Winchester Ranger SXT ammo

Hawgleg44

Hawgleg44

Joined
Jun 10, 2005
Messages
244
Likes
6
Location
People's Republic of Massachusetts
Feedback: 24 / 0 / 0
If anyone is interested, here's a few pics of an expanded Winchester Ranger SXT 165gr JHP. I weighed the expanded bullet and it retained it's full 165 grains. It was shot into a row of several gallon milk jugs.

This is the LE version of the SXT. The non-Ranger SXT does not have the "talons" when it expands.

SXT%201.jpg


SXT%202.jpg


SXT%203.jpg


SXT%204.jpg
 
When I load pistol ammo, I usually use Remington Hollow Points, 115 JHP for the 9, 180 JHP for the 40 and 185 JHP for the 45.

My home defense ammo for the 9 is MagTech Guardian Gold. That'll definitel "leave a mark".
 
The PD here in town used to issue the 180gr SXT's. After reading about how slow they move and unreliable expansion, I tried some out. The 180gr didn't expand at all when fired into the same water filled milk jugs. According to Winchester's specs, their 180gr Ranger SXT loading is leaving the muzzle 10fps slower than their subsonic .40's. I showed the Chief at the time the expanded bullets and statistics (which many will argue against). We swapped ammo at the next qualification.

I'm sure that a 180gr .40 S&W would reliably expand if it was designed solely for the .40. But, when manufacturers stuff 180gr bullets designed for the 10mm in the .40 S&W, they usually have too thick of a jacket and too slow of a muzzle velocity to reliably expand.

I use the Winchester SXT 115gr +P+ JHP's in my 9mm's and 230gr Hydra Shocks in my .45's.
 
According to what I've read, the 147gr is not that reliable of a performer in the 9mm. It suffers from the same problem the 180gr .40 does. Too low of a velocity to reliably expand.

The 124gr +P load is touted as being the best performer of anything in the 9mm caliber. But, I chose to carry the 115gr +P+. Although it can suffer from less penetration, I use it for home defense and CCW, not duty. So, I will take a small handicap and worry less about overpenetration.

But, if I carried a 9mm on duty, it would be the 124gr +p Winchester Ranger SXT JHP.

Another option is the Federal EFMJ (Expanding Full Metal Jacket). I read a recent article (I forgot which magazine and I already gave it to my father) and they compared different bullets and had samples from actual autopsies. Although the 124gr SXT 9mm was called the most effective 9mm currently produced, the author said he would carry the EFMJ if allowed. He made a good arguement for it, too. JHP's require fluid and tissue to expand. But, the EFMJ expands on contact and still has excellent penetration even through barriers. It may not expand as much as the JHP's do, but it does expand 100% of the time and is uneffected by heavy clothing, etc, which can clog up a JHP's cavity and not allow it to expand.

I'm seriously considering changing my carry rounds over to it.

Here's a pic of it's construction from ammoman.com
efmj1.jpg
 
Like I said, I'm still carrying 147 gr. Talons and I want to go to 124's. Is there a difference in LEO SXT and the SXT sold to civvies? Also, is the the Federal EFMJ available to civvies?
 
I misunderstood you in your post. I didn't know which you carried and if you wanted to change.

I believe the civilian version of the SXT does not have the talons on it. Basically, it would be the same as any other premium JHP. I don't see any advantage, or disadvantage, with it compared to well made JHP's by Federal, Remington, CCI, etc.

Yes, the EFMJ is geared more towards civilians than LE, although I do feel there is a definate use for the round in law enforcement. I think it would be an excellent choice for someone in NJ, where they cannot carry JHP's, so they have to stick to JSP's if they want expanding ammo. Until the EFMJ came along.
 
I'm not famliar with EFMJ rounds. How do they compare with the quality JHP's? Are they better, or are they a substitute?

I'm looking to replace my 147 Black Talon's.
 
I haven't done any of my very informal testing of them (I haven't even bought any yet), so everything I say is only from the reading I've done.

The EFMJ's do not expand as large as a perfectly expanded JHP does. But, it does expand the same amount, every time, no matter what it encounters, whether it be a barrier in a house (sheetrock can clog up JHP's and cause them not to expand) or flannel or heavy clothing (which can do the same thing as sheetrock to JHP's). According to the last article I read on them, they expand the same amount, every time, no matter what barrier it encounters, and has the same penetration distances as it's JHP counterparts.

Since there are so many factors which effect a JHP's expansion, the EFMJ seems like a more reliable substitute, to me anyway. No, it doesn't have the talons the Ranger SXT's do, but it does expand, all the time, and causes a permanent wound channel, every time.

Again, I'm far, very far, from being an expert. I'm just repeating what I've read in magazine articles and online from companies who have done ballistics testing.

Again, from what I've read, there are not a large number of documented self defense shootings involving the EFMJ round, but from the ones that have been documented, they react in the real world the same way that they do in testing. The article showed one round which was recovered from an attempted rapists chest, fired by the woman from a Glock 19. It was the 124gr +P EFMJ round.
 
That sounds good. I'm not looking for, or relying on the expansion of the round, per se. I'm looking for a consistant round knowing that shot placement is THE major factor. I think I'm liking there EFMJ's.

Thanks for your input.
 
When I have a few spare bucks (which probably won't be for quite some time), I want to get some EFMJ's and try them out with different barriers. I'll make up some mock 2x4 and sheetrock walls, old Lauan doors, heavy clothing and even old car doors. I'll just place boxes of newspapers behind them (I know, far from lab results) and see how the EFMJ's perform vs their JHP counterparts.
 
Back
Top Bottom