Penta Pins -- Look cool, but boring, round HPs may be a wiser choice

[Dannix]

I was trying to decide on some new 9mm serious social purposes ammo for my "front line" handgun and started reading up on the Corbon 9mm 115-gr. DPX +P.

Info about the Corbon 9mm 115-gr. DPX +P:
http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/Corbon%209mm%20115.htm

Looks cool and the penetration looks good, but then the more I read up on it, the more I found it it is know to veer off course in gel tests. It was enough to convince me to stay with round pins for a non-frontline handgun that is exclusively boolits, despite how pretty the penta-pinned boolits are.

I just figured I'd post this for others with penta-pin moulds to consider.

[Dale53]

Jacketed hollow point bullets and cast hollow point bullets often work quite differently in practice.

FWIW
Dale53

[W.R.Buchanan]

I don't care if they veer of course. They are the coolest looking boolits I have ever made.

Plus anything you hit with one will not be caring about the veering either, it will probably be dead or hurting really bad.

A hit in the perps leg means lots of meat missing,,, arms are gone, heads too.

The Pent HP's will expand at real low Velocities, so you can concentrate on hitting the mark, and recoil won't be as much of a factor.

My .02

Randy

[Iron Mike Golf]

I don't know how relevant paths in gel are when considering paths in humans (or game for us hunters). Gel has a consistent density. No bone, no sinew, no spaces between organs.

Penta HPs open with sharp edged petals. Does that matter? I think so, but I don't know. Probably does not matter in terms of promptness for SD situations, but could for game-getting.

[fredj338]

Almost all bullets deviate inside their targets as they slow down. the larger the expansion, the more likely it will veer off. I like the penta points for lower vel & shallow cup points for higher vel. The idea is to keep as much wt on the bullet as possible ti give better penetration.

[btroj]

I would also question the comments by Corbin. They may well have a slant, it is advertising for their product after all.

I will stick with my penta pins . The cool factor is high.

[GT27]

I use Gold Dots exclusively for carry,no negatives,and if you find one show the proof!

[white eagle]

seriously why would you want a hp to drive straight
the key for pd hp,if that is your intent,would be to cause massive damage
not provide max penetration

[jmsj]

I only have experience w/ 1 mold with penta hollow point pins, a Mihec 359640. I have only loaded these to .357 mag velocities and have not yet tried 38 special velocities. My testing at .357 mag velocities in water has found that using the penta pins, the noses blow into pieces and when using the round hollow points they open up and mushroom nicely.
jmsj

[Iron Mike Golf]

What were your loads and alloy, jmsj?

[fredj338]

I only have experience w/ 1 mold with penta hollow point pins, a Mihec 359640. I have only loaded these to .357 mag velocities and have not yet tried 38 special velocities. My testing at .357 mag velocities in water has found that using the penta pins, the noses blow into pieces and when using the round hollow points they open up and mushroom nicely.
jmsj

What alloy & vel? I get pretty good results w/ 25-1 or 20-1 alloy to 1200fps+. Lose any antimony in your alloy to make it more ductile.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v703/fredj338/9mm-136-1200.jpg

[Dale53]

The key to any hollow point ammunition is to match the velocity with the alloy as well as the hollow point size.

For standard velocities in calibers like the .38 Special and .45 Auto the penta pins with 20/1 lead/tin will give excellent results at 800-1000 fps. That likewise applies to the .45 Colt at up to 1000 fps or so, at least. I have had those kinds of results with the .44 Special, also.

FWIW
Dale53

[Crash_Corrigan]

All I know is that I sure would not want to be hit by a soft lead boolit of either penta HP or a round one. Any soft lead slug moving at 800+ FPS that is of .40+ calibre and weighs 250 grains should end a charge PDQ.

With any of my big bore revolvers loaded with a soft lead boolit of at least 200 grains is something I find real comforting when I am packing it.

My light and small CA Bulldog Pug is loaded with 185 GR Hornady Critical Defense Hollow pointed rounds that move at 1000 FPS.....this is the gun I bet my life on.

[jmsj]

What were your loads and alloy, jmsj?

The alloy was 3 parts PB and 1 part WW's + a lttle tin.
I'm not sure of the velocity because I shot these before I got a chronograph but the I loaded them w/ a max charge of 2400 and shot them into water jugs at 7-10 yards
jmsj