Stopping power of different handgun cartridges

[tonysilas]

General Julian Hatcher, a noted forensic pathologist, in the early 1900’s developed a good formula to determine the theoretical stopping power of a firearm cartridge. His formula has withstood the test of time and validation from other studies and data related to stopping power.

You want a handgun cartridge that has a Hatcher value of over 50 for the most effective stopping power. Values over 55 have diminishing returns in that you don’t gain any significant increase in stopping power for the extra recoil and control you must cope with. Handgun cartridges that don’t make a value of at least 50, should not considered for self-defense. If the rating of your handgun cartridge is under 30, it only has about a 30% chance of producing a one shot stop. Hatcher Ratings of 30 to 49 raise a one shot stop to approximately a 50% chance. Ratings of 50 or higher produce a one shot stop about 90% of the time.

Handgun Cartridge Type ..................... Hatcher Rating

.45 ACP full metal jacket 230 grain .......... 49.1

.45 ACP jacketed hollow point 230 grain ...... 60.7

.44 Magnum full metal jacket 240 grain ....... 92.3

*.44 Magnum lead wad cutter 240 grain ......... 136.8

.44 Special full metal jacket 240 grain ...... 51.6

*.44 Special lead wad cutter 240 grain ............. 76.5

.41 Magnum full metal jacket 230 grain ............. 54

*.41 Magnum lead wad cutter 230 grain .............. 80

10 millimeter full metal jacket 180 grain .......... 50.3

10 millimeter jacketed hollow point 180 grain ..62.1

.40 S&W full metal jacket flat nose 180 grain ...... 53.4

.40 S&W jacketed hollow point 180 grain ....... 59.4

.38 Special full metal jacket 158 grain ...... 26.7

*.38 Special lead wad cutter 158 grain ............. 39.7

**.357 Magnum full metal jacket 158 grain ..... 32.7

**.357 Magnum lead wad cutter 158 grain ............ 48.5

.357 SIG full metal jacket 147 grain ................ 36.6

.357 SIG jacketed hollow point 147 grain ..... 45.2

9 millimeter full metal jacket 147 grain ............ 32.3

9 millimeter jacketed hollow point 147 grain ... 39.9

.380 Auto jacketed hollow point 95 grain ..... 18.3

.32 Auto jacketed hollow point 71 grain ...... 11.1

.25 Auto jacketed hollow point 50 grain ...... 3.7

.22 Long Rifle jacketed hollow point 40 grain ... 4.2

* Jacketed hollow points will have the same rating as wad cutter bullets if the bullet hollow tip is greater than 1/2 of the caliber of the bullet.

* .357 Magnum ratings are taken from a firearm with a 3 inch barrel. Longer barrels will raise the rating of the round.

source : http://www.freerepublic.com

[Vikram]

Very interesting,Tony. Could you please provide the source?Otherwise,it will be violating copyrights.Thanks.

Best-
Vikram

[kuwar]

Hi tony,
any idea what would be the hatcher rating for indian .32 long revolver cartridge.

Regards,
Kuwar.

[tonysilas]

Very interesting,Tony. Could you please provide the source?Otherwise,it will be violating copyrights.Thanks.

Best-
Vikram

Thanks for pointing vikram Copy edited.

[timmy]

Kuwar: the Hatcher ratings list tony posted has been floating about on the internet for quite some time. In order to calculate the "Stopping Power" of a bullet, here is the Hatcher formula that is used:

http://www.frfrogspad.com/miscellk.htm#Hatcher

If you want to do a "quick and dirty" calculation, just look at the .32 ACP rating. The round .32 ACP bullet won't be as effective as a semi wad cutter in .32 S&W Long, but the .32 ACP is a more powerful round.

Or, you can do it the hard way. Look up the .32 S&W Long round on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.32_S%26W_Long

Use the ballistics data from the Wikipedia page in the formula from the Hatcher Formula page:

RSP = (WB * V * A * F) / 1000

5.6 = (98 * 718 * 0.076 * 1.05) / 1000 (LHBWC load)
6.5 = (90 * 765 * 0.076 * 1.25) / 1000 (LSWC load)
6.3 = (85 * 723 * 0.076 * 1.35) / 1000 (JHP load)

Now, before you get set to accept these figures as the final word, consider that I have assumed that the JHP bullet would expand and have assigned it a F (factor) of 1.35. However, at 723 fps, it is highly unlikely that this bullet would expand very much, so perhaps it would be better to give it an F value of 1.1, for unexpanded.

As a matter of fact, one might seriously question the figures on the list in this respect, regarding whether the hollow point bullets would actually expand at the velocities some of these bullets might be traveling at.

A great deal of argument goes on about these Hatcher Numbers and how valid of a measurement they really are. First, you should know that Maj Gen Julian Hatcher was a true firearms expert here in the USA, so whatever conclusion you come to, consider that Maj. Gen. Hatcher should always be viewed as a very valuable source of firearms information -- he has spilled tons of ink on this, and you will always profit from considering his words.

Regarding Hatcher's Numbers, I think that they were, perhaps, a valid guide at the time that they were written, but that subsequent research as provided better data on the subject of stopping power.

I think that you might be better off considering this more recent paper from the FBI on this subject:

http://www.firearmstactical.com/pdf/fbi-hwfe.pdf

Read it over a couple of times, and then look for the penetration data of the cartridge and bullet you are considering.

