Hi folks,

Since MidwayUSA has the Sierra V-Crown bullets that are in use in the new Sig Sauer ammo, and since these bullets are DEEPLY discounted at the moment, I figured I'd give some a shot. First, they feed and fire just fine in 1911's, Glock 21, and Ruger SR45. The ones I'm using are the 230-grain models, so you'd use the same load data for other jacketed 230-grain bullets. The speed should be about 850-900 ft/sec, depending on your powder choice, out of a .45 ACP handgun.

But what about expansion? Well, in the below video, a guy does a ballistic gelatin test against some other Sierra .45 cal bullets. The test gun is his 1911 Commander frame. Compared to some other options, at 850-900 ft/sec, the V-Crowns apparently don't expand as much as some other options.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn28UBSr7jY

So, I'm thinking that perhaps these bullets need a bit more velocity to fully expand. My guess is that something like a .45 Colt Magnum load, where the 255-grain bullet's velocity is about 1,350 ft/sec out of a 7.5" revolver, would fit the bill. Being 230 grains, it's going to be a good, heavy hitter, and thus it might actually make a pretty good hunting bullet for the thicker woods that we see east of the Appalachians. Velocities should be in the 1,450 to 1,500 ft/sec range out of the revolver, and close to 1,900 ft/sec out of, say, a strong lever rifle in .45 Colt, something like the Henry Big Boy and Winchester 92 actions. Planned game animals for such a round would be whitetail deer, feral hogs, and black bears.

Anyone have any input on this sort of idea?

Lucky Gunner included the 200 grain Sig V-Crown commercial loadings out of a 3.64" Kahr CW45 during their ballistic gel testing. Now, clear gel isn't the same as FBI grade ballistic gel - bullets penetrate 20-25% deeper and expand a tiny bit less. Still, most .45 ACP loads expand out of a short barrel - and these don't. Average velocity 866 fps. I would guess that they were designed for the full 5" barrel on a 1911 in organic gelatin.

Would they work at 1350 fps? Well, I sure hope so. Might peel apart though. Lots of bullets have an optimum velocity range, and just because the V-Crowns bottom end is faster than most, doesn't mean it will hold up at supersonic. I would hope so, but you might want to test to see if they come apart before you have to pick shrapnel out of a whitetail.

Midway shows them as "temporarily unavailable." Too bad, I was thinking of some 200 grain in case I buy that .45 I want...

What was the discounted price?

There are a couple other Youtube guys that have tested the 230 grain V-crown in jell and got good expansion at around 900 fps. That makes me think that at higher velocities you might get too much expansion and not enough penetration for good hunting performance.

Tremendous inconsistency with respect to velocity. Maybe the short barrel? That Colt compact sure has a nice patina.

CDFingers

Just went price-checking for ballistic gelatin. Man, that stuff's expensive!

I don't know for sure what the bottom end is, but I'm guessing that proper expansion probably is gotten at about 900 ft/sec. Not sure if rifle bullets are any analogue or guide to go by, but I do know that various models and brands of .30-cal rifle bullets typically start expanding at between 1800 to 2000 ft/sec and do fine up to 3000 ft/sec (the typical speed of .30-06 150gr ammo). So, that's about a 1,000 ft/sec spread, with optimal performance at about the 2,700 to 2,800 ft/sec speed. So, based on that, I'd think that these 230-grainers would expand OK up to maybe 1400 ft/sec but maybe have fracturing problems after that. I also note that the V-Crowns don't have the deepest of hollow points, so that might be why their expansion starts a bit higher than, say, that other Sierra bullet shown in the video.

Indeed, some ballistic gelatin tests would be appropriate. That 1,350 ft/sec velocity is out of the Super Redhawk revolver. Out of, say, a 20" bbl levergun, the speed probably would be closer to 1,700 to 1,800 ft/sec. Assuming I could find some ballistic gelatin affordably, I could do these tests at our range, say, before work. But it would have to be reasonably affordable gel.

Buck13 wrote: Mon Dec 19, 2022 12:03 pm Midway shows them as "temporarily unavailable." Too bad, I was thinking of some 200 grain in case I buy that .45 I want...

What was the discounted price?

Here's the link. In stock, and current price is $18.29 per hundred. These are, again, the 230-grainers.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1020768710?pid=676840