This paper presents experimental validation of the enhanced reference stress based J estimates for circumferential through-wall cracked pipes. recently proposed by authors. Using the pipe test data for circumferential through-wall cracked pipes, the predicted fracture initiation and maximum moments according to the proposed enhanced reference stress method are compared with experimental ones as well as predictions from the R6 method. The results show that both the R6 method and the proposed method give conservative estimates of initiation and maximum moments for circumferential through-wall cracked pipes, compared to experimental data. For longer cracks, the proposed method reduces conservatism embedded in estimated J according to the R6 method, and the resulting predictions are less conservative, compared to those from the R6 method. For shorter cracks, on the other hand, the proposed method reduces possible non-conservatism embedded in estimated J according to the R6 method, and the resulting predictions are slightly more conservative.