We Get Letters

"Have you had any successes from trying Corbon's DPX cartridges, the ones made of all copper...?"

It WAS on my list of rounds to give a look-see until I did some checking, including an email to Corbon.

I wanted a DPX in .357 magnum, noticed that their 125 grainer was only kicking up 1300 fps full of giddyup and asked to know why.

Background first; for years I've used hand loads and Double Tap .357's that took a 125 grain bullet to 1600 fps or thereabouts and lets face it, if I want a slow moving .357 why the hell not just go down another small notch to a +P .38 in Winchester Ranger T and be done with it. The single feature that makes the 357 the manstopper it is, happens to be the velocity so cranking back didn't make much sense.

Corbon pretty much said that anything over the 1300 fps mark for THAT bullet was overkill and could result in unintentional fragmentation of the round, so for me, adios to DPX. Personally, I believe that they...world renowned for hot ammo...simply felt that the recoil from a hotter round would be a product-killer and went with the me-too, gotta-have-it copper bullet that's all the rage but kept it manageable for the occasional shooter.

Let them load it to 1500 fps and I'll take the stuff out deep into the swamp and come back with a good feel for what DPX type rounds can do in the real world, but there's no way I'm packing 357 heat with a slow cartridge as my go-to sidearm.

Corbon .357 Magnum DPX. Approximately $25 per 20 rounds. Pictured: Corbon DPX in .40 S&W because I don't have a shot of their .357's.