WB
It sounds crazy but yes, half+ of my carry is rural.
Monday, July 28, 2025, 07:09

As you know I shoot a lot of cast bullets. They are basically "full jacket" as to performance. Handguns mostly poke holes, there are so many variables in JHP performance or expansive bullets. Shooting gelatin looks cool and all science but that is very controlled and simply a comparative tool, under those circumstances.

A flat tip creates a shock wave ahead of the bullet, things get out of the way before it gets there, and the bullet usually flies more straight and deeper. This flat point also transfers notable more than a round nose FMJ. I've always liked truncated nose bullets for semi-autos. A good 185-200 gr. SWC or truncated bullet .45 ACP is not a bad round at close to 1000 fps. You could shoot almost anything with it and not do too bad.

That little 115 gr. at 1300+ fps is pretty serious. At $13-15 per 50, in good reloadable brass, it is a deal.

*Telling on myself; this is a $2 Hornady 90 gr. FXT Critical Defense .380 projectile. Thought by some one of the best defensive round in that caliber. I did something stupid and fired a round in the house! (long ago) It went into the couch cushion, habitually a safe direction though, and continued an interesting path. This was a very well made leather couch. The bullet penetrated the cushion, two oak 1" boards of framework, hit the thick plank floor, turned 135 degrees, traveled 20 feet, hit the kitchen wall, landing on the top of the oven in front of my understandably screaming wife. Not exactly what I would expect from a JHP, even fired from a 2.5" .380. It's a forever family story now. I also shot a sick goat, twice with this round. It performed like a larger version of a .22 LR. I'll not be buying any more of them. Point being if it's likely not to expand anyway, you might as well have a flat tip and try to ensure deep penetration. Not stopping or diverting in heavy clothing or whatever.