A concern when using bottleneck rifle cartridges in handguns is that velocities can be fairly low even a couple of hundred yards downrange. Some rifle bullets only expand completely above 2,100 fps. When you start the bullet out at short barrel velocities of perhaps 2,400 to 2,600 fps, the bullet doesn't have to travel far to drop below velocities required for optimum expansion. This is why lighter rifle bullets with thinner jackets often work best at handgun velocities.

Evaluating the results
Testing bullets in any substance is not an exact science. Water, wet newspapers and gelatin offer consistent resistance throughout the bullet's path. Animals do not. But you can learn a lot from testing if you know what to look for.

Basically, you are looking for three things. Does the bullet expand completely? Does it retain weight and penetrate sufficiently? And at what point does expansion occur?

Judging expansion is easy. Either the bullet expands or it doesn't. You can measure the expanded bullet with calipers, and if expansion is twice the bullet diameter, smile and be happy. You can also weigh the expanded bullet and determine the amount of retained weight. As much as high weight retention is touted by some, I have found that some weight loss is not only acceptable but desirable for certain game.

With medium game such as whitetail deer, handgun bullets that expand rapidly and shed some weight just seem to kill quicker in my experience. You still need enough retained weight to penetrate reliably, but do not get hung up on searching for 95 to 100 percent weight retention. High weight retention is, of course, desirable on larger, tougher game to ensure deep penetration.

You can judge how quickly and at what point a bullet expands by looking at the wound channel in wet newspapers. You can judge this to a lesser degree in water jugs. I number the jugs and then examine each after shooting. The jug with the most damage is where the most expansion occurred. This is usually the first jug, but it may be the second or third if the bullet is designed for slower expansion. You can also look at entry and exit holes on each jug and get a good idea of how much the expanded bullet diameter was at those points.

Judging whether the bullet provides enough penetration is the most difficult aspect of testing. Here is where a control bullet is most useful. If you have a bullet that has performed well for you on the game, fire it into the test medium at various downrange velocities and use it as a benchmark upon which to judge other bullets.

The ultimate test of any bullet is how it performs on game. The main advantage of testing bullets before you go hunting is to eliminate bullets that are clearly not suited to the task. If a bullet will not expand in water jugs or wet newspaper at a given velocity, it likely will not expand in game at that velocity. Likewise, if the bullet breaks apart in these substances it will almost surely break up on game, especially if bone is hit.

Testing your bullets is easy and a lot of fun and could prevent a lost wounded animal. If you test a variety of bullets on an ongoing basis you will gain experience as to how various bullets perform and will become more adept at judging a bullet's potential based on these tests.