Red neck bullet ballistic test

[lrgrendel]

Am going to test 3 bullets for penetration and weight retention. The 123 gr Hornady AMAX, 123 gr Lapua Scenar and the 140 gr Lapua Naturalis.

Am not going to incur the cost of ballistic gel as this is really just a fun exercise so I am going to use the exact number of phone directories with the covers taken off for each bullet. I am also going to add the same amount of water at the same time to each bundle of directories so each testing media should be the same.

I will also tape each bundle well to keep it intact and put something hard at the back just in case the bullet makes it all the way through.

Have I forgotten anything?



For those sensitive types, sorry for the title of the thread!!

[davidj]

For those sensitive types, sorry for the title of the thread!!

Are you in the Panhandle?

[cst]

Maybe u should shoot em into a water jug right in front of the directories at 300 yards.

[zbay]

You could try this http://www.myscienceproject.org/gelatin.html

[lrgrendel]

Are you in the Panhandle?

No

[lrgrendel]

You could try this http://www.myscienceproject.org/gelatin.html

Thanks. I would need very large blocks as I want to shoot at 100 yds. (To make sure I hit) I have seen some videos and I would need blocks approx 12" x 12" x 24" for the test to work. I may test just one bullet to begin with to see if works out.

[stanc]

I am also going to add the same amount of water at the same time to each bundle of directories so each testing media should be the same.

Have I forgotten anything?

Be sure to allow enough time for the phone books to soak all the way through, otherwise they will be dry in the center.

[lrgrendel]

Be sure to allow enough time for the phone books to soak all the way through, otherwise they will be dry in the center.

Ok. Will do. An hour or so??

[stanc]

Maybe u should shoot em into a water jug right in front of the directories at 300 yards.

After experiencing uneven soaking of phone directories, I switched to stacking two packages of uncooked beef brisket in front of three, one-gallon jugs of water backed up by a couple of dry phone books.

[stanc]

Ok. Will do. An hour or so??

I wish I could tell you how long they should soak. I wasn't patient enough to try a second time. After my first attempt failed to soak the directories completely through, I switched my test methodology as described in post #9.

[stanc]

Ok. Will do. An hour or so??

Try googling "soaking phone books" and you'll find forum discussions where other shooters have asked this question. Here's one thread I found:

http://forums.1911forum.com/showpost.php?p=1484093&postcount=2

[lrgrendel]

Great thanks

[JASmith]

You'll probably learn a lot, possibly more than you expected!

If I recall correctly, the phone directories (or newsprint) should be soaked for at least 24 hours. Here are a couple of references:

• http://www.rathcoombe.net/sci-tech/b.../wounding.html
• http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthr...Test_with_lots

Their results played a major role in working up a paper describing optimal bullet weights for hunting medium game: Ideal Bullet Weight and, in turn, the recommendations for hunting bullets in Volume 2 of the 6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbook.

BTW -- The paper also shows how lessons learned by hunters 5,000 to 10,000 years ago help inform us 21st Century hunters!

[rebelsoul]

You got my attention when you mentioned REDNECK, I hope to acheive that tiltle one day. Now a suggestion for a similar bullet test. Stuff a western or wellington style boot with soaked news paper. Would this be a good analog for a deer shoulder? Perhaps a piece of fiberglass rod to simulate bone. I would love to have a white trash bullet test that simulates hair, hide and bone.

[lrgrendel]

You'll probably learn a lot, possibly more than you expected!

If I recall correctly, the phone directories (or newsprint) should be soaked for at least 24 hours. Here are a couple of references:

• Sciuchetti, Gary, The Best Hunting Bullet, Handloader, No. 193, pp. 40 – 44, June,1998.
• http://www.rathcoombe.net/sci-tech/b.../wounding.html
• http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthr...Test_with_lots

Their results played a major role in working up a paper describing optimal bullet weights for hunting medium game: Ideal Bullet Weight and, in turn, the recommendations for hunting bullets in Volume 2 of the 6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbook.

BTW -- The paper also shows how lessons learned by hunters 5,000 to 10,000 years ago help inform us 21st Century hunters!

Now those links were very interesting with one of my bullets, the 140 gr Lapua Naturalist having being tested with the following results.

Lapua 140gr Naturalist

Average Penetration (inches): 16.5
Average Weight Retained (grain): 136.6
Average Weight Retained (%): 98
Average Expansion (inches): 0.556

Now that test had this bullet going at between 2500-2550 FPS. I will probably only get a little over 2000 FPS due to the Grendel's limited performance with this heavier bullet.

My velocity with both 123 gr bullets is at 2640 FPS but I will use a chronograph during the tests just to check all 3.