Originally Posted by
BehindBlueI's
Even if we accept that as fact, the answer is to repeat the protocol that's proven to correlate to the real world but at the fps you find from the shorter/longer barrel. The answer is not to shoot melons or pudding filled pinatas or whatever.
Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is insanity.
And that whole "proven correlation" is mildly overstated. Best I can tell it comes from a study of 28 Winchester bullets recovered at autopsy in San Diego from 1987-1991. But the study excluded any bullet that left the body or hit bone which means the sample pretty much self-selected only the bullets that expanded properly.
I don't have the exact numbers to run a correlation check because the author just gave a summary of the gel test: 20 shots varying from 12-14" penetration with a ratio of 1.20 But he did list all the individual bullets from autopsy, which varied from 10-17" in penetration and ratios of 0.85-1.43.
To quote the author (Gene Wolberg):
"Shots fired into correctly prepared gelatin tissue simulant can be a valuable guideline in the selection of police ammunition. It is most useful in separating out the grossly inadequate bullets: those that penetrate only 6 or 7 inches or SP/HP that do not expand adequately."
For a rough correlation comparison, here is BrassFetcher's data comparing penetration in clear and organic gel:
cal....OG...CB
.380 7.6 9.6
9mm 13.7 13.4
357s 15.0 13.2
12gs 11.9 13.3
12g#4 11.6 11.0
Pearson Correlation Coefficient: 0.8742 (moderate-high correlation)
Originally Posted by
the Schwartz
What, specifically, are the materials (that is, what test medium?) used in these "non-traditional (but scientifically valid) tests"?
Anything you can repeatedly use with enough consistency to be valid. You could use water mixed to a specific ratio with a less dense fluid like rubbing alcohol (or add something like salt to increase density). You could use clear gel if you can ensure consistency from one block to the next. You could use butter or margarine or mozzarella or whatever gelatinous substance you can find that is consistent from one batch to the next and has the properties you're interested in exploring.
Again the point isn't to replace ordnance gel, but to supplement it with additional data from different media.
Or you could still use ordnance gel, but stick your ammo in a sub zero freezer overnight to drop velocity ~30fps. Or heat them to 150° to add ~30fps. Or add a 5th or 6th layer of denim. Or add a 1" barrier of fat/grease barrier to ordnance gel.
As a short barrel guy, I'd be interested in lower density media and/or lower velocity testing, but a carbine guy might want to go the other way.