bullet expansion
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wichita Kansas USA
Posts: 699
bullet expansion
is shooting into dirt a fair way to judge bullet expansion? i want to check out the various bullets i have but i don't have much to shoot into except for a pile of dirt.
#5
I did a bunch of testing on muzzleloader bullets a couple years ago with my son for a science project. We built a catch box that had an opening to shoot into (used card stock paper to keep the sand in), and filled it with damp play sand. It did a nice job of catching the bullets, and I could tell how they performed pretty well. Plus we could use the sand over and over, and basically set up the same thing for consistent testing.
Obviously that is not a game animal, but you get the idea. I know guys have used jugs with water, problem is how many jugs do you need....and you blow them up every time you shoot one bullet.
Agree with NC, ask about the bullets you are interested in first.
Obviously that is not a game animal, but you get the idea. I know guys have used jugs with water, problem is how many jugs do you need....and you blow them up every time you shoot one bullet.
Agree with NC, ask about the bullets you are interested in first.
#6
I'm like a little kid when it comes to digging into the berm trying to recover bullets.
The biggest difference that I see in shooting dirt versus something wet is that the bullet will expand, but might not fragment like it would in game.
A few years ago, I recovered about 30 out of 40 shots from my .44mag Hornady FTX's one day, weight retention was amazing, expansion was HUGE.
Hornady Leverevolution 225grn FTX .44mag into dirt at 50yrds ~1200fps:
Shot a deer with it, much more fragmentation. The next pic is of a 325grn .45-70 Leverevolution FTX instead of the same .44mag bullet, but the results I've seen with the .44mag on deer looked very similar to this. I pulled this bullet out of a deer hit at 250yrds, which out of my wife's Guide Gun was trucking about the same speed as that .44mag was. The bullets I've recovered from deer with the .44mag FTX look pretty similar to this, a bit more weight retention in general with a prettier mushroom, but actually pretty similar to this.
Hornady Leverevolution 325grn FTX .45-70 into a deer at 250yrds ~1150fps:
I suppose it'd be fair to judge expansion of bullets side by side by shooting into dirt, but I'm not 100% sure it'd really tell you what you want to know about performance on game.
EDIT: Sorry for the terrible quality pics, these were taken back before smartphone cameras were worth a damn...
The biggest difference that I see in shooting dirt versus something wet is that the bullet will expand, but might not fragment like it would in game.
A few years ago, I recovered about 30 out of 40 shots from my .44mag Hornady FTX's one day, weight retention was amazing, expansion was HUGE.
Hornady Leverevolution 225grn FTX .44mag into dirt at 50yrds ~1200fps:
Shot a deer with it, much more fragmentation. The next pic is of a 325grn .45-70 Leverevolution FTX instead of the same .44mag bullet, but the results I've seen with the .44mag on deer looked very similar to this. I pulled this bullet out of a deer hit at 250yrds, which out of my wife's Guide Gun was trucking about the same speed as that .44mag was. The bullets I've recovered from deer with the .44mag FTX look pretty similar to this, a bit more weight retention in general with a prettier mushroom, but actually pretty similar to this.
Hornady Leverevolution 325grn FTX .45-70 into a deer at 250yrds ~1150fps:
I suppose it'd be fair to judge expansion of bullets side by side by shooting into dirt, but I'm not 100% sure it'd really tell you what you want to know about performance on game.
EDIT: Sorry for the terrible quality pics, these were taken back before smartphone cameras were worth a damn...
Last edited by Nomercy448; 01-31-2014 at 07:06 AM. Reason: The pics are terrible...
#7
One trick for this to help bullet recovery:
Get 2-3 5gallon buckets, a sawzal, and some duct tape. Cut the bottoms out of all but one of the buckets. Duct tape the buckets so they make a long tube, with a closed bottom. Set the water balloons up in a line in the tube, and shoot away. Water stops the bullet, buckets catch the bullet for recovery.
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Eastern wv
Posts: 3,644
Water balloons work really good for this purpose. They're super cheap, come in great big packs for multiple shots, and are a lot easier to store than milk jugs. Fill 'em up, carry 'em to the range in a Rubbermaid tub, and have a ball.
One trick for this to help bullet recovery:
Get 2-3 5gallon buckets, a sawzal, and some duct tape. Cut the bottoms out of all but one of the buckets. Duct tape the buckets so they make a long tube, with a closed bottom. Set the water balloons up in a line in the tube, and shoot away. Water stops the bullet, buckets catch the bullet for recovery.
One trick for this to help bullet recovery:
Get 2-3 5gallon buckets, a sawzal, and some duct tape. Cut the bottoms out of all but one of the buckets. Duct tape the buckets so they make a long tube, with a closed bottom. Set the water balloons up in a line in the tube, and shoot away. Water stops the bullet, buckets catch the bullet for recovery.
RR