Testing the Underwood .357 Magnum Barnes TAC-XP 125 gr copper hollow point VS the Underwood .44 Magnum Barnes XPB 225 gr copper hollow point in a 10% Clear Ballistics test. Always appreciative of any channel help :) www.patreon.co...
It's actually overkill since a 44 mag will shoot straight through a man and keep going. Waste of it's energy instead of dumping it all inside the bad guy. I would rather have the 357 magnum 125 grain hollow points. Even a 38 Special +P lead semi wad cutter aka FBI load would be better for stopping a guy trying to kill you and you have faster fallow up shots because less recoil.
@@garrisonnichols807 Load selection is important. You can use 180 and 200 grain bullets for less recoil and penetration and some hollowpoint designs actually violently expand so if they do exit the body they likely won't do much damage to anyone else but the guy who got shot. This one just penetrated a bit since it is solid copper.
One thing to keep in mind is that the Model 69 weighs in at 37 ounces which is the same as the new Model 19 at the same weight. Recoil will be damn stout. I just purchased a 69 yesterday and it bucks good with a heavy magnum load.
I really enjoy my 629 with its 6” tube and as it’s the Classic Hunter model ( non fluted cylinder ) it falls in @49 oz! That’s a fair amount of gun weight ! Even with 310 grain hard cast it’s quite manageable!
As young cops in the late ‘60s we all wanted to carry a .357 but our city was very densely populated and the chance of over penetration too great. After going through my first OIS w/my issued thirty-eight, discovering it did the job, I no longer was in the magnum camp. Three fifty-seven magnums were carried by rural/country cops b/c the danger of collateral damage was pretty remote. Thx for another informative video Sam.
hey sam, just wanted to express my gratitude for all the hard work in support of revolver nerdery. i have been a lurker for a couple years and should have said so way sooner. 💪💪 great job
I think that Barnes is making some of the best projectiles in the business. Thank you for this test. I was wondering how they would hold up to the increased velocity that Underwood loads them to.
Thanks for the video Sam. When I'm mulling over trying a new bullet or ammo type, you're one of the sources I can count on to have done a great test on it with velocity, gel expansion results, and which firearm you fired it from. This looks like a great bullet to work up some handloads with for next deer season.
Cool test. Underwood almost always seems to be a winner (except when they go for MAXIMUM EXPANSION). I noticed that the 357 gel block wound channel actually got larger with the denim and MDB in place, which from my memory of your tests doesn’t happen that often. That was also pretty interesting that the accuracy seemed to be worse with the 357. Could have been just a quirk with the combo of that ammo and your pistol maybe.
If you may have noticed, the .357 Mag impacted the same across the board. My 686 is spot on, every ammo I test I will generally blow the center out of my target right where I aim center. But with this, even at 5 yards it was impacting in a tight group a full inch low, which is definitely not right. Then at 25 yards - while I did indeed see my sights drift off left and I touched off a shot before I was ready, they still impacted really low. And then at 75 yards like I said in the video, I had to aim for head shots to make those low center mass hits. I know it's not my revolvers, as I clean and inspect my revolvers before every video which includes checking the sights and making sure the front screw that holds the rear sights on, is tight.
Hard to go wrong with a good copper bullet. Expansion was great. I love my 686 too, so i am always on the lookout for top notch ammo for it. I bet the 44 would do well from a carbine too. That reminds me, my 7.5" SBH needs some exercise. Someday i will get a DA 44, and the 69 is on my short list.
I have no problem concealed carrying my Grandfather's 7.5" Virginian Dragoon SAA in 44mag. He had an awesome shoulder holster for it and where i live in BFE Tennessee, nobody looks twice when i open carry it. LOL And no, i dont do the stupid "cowboy load"! I carry all 6 chambers.
