Best medium to shoot into.

[Powerfisher]

Wheather is NICE and I have 4 days off, two of which I am going shooting. I want to test the SST, S/W, Barnes and a few other bullets and would like to know what is the best thing to shoot into so I can recover and examine the performance. I have heard of afrozen turkey, bucket of dirt or sand or thick mud, sand bags, home made bullistic gell.....so, what do yal think?

[Powerfisher]

Oh, and how far away should I be? 50yds? 100yds? Both?

[oldsmellhound]

I know of people that use a bucket of wet sand. Another idea is a large box full of wet newspapers or wet phone books. It's not the same as shooting it into an animal, but it is a way to compare bullets to each other.

As for distance, ideally you would shoot some at close range (50 yards or less) and some at long range (100 yards or more). But that takes a lot of time. A faster way would be to set up your bullet trap at the distance you think most likely that you'll be shooting at.

[falcon]

The best medium in which to test a bullet is a big hog.

[nchawkeye]

I prefer deer....

[sjsfire]

I certainly wouldn't waste a good turkey........A bucket of moist sand is what I've used the most.

[Uncle Mike]

I have heard that wet newspapers were at one time used by the FBI forensic labs. Now I'm sure they use ballistic gelatin. You can by ballistic gelatin... Cabela's used to sell it or go to your local gun shop and ask them to order some from Brownells orChattanooga Shooters Supply. You can alsobuy it online.
Check out this website...http://www.myscienceproject.org/gelatin.html. This websitehas a couple ballistic gelatin recipes. If nothing else, it'll give the kids something to mess in.lol
More websites: recgun.com/Sources/XD3.html.
gelatininnovations.com/pages/ballistic.html.
pyramydair.com/blog/2007/02/how-to-make-ballistic-gelatin.html.
firearmsid.com/Gelatin/Ballistic%20Gelatin%20Report.pdf. This has some good information about the physical aspects of testing.
And don't forget to do a search on you-tube, they have some videos on how to make it.
Have Fun-

[MountainDevil54]

sand.

20,50 and 100 yards you'll need to shoot into. Newpaper is fun but its a friggin mess and lucky if it lasts for 2 shots.

the sand can be either dry or damp. i prefer damp sand.

most of the time you dont need no bigger than a 12" x 12" box.

[bronko22000]

I hear of a lot of guys using sand.
A 12 x 12 box MD? You must be shooting at 25 yds.....hehehehehe
I owed you that for posting another pic of that 54 cal mountain rifle after I told you not to. I spent a half an hour wiping the drool off my keyboard.

[Pioneer2]

Somali Pirates......................................Harol d