Ammo testing update

To add to my articles last week about caliber, cartridge and firearm selection, Lucky Gunner has just added .38 Special and .357 Magnum to the list of cartridges it's tested in ballistic gelatin.  They've taken samples of most available loads, run them through everyday firearms, and posted the results.  It's a very useful tool to find out how your chosen round performs in that test medium, or to help you select one if necessary.

I hasten to add that ballistic gelatin isn't a perfect simulacrum of human flesh, which contains tissues of varying density (bone, muscle, fat, etc.), and varies in thickness, and is protected by more or less clothing depending on location, season, weather conditions, etc.  Nevertheless, it's adequate for apples-to-apples comparisons of bullet performance, and gives us useful insights into how they're likely to perform when the chips are down.  I prefer bullets that are heavy for caliber, and penetrate deeper than normal, because I've had to shoot through an arm to reach the torso on more than one occasion, so limited-penetration bullets just don't do it for me.  However, if you're likely to use them inside your home, with loved ones on the far side of partition walls to think about, limited penetration is a lot more valuable to you!  Consider your own circumstances when making your selection.

I still won't buy ammunition from Lucky Gunner, in the light of my ethical concerns about their business practices.  Nevertheless, this is useful research, for which they deserve credit.

Peter