullet @1205 FPS. The 44 Magnum version launches it at 1300 FPS. (http://www.shopcorbon.com/Self-Defense-JHP/44-Rem-Mag-165gr-CORBON-Self-Defense-JHP/SD44M165-20/100/Product)

Ah. I get it now.

Similar, but not entirely analogous, though, in that the Cor-Bon projectile is lighter for caliber, and isn't bonded. I agree with tpd223 that the 200gr GDHP launched at magnum velocities will probably look much like that Sierra(?) bullet at ~1200.

[Chuck Haggard]

Although I recall seeing some Gold Dots really pushed hard and after being shot into a water tank the portions of the mushroom that would normally fragment off didn't due to being bonded, this made the recovered bullets look like small lead and copper squid.

Or squids.

Whatever.

[LHS]

Well, it may be a moot point. I scoured the eastern portion of Phoenix for components today, and the ONLY powder I was able to find was IMR 4227. All my load data with this powder is for 225gr and up, and all my bullets in inventory are either 180gr XTP or 200gr LRNFP. Apparently Unique and Trail Boss are worth their weight in gold right now.

[Chuck Haggard]

The squid thing that I was talking about demonstrated in this video;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl_n_miLfbY