30 Super Carry Gel Test

30 Super Carry is becoming a more popular round as defensive-minded shooters consider which round is best for their concealed carry firearm and balance the compromises. One or two more rounds of 30 Super Carry can fit into some subcompact carry pistols as opposed to 9mm rounds. But how effective is the 30 Super Carry round compared to the tried and true 9mm? Ballistic gel testing can give us some useful information.

30 SUPER CARRY VS 9MM

Rob Pincus is on the range with a 20-inch ballistic gelatin block, and the first round he fires is the Remington HTP 30 Super Carry JHP. It performs exactly how it’s supposed to in terms of expansion and penetration.

Next Rob fires a reliable Winchester 147-grain reduced-recoil 9mm Bonded Hollow Point round into the same block for comparison. What factors might affect the comparison? The 9mm was fired out of a pistol with a slightly shorter barrel (3.5 inches), plus the 9mm round is reduced recoil and a heavier bullet. How do things look?

Rob always wants to see a round penetrate 12 to 15 inches minimum for self-defense purposes. The 9mm is just past 12 inches, while the 30 Super Carry is just past 18 inches. The maximum expansion of the 9mm is at three to four inches, and the petals fold back as the round reaches 12 inches. The 30 Super Carry has two areas of expansion as well as the extreme penetration of 18 inches.

As a newer round, there are not yet many options and loadings available from major brands on the 30 Super Carry, but Rob expects that to change going forward, especially if it continues to perform as in this test.

LET’S DO THAT AGAIN

Rob thinks the test would be better with four rounds instead of two, so he fires one more round of 30 Super Carry and one more of 9mm (a different round this time) into the same gel block, and we have four wound cavities to inspect. (And we have to say, nice shooting, Rob!) The new shots reinforce the initial impressions – watch the whole video for all the details.