Do any of you guys do your own ballistic gel testing?

[1911Fanatic]

I've been getting into ammo lately. Well, the details anyway, other than does it go bang when you pull the trigger. So May of the hand gun rounds that I have have no specs on penetration and expansion. Short vs longer barrels, etc. they manufacturers don't have this info on their websites and some of the ammo sellers like Lucky Gunner, don't have tests on every brand of ammo they sell, but do have a lot on the more premium ammo for handguns.

I would like to get into doing my own testing. It looks like it would be a lot of fun to do, would supply good info to me regarding certain loads and what to expect out of my particular firearms. I'm just not sure where to start as far as what equipment I would need. Yeah I'm a nerd and like to geek out on the details.

Read More

 

[Koda]

You need a chronograph and ballistic gel blocks. They sell ballistic gel blocks on midwayuse but they are expensive...

 

[JuglansRegia]

I use cardboard boxes soaked in soapy water in plastic storage totes. Don't use cardboard with graphics printed, the plain jane cheap stuff works best, it gets nice and soft.

 

[Camelfilter]

Gel tests are interesting, & scientifically standardized if done correctly. However, I personally preferred the late Paul Harrell's "meat target" testing.

Pop Tarts, where a man belongs...

 

[Ducati_Meister]

Get some denim and blocks of meat and try that aka might be a bit cheaper doing something like that vs gel blocks.

 

[thorborg]

I've made my share of coffee gelatin over the years, especially good with heavy cream. Never shot into it though.

 

[1911Fanatic]

I guess you can get the trays and melt the gel in your oven. But, how do you get the gel out without tearing it up? Spray a little Pam in the tray and use a spatuala to get it out?

 

[Anonymous 510]

I make my own ballistics gel and do all my own testing over a chronograph but I also load 32 different calibers currently at well

 

[Nosferatu]

No, but I don't crash test my own vehicles either.

 

[1911Fanatic]

I'm just more interested in finding out how the less premium rounds do in my firearms. Like I'd like to know how some of the hotter non premium JHP's would do in my 357 magnum with 2 1/2 inch barrel.

 

[oremike]

I'm more interested in how accurate a load is. I like getting comments like "I don't know what you do to your ammo but it sure makes it easy to bounce a pop can around"

Edited to add that I have gotten soft spot fruit and judged terminal performance by how big a mess I made.

 

[Saladfarmer]

Check Paul Harrel's catalog on Youtube. also, tools and targets on youtube. He has an extensive catalog of MANY bullets with chrono and ballistic gel tests

 

[Koda]

I'm just more interested in finding out how the less premium rounds do in my firearms. Like I'd like to know how some of the hotter non premium JHP's would do in my 357 magnum with 2 1/2 inch barrel.

Youtube has like thousands of gel tests to view.

Luckygunner has a good list in most calibers (including 357 Magnum) including some 2in barrels. Between Youtube and Luckygunner there is enough data available to extrapolate a good educated guess on any bullet you cant find there. Eventually you will find they all do close enough to the same job, I mostly stopped worrying about it. What you will find on Luckygunners site is which bullets expand the best, it probably the most useful info to go by.

Handgun Self-Defense Ammunition - Ballistic Testing Data

Lucky Gunner tests more than 110 different 9mm, 45 ACP, 40 S&W and 380 ACP handgun self-defense ammunition loads in ballistic gel with analysis and video.

www.luckygunner.com

 

[MikeInOr]

IMHO ballistic gelatin is really only relevant in comparing two loads against each other in the same batch of gel. It is cool to see the wound channels in ballistic gel but minor differences from gel batch to gel batch will make comparing results between batches of limited use in comparing 2 different rounds against each other. I always question the affects of the bullet tearing a hole through the gel on the results of subsequent shots in the same gel block. Then you have the blocks of gel bouncing around on impact. It makes for good video but for actual comparisons the gel blocks should be held more securely in a more controlled environment.

Even if you have closely calibrated gel blocks they really aren't that good of a facsimile for human flesh. It seems like a side of pork or beef would be a much better facsimile for human flesh and I think an animal carcass will most likely show that shot placement will have a bigger affect on the performance of an individual round than the ammo itself.

All the youtube videos amaze me with their assumption that a sample size of one has much meaning at all. To draw meaningful conclusions I would want a sample size of at least 10 to average together for a meaningful conclusion about one particular load.
My AK47 will shoot .01 MOA at 200 yards (with a sample size of 1 round)

I know gel is the standard FBI way to compare different rounds... I just don't have a whole lot of faith in the intelligence of the FBI.

 

[1911Fanatic]

Hey, it still looks like it would be fun and relaxing and I could compare less expensive HP's to the already tested and proven ones side by side from my exact guns. Like Fiocchi defense dynamics JHP vs Hornaday American Gunner. And my wife could craft a little display of the recoveredvexpanded bullets with my granddaughter. Good clean family fun

I've seen a lot of the Sig V crowns not open up in gel in you tube videos. It just looks like it would be fun to do. And I can test my hand loads as well to get some idea of expansion and penetration out of some of my weird barrel lengths. I think it would just be good geeky fun. And my wife has a piece of property in the next town over where we can set it up.

 

[Cerberus Group]

If you want accurate results that are industry comparable, you'll need to use calibrated 10% ballistic gel.

It's the closest media found that "generally" shows what bullet performance will do in the human body. I say generally, because everyone's skin, bone, tissue and organ densities vary a bit.

Hate to deflate everyone's balloon, but meat no way comes close to a useful media for bullet testing in useful data of comparing results to that of a human body.

First off, animal "meat" has a way different density than human "meat". Second dead "meat" also has a way different density structure than living "meat".

 

[ilikegunspdx]

You can make your own gel blocks with Knox gelatin from grocery store. It's easy. If you want clear pay money for clear ballistics.