There are many, many points of view on this subject, and there are simply too many variables for one simple formula to provide the "last word" on this. Read all you can about it and then choose, based on your research and your confidence in your ability to deliver the bullet.

[shooter]

please check the high road forum re: this info.

grumpy and vikram had been educating me re: stopping power and various formulas esp taylors etc etc.

but also note that paper exercises sometimes dont mean much and at the end,

shot placement beats calibre or numbers.

I once shot a .44 anaconda and couldnt even touch the target but with a .45 acp nailed it guess what im gonna go for.

[timmy]

PS: I should mention that Maj. Gen. Hatcher was not a forensic pathologist. He was an expert in firearms for the US Army and later a technical consultant for the National Rifle Association. He did investigate bullet performance, and in that sense, studied forensics, but as a "pathologist" is a medical doctor who studies diseases, this word would not be an accurate description of Maj. Gen. Hatcher.

[tonysilas]

Hi tony,
any idea what would be the hatcher rating for indian .32 long revolver cartridge.

Regards,
Kuwar.

If these are the characteristics of the .32 revolver cartridge [ long type] ,

Weight - 9.9gms.
Length - 32 mm
Velocity - 236 ± 7.6 M/Sec. at 9.1 M - from the muzzle
Accuracy - 71.1 mm at 36.6 M
Pressure - 46.5 MPa

Then stopping power can be determined by the TKOF factor.

Stopping power = (Mb.Vb.Db)/ 7000
Where,Mb= Mass of bullet in grains ( 1 pound= 7000 grains)
Vb= velocity of the bullet in feet/sec
Db is the diameter of the bullet in inches.

So the TKOF factor for .32 is
= (0.30*152*2985)/7000
=19.45
Some examples of TKO factor's, and the factory loaded cartridge's derived from, are as follows:

500gr .500 S&W, 1200fps =42.86
450gr .45-70, 1250fps =36.48
440gr .500 Linebaugh, 1200fps= 37.71
370gr .475 Linebaugh, 1400fps =35.15
325gr .480 Ruger, 1350fps =29.77
300gr .405 Win, 2000fps =34.71
260gr .454 Casull, 1800fps =30.22
255gr .38-55, 1650fps =22.84
240gr .44 Mag, 1350fps =19.86
230gr .45 ACP, 830fps =12.30
200gr .35 Rem, 2100fps =21.06
170gr 30-06, 2850fps =20.76
165gr .40 S&W, 1080fps =10.44
158gr .357 Mag, 1400fps =11.28
150gr .30-30, 2250fps =14.85
115gr 9mm, 1250fps =7.31
85gr .243, 2950fps =8.70
71gr .32acp, 900fps =2.83
55gr .223, 3300fps =5.78
50gr .25acp, 750fps =1.33
30gr .22LR, 1400fps =1.33

Hope this helps.
Source : Wikipedia.

[shooter]

well done tony

the question was re: the hatcher rating not taylor.
and it would be well to again mention your source.

[tonysilas]

well done tony

the question was re: the hatcher rating not taylor.
and it would be well to again mention your source.

As timmy had already mentioned the hatcher rating. I put in another method used to calculate the stopping power. In all other methods used to calculate the stopping power like Thorniley Stopping Power etc. TKOF is preferred.

Regards

[Subal das]

I would be more worrying about how to stop stopping power of bullets fired at me, rather about stopping power of gun in my hands. Western instructors, who been sent to teach aborigine's fighters, always starting from teaching, those guys, how to take cover and then only shot. what's a point to have a gun with greater stopping power, without knowing basic tactics and rules of engaging, you shot at your opponents he shot at you - both dead.

[tonysilas]

I would be more worrying about how to stop stopping power of bullets fired at me, rather about stopping power of gun in my hands. Western instructors, who been sent to teach aborigine's fighters, always starting from teaching, those guys, how to take cover and then only shot. what's a point to have a gun with greater stopping power, without knowing basic tactics and rules of engaging, you shot at your opponents he shot at you - both dead.

Even if you knew the tactics and rules of engagement. How long can you take cover. Of course it is mandatory to learn to take cover. But in my view The major thing to worry is the stopping power of the opponents gun. Thats why the gun owners check about the stopping power of their arms. This is my view.

Regards

[shooter]

also note that according to tkof, a baseball thrown by a major league pitcher has a bigger tkof number than a bullet.

also i dont see the .32 iof h factor in timmys post.

[timmy]

shooter:

Use the ballistics data from the Wikipedia page in the formula from the Hatcher Formula page:

RSP = (WB * V * A * F) / 1000

5.6 = (98 * 718 * 0.076 * 1.05) / 1000 (LHBWC load)
6.5 = (90 * 765 * 0.076 * 1.25) / 1000 (LSWC load)
6.3 = (85 * 723 * 0.076 * 1.35) / 1000 (JHP load)

[ssmickey.32]

From the Handgun Cartridge Type Vs Hatcher Rating, it is clear that in terms of Self Defence, wadcutters are nasty bullets and not just for punching holes on targets.

At many places i have read that for SELF DEFENCE in .32 bore one should use WADCUTTERS instead of Round Nose that we normally use. In addition, it has also been published [by anonymous] on Chuck Hawks website.

There was one more article titled 'wicked wadcutters' [seems the article has been removed] - in which the author had recommended Wadcutters over Round Nose for SELF DEFENCE.

best regards

ssmickey.32