Been subscribed for a while, and now that I have my first revolver I appreciate it so much more. Bought some Corbon 140grain .357 today. Currently carrying Remington HTP 158 grain SJHP and 1 round of CCI #9 shot around the farm
Gun sam it didn't take you long to move that thumb on the 44 velocity test? Lol. I made same mistake my friend. Anyway been watching your stuff for a while and really appreciate the revolver love and your hard work! And don't pay any attention to the ones making the comments youve referred to in others. All legit guys and gals recognize the hard work and your love for the wheels
follow-ups with a 44? looks like it! yes its a few tenths slower, but in my book for the damage done it is well worth it. and as its a hunting cartridge the 44 is accurate out quite a ways
I do remember promising to load up some of those 125s to compare against the 110s in 38Spl+P. I've got the bullets, brass, powder, and primers. But I just haven't loaded the darn things. I do like the BB 125s. They do sting a bit. Roughly on par with the Remington 125gr SJHP 357 Magnum. From memory, the 110s in 38Spl+P simply failed to penetrate enough. As far as over penetration goes, exit wounds tend to be worse than entrance wounds. I don't worry about that.
The original Barnes +p 115 tacxp and super vel 115 +p+ solid copper don’t usually go more than 14”. I went to 147gr bonded because I like them to go 15+
Thanks, that was very helpful. I'm always looking for .357 Magnum ammo. This looked good in the initial testing but you not being able to hit at 25 yards, and knowing that it ain't YOU, that is troubling.
I watched you just the other day where a 357 went just as far in the jell as this 44, now I don't remember what type 357 Rd it was . I do realize you are testing same for same rds in this test though. Powerful rds wow , last two in jell were very good shots. At 75yrds the target is smaller than the front sight, any hit is a miracle , great shooting Bud.
It's never been that they aren't my thing, but that I run my channel on what money the channel makes. Purchasing a carbine, means one video for an entire month and I am not willing to do that when I also would have to buy ammo on top of it. I am a little fish.
I watched a forensics murder show and a guy was killed by one chest shot from a 38 the bullet? Tac-xpD from Barnes. They showed the recovered bullet even from the 38 perfect expansion.
Hey Sam. I know ive asked this before. But. Is there any way you could do a video of the buffalo bore heavy 125 gr in a snubnose but in ballistics gel? MDF and all that jazz, with jeans too. Im really curious how it performs in gel. I know it hurts your hand to shoot a few, so doing the chrono is pointless cuz you did it before. If not, hey it's all good. Thanks for these great videos! I carry a snubby 357 mag with the buffalo bore heavy 125 gr. Doesnt bother me to shoot 5 quickly...until the next day lol.
@@GunSam Yeah, I figured. I just asked just cuz. A bullet or two...should be ok. If not, hey, dont do it. If you dont want to, dont. But, i wanna see the amount of damage it does. Thank you for the awesome videos you do and the content!
I just got a brand new s&w model 29 classic in 44 mag, 6, 1/2 inch barrel, I was shooting underwood 180 grain jhp nickel plated brass and the casings didn't stick in the chambers of that new 44, which is awesome, I have yet to test Underwood's 240 grain jhp. Now In my 80's era 29-3 the underwood nickel plated casing always stick, in the chambers, where I have to pound them out with a rubber mallet, ha ha. Underwood’s nickel plated brass is the only brass that sticks in the older model 29. Anyways keep up the great work gun Sam, just out of curiosity how old is your model 69?
@@bobjohnson1633 why? The 29-3 from the 80's is way past its warranty? And the brass is not sticking in the brand new model 29 that's a good thing, the nickel plated brass is not supposed to stick in the chambers, that’s why it’s nickel plated and it does not stick on the new gun, which is good. But in the older 29, the underwood loadings stick but they are the only brass that sticks.
Good testing. Was considering a 69 when they came out. Heard comments about recoil stinging due to lighter weight and /or the backstrap. If you think that grip you use makes a large enough difference, I may just get one, if you care to comment. I have a 29 classic in 5 or 5-1/2 in blue steel, but think I'd appreciate that frame size and weight if the grip makes the difference.
