Testing bullet expansion

Larzman

August 10, 2002 02:24

I have several different kinds of ammo for my handgun and was wanting to know if anyone had any ideas on how one could test the bullet expansion. A guy at work told me that I could bundle up some newspaper and wet it and shoot into it and then recover the lead to see how it expanded...would this work ok? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!!

Larzman

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  AdamsQuailHunter

  August 10, 2002 04:12

  Hello Larzman
  
  Since making ballastic gelatin is a royal pain, as well as being expensive, most people that I know use a trough made for the purpose and gallon milk jugs filled with water. Usually about 8 of them in a line.
  
  Best Regards

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  Nighthawk

  August 10, 2002 05:29

  A box full of old gunlist or Shotgun news are when the new phone books come out go to a Hotel and request some of the old ones.Then shoot threw the box and recover your bullet this usually works for me.
  
  BEST!!
  
  Rugster

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  Iconoclast

  August 10, 2002 18:00

  Using bulk paper is one method, but from everything I've read, the results do not necessarily reflect how it will perform on meat & bone. It will give you an idea of relative penetration and, for sure, if a projectile doesn't expand in several inches of wet newsprint, it sure won't in flesh.

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  rsnyder55

  August 10, 2002 19:39

  I use wet newspapers and phonebooks to check expansion and then a line of 1" boards twelve inches apart to check for penetration.

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  charliec

  August 10, 2002 19:52

  I have also used 1/2 gallon paper type milk cartons filled with water.Line some up,(5-10)and run a piece of duct tape around them. You don't have to dig thru a bunch of paper to find the bullet.
  
  If man thinks for one minute he understands women, he's timed it about right

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  hotrodusa

  August 10, 2002 19:56

  How about a raccoon, That would work.
  Or........ Perhaps a deer, That work too.
  A wild bore pig, Thats it, I am going to try this myself !!!
  
  Robert
  
  
  
  Edited by - hotrodusa on 08/11/2002 00:24:15

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  kalifornian

  August 10, 2002 20:18

  See if you can borrow a few sex offenders from the local prison and line 'em up!
  
  So many guns, so little money . . .

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  ericthered

  August 10, 2002 21:37

  When I was a kid about 30 years ago, I used telephone books, not wet,
  to test all my pistol ammo. It is a great way to do it because you get
  relative information from one bullet to another and can see exactly
  the difference in ripping the book, and depth of penetration. It may
  not be the same as flesh but it is great for comparison to other bullets. Some bullets would hit so hard that it would stick the
  books together. Also, you can let your fingers do the walking to find the bullet. 25 cal would be so shallow as to almost see the
  bullet sticking out. 22 would actually penetrate pretty well. 38, 357, 9mm, and others showed performance clearly. The 357, hot loads, were devastating. In those days, Houston had only two books, one yellow pages, and one white, and they were ridiculously thick.
  The 357 would go thru 1 1/2 to 1 2/3rds of the books.
  
  Eric
  
  thats'me

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  Larzman

  August 11, 2002 21:29

  Thanks all for the advice and info...it's greatly appreciated!! I'll be off tomorrow to try em out!!
  
  Larzman

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