.357 Magnum - Would it pass through?

[DonP]

Hello,

Would a .357 Magnum hollow point travel through an average body from 15ft?

I have a S&W model 686 loaded with Black Talon Hollow points for home protection. Where I live, the houses are relatively close together. My neighbor's side sliding glass door is probably about 40' from my side entry door.

Thank you,

[rojocorsa]

HP bullets are designed to to enlarge and dump all their energy into a given medium. That means that the bullet should not go through.


A full size rifle round, OTOH...

[sk8804]

in my opinion any magnum cartridge should be "expected" to exit a human.

[DonP]

Rojocorsa,
That was my thinking when I bought it 20 years ago. But I've never looked into any hard data on whether a 357 would stay internal to a body. The internet wasn't what it is now.

[cali_armz]

if you're concerned with over penetration you might want to consider .38 rounds instead of .357

[DonP]

in my opinion any magnum cartridge should be "expected" to exit a human.

That's what I'm thinking now. So I'm looking for some hard data. Or at minimum, a strong consensus from an educated group.

[Oceanbob]

I have shot lots of Black Talon...and the .357 round is heavy and expands well. It also travels fast and has more kick than most.

At $3 a round these days, Black Talon is too expensive to practice with.

Good stuff.

[cali_armz]

i think its best to avoid pulling the trigger at all costs. my solution is this. an AK with a bayonet. i figure the sight of my rifle would be enough to scare off a home invader without having to fire rounds.

besides, no one in their right mind is gonna rush you if you've got that in your hands.

[DonP]

.38 may be a good idea. But would a .38 be as lethal?

[DonP]

I have shot lots of Black Talon...and the .357 round is heavy and expands well. It also travels fast and has more kick than most.

At $3 a round these days, Black Talon is too expensive to practice with.

Good stuff.

And as dumb as I am, I shot off a whole box because I didn't want to stop and buy cheap ammo for fun time. Wasn't that expensive when I bought it though

[cali_armz]

.38 has more than enough power to deter a home invader.

personally though, i think it would be better to discuss this topic in the context of self defense rather than lethality.

we have the right to stop a threat, not necessarily end the life of the attacker.

[DonP]

i think its best to avoid pulling the trigger at all costs. my solution is this. an AK with a bayonet. i figure the sight of my rifle would be enough to scare off a home invader without having to fire rounds.

besides, no one in their right mind is gonna rush you if you've got that in your hands.

Yes, but then there's still one bad person out there who may hurt someone else next time.

[gatesbox]

Here is some good penetration data on .357. Looks like best case scenario of JHP could penetrate 24" or more.....

http://www.firearmstactical.com/ammo_data/357magnum.htm

[gatesbox]

Double post edited..

[cali_armz]

Yes, but then there's still one bad person out there who may hurt someone else next time.

thats true, there are always two sides to the argument. generally speaking though, i think its best to avoid doing things which could potentially get you sent to prison.