Yes the grip makes all the difference, mostly due to the size being big enough to get a good grip and distribute the recoil. The padding helps a tad too, one small thing - on an L frame, the top goes just a tad high which makes cocking in single action take more force as the hammer spur pinches the top of the grip, but that could be cut away if it was a big problem, the double action shorter hammer cycle never comes into contact with the grip.
@Gun Sam _Revolver Aficionado_ ★ Wow... Thanks for the quick reply! That's much appreciated information! Looking like a deal 'maker,' for me. Done deal! Looking forward to more videos!
More and more it seems like momentum is a better indicator of terminal effectiveness than kinetic energy. These two were within what, 30% of each other energy wise? Yet that damage was nearly double from the 44, which is just about how much more momentum it has over the 357.
Silly old woman question: how often do you clean your revolvers? When I learned to shoot - a very long time ago - we cleaned our guns immediately after shooting, before they went back into the locked gun cabinet and definitely before supper. What’s your modern 2023 cleaning schedule?
I usually clean mine the night before I film a video or target shoot, but I do not clean them the same day after I film or target shoot, rather I clean them again the night before the next time I film or target shoot. Granted, when I film a video or target shoot, I generally only fire 50 rounds at most and I also rarely fire lead bullets which can make a revolver not function well with too much lead build-up, so because of that I have no qualms about going home and putting them away, even if I use them for defense - and then cleaning the night before I go film or shoot. I like to have my revolvers looking nice for the video so I will always clean before a video even if I really do not need to. A quick rule of thumb is that if the ammo is Magnum ammo, if it's lead ammo or if it's hundreds of rounds than I might clean them right after I shoot them, but if it's just .38 Special jacketed ammo or 20 Magnums than I wait until another day to clean them. I will mention, when I clean my revolvers I do take the grip and cylinder off because I don't like oil setting on rubber and it also allows me to scrub the cylinder face better. I use either Ballistol or CLP and spray in the bore and every chamber, run a wire brush through a few times and then spray on the cylinder face and forcing cone area and scrub with copper and steel brushes, alternating (on my stainless revolvers) or on blued revolvers, just very light pressing with copper and nylon brushes alternating. I then use wet bore patches down the bore and every chamber, then dry the whole frame, reassemble and then wipe again and run dry patches down the bore and chambers after assembled. I wait to do the dry patches last because reassembly and test dry fire for function, can sometimes send oil that dripped in crevices, to go flying and into bore. So after assembly and test dry fire, I wipe whole gun down and then dry patch the bore and chambers. I know that was detailed but you asked lol
From here on the other side of the screen it looked like the 125 grain at 1550 fps were not shooting all over, just significantly lower than the sights are adjusted? I'm not usually impressed with Underwood's revolver loads. But these performed well.
125 grain is a lot safer penetration as where the 44 magnum goes clear through the human body into another human body so that doesn't make it better I'll take the 125 grain any day especially for self-defense that doesn't make the 44 any better bottom line either one of them will kill you
If you want your 44 for two legged predators, just shoot specials. This same bullet in the barnes vor-tx has much lower energy, so you might consider those, too.
@@bobjohnson1633 I would rather not lower energy though. I’m one of those dumb asses who caries full house 44mag for edc usually a Buffalo bore 180 swchp
What might happen if you intentionally shot through the gel block, then chronograph the round speed exiting the gel using rounds you know would get through the gel?
Has anyone here heard of 2nd Amendment Ammo company? My local shop is full of the stuff and in CA you can't get ammo shipped to home. Locally I only see hornaday xtps, second amendment, and on a rare occasion the federal hsts.....just never in my carry calibers .40 and .38. So I'm trying to find out if anyone has done any testing with the stuff or if I'll have to keep relying on XTPs till I know more...which are suboptimal if you ask me. Usually I see them clog and never expand....
@@keghinian There is one maybe two things to consider here . First off the bullet bounced back a little bit from the farthest point it went to , so even if it's at 21 now it went to 22 1/2 so that's the final measurement . Secondly the camera looks like it's more straight across from the first long block than the second long block so when we watch the video and look at bullets in the second long block they will appear to be not as far as they really are .