Penetration tests

[StringJumper]

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot1.htm

Any surprises for anyone? I was only surpised about the performance of the HP bullets.

[MOGC]

Some hollowpoint designs in some materials will certainly plug and behave like a solid bullet. No surprises there. You also have to watch out for a few things from that website, some of it is slanted toward the authors version of "the truth", and little of it is scientific in method.

[Hi Ball]

Stringjumper we saw those tests but didn't think to much of the drywall series! If you wish to check things or compare bullets and calibers and do so cheaply "apples to apples etc" then use wet soaked newpaper, it is about as good a test as their is for very little money.

Those 50-lb block of modeling clay I used on my big bores prior to going to Africa the first time, costs like $38.00 dollars a block, not cheap by any means. A lot of the Geletin block tests are done with the block of Geletin having to soft a center giving reports of 15, 16 and 17 inches of penetration with a Cor-Bon bullet and some other defense loads. Why I noticed even the .380-auto was listed at almost 9 inches of penetration. I say Hog Wash to those tests!!! :eek::rolleyes:

[Badger]

StringJumper,

Interesting link. I agree, some hollowpoints will not mushroom at handgun velocities as most folks assume.

Badger

[GF.]

I guess there are two ways you need to look at that 'overpenetration' (since that's what they were really testing here)...

Yes, a hollowpoint can plug up and act like ball. But I bet they only do that when you miss....

It'd be interesting to re-run that test with a melon sitting a foot or more in front of the first board.

[Badger]

GF,

When I lived in NH, a fellow up in the White Mountains did penetration tests on road killed deer, bear and other critters. Different mediums will, in fact, give different results.

Badger

[MOGC]

Thus the standard measurement is calibrated ballistic gel. Otherwise nobody knows what they are measuring their unscientific test against to compare results.

[GF.]

Couldn't you get yourself into a peck o' trouble shooting up game animals out of season?

I seem to recall a thread about some real sick puppy in Wisconsin or someplace who got arrested for running some kind of non-standard 'penetration test' on a RK doe... Of course, there was no gunpowder involved....:rolleyes:


Do we have a smiley that pukes?:eek:

[Badger]

GF,

I understand the NH roadkills were already dead. The highway department picked up the deceased and took them to a guy's farm where they were dumped for coyote hunting chum. Apparently a reloader went to the farm and shot the chum.

Badger

[GF.]

As long as he was cleared for it, no harm done, I suppose.

OTOH, I was just imagining the news coverage of some guy found to be in possession of a big pile of thoroughly shot-up, out-of-season big game carcasses that had been left out to rot....

'Field Day' doesn't begin to describe the fun they'd have with that....:eek:

[Hi Ball]

I have seen several tests done using so called "ballistic geliten" and I swear, some of it must be soft in the center in order to produce penetration I have seen with some handgun calibers like the .380-auto at 9 inches, 40 S&W at 15 & 17 inches. I am not buying that period! I conduct my own tests and compare apples to apples in wet banded newspaper. My numbers may not be impressive but they are real stats and let me know right off, where certain claibers stand and types of ammo used.

[GF.]

I guess the folks who have a prety good handle on this stuff have yet to come up with anything better.....


:confused:

But you think about it; a chest cavity is pretty low-density once you get past the chest wall - lungs are mostly air, after all...

But of course, among the gel's other virtues are consistency. One lab here can replicate the medium with that lab over there.

So it's a compromise....

And what ain't? :D

[MOGC]

Wet newsprint or paper is actually pretty tough on bullets. Calibrated ballistic gel is produced by scientist and doctors to simulate real flesh. Now consider that is bare gel, then there is always the "four denim" test to simulate shooting a clothed attacker. Those two are the standard by which to compare bullet performance. Shooting into wet newsprint has no real comparison to shooting a human or animal attacker. It is only good to compare the toughness of bullets as compared to each other. How those bullets react when shot into living tissue cannot be predicted by wet paper penetration test.

[Hi Ball]

MO-GC......How's about you getting out of your chair and getting me some of that so called "human GEL" OK. :D:D:D

I would like to know where to purchase some of this product as I have at least 3 more tests I wish to complete in the next month GC.

Yeah, the newspaper is tuff you betcha! I can compare penetration of calibers, which will NOT penetrate in the newspaper as deep as in that "ballistic geletin" but one can certainly see the effects of various bullets as well as comparing penetration to one caliber verses another. It is a very cheap fix to say the least. ;)

[MOGC]

I typed "Ballistic Gelatin" in Google and got 260,000 hits in .024 seconds. That includes where to buy the mix and even videos of how to do it yourself.

[Hi Ball]

MO_GC.......Yeah, I hear you loud and clear on the search but I don't want to purchase 25-lbs of mix for $350 bucks GC. Yes, that is the going price with shipping and it is going up they tell me.

I guess I'll just stick to the good old newspaper as it does tell me what is what in caliber. Milk just full of water don't do to bad either, which is a lot cheaper than $300 to $400 dollars for gelatin mix.:rolleyes: :eek: