Modified .22 Rimfire Penetration Tests

[longbow]

I'm not sure if this is the best place to post this but here goes anyway.

I have been working on some penetration tests for cast boolits - same design but different weights. Results to come.

Until then it turns out that my wife bought me a Bullet Test Tube. Only one though so it isn't adequate for testing hard cast boolits but it is good for testing .22 rimfire which I have done - both modified and factory.

So far, I am impressed with the Bullet Test Tube but need an extension for the hard cast boolit test.

Since I am not sure how to post this best I wrote it in Notepad to keep it simple but it is too wide to copy into this window so is an attachment along with the pictures. If the test file wraps it will mess up the table so don't use "wordwrap" in format.

I started with file trimmed bullets per the info sent to me by Dale53 then felt adventurous and decided to make a swaging tool similar to the Paco Kelly tool.

The text file attached describes the bullets in order in the picture from left to right and should be self explanatory if you read the text file and look at the picture of the loaded and recovered bullets (first one on the left).

I did have some rounds that seemed a little off and commented on them and you can see the sooty bases so without a repeat results are a little subjective but still interesting.

I just previewed the post and the text file with the tabulated results and other info shows up under the photos.

I will follow up shortly with some hard cast boolit tests - but not in the Bullet Test Tube yet. Again a little informal but interesting.

If there is a better way to post this sort of thing let me know because I got more coming.

Longbow

[Dale53]

longbow;
This is good data. It matches with what I have found, also. I long ago settled on the filed flat nose for small game. It genuinely improves the .22 (high speed) for edible small game. Contrary to popular opinion, the .22 needs all the help it can get. One cannot always make head shots and hollow points are often too destructive. For me, the filed flat nose (RF) maximises the potential of the .22 rimfire high speed cartridge for edible small game use.

Thanks for the report.

Dale53

[Buckshot]

..............Very cool info, thanks!

...............Buckshot

[Bullshop Junior]

I ran a test once with my Rossi 22, to see what penetrated the best and what gave the best group. I tested 10 different kinds of 22 ammo, and put all the info. on a chart, but my 3 year old sister got the chart.....I think that I tested:
#1-Federal bulk H.P.
#2-Federal Lighting
#3-American eagle H.P.
#4-CCI stinger
#5-CCI mini mag H.P.
#6- Some kind of European junk.
#7-Remington Bulk H.P.
#8-Remington yellow jacket H.P.
#9-Remington thunder bolts
#10-CCI standard velocity.
That is all correct, because that is all that I had at the time, and the test was run about a month ago. The one that grouped the best for me was the CCI Standard velocity. I had several that shot almost as good. The one that penetrated the best was the CCI mini mag, at about 4"....I think. Yesterday I shot several kinds of 22 ammo that I modified, and non modified. The ones that I tested where:
Federal bulk H.P.
Federal lightning
CCI stinger
Remington H.P.
All of the ones that I modified shot better.
All where measured center to center.
Federal Bulk H.P.-1.5895
Federal Bulk H.P. modified-0.465
Remington Bulk H.P.-1.758
Remington Bulk H.P. modified-1.059
CCI stinger-1.562
CCI stinger modified-0.453
Federal lightning-1.552
Federal lightning modified-0.993.
The tool cuts them off at 0.930".Not all of them are the exact same. As of right now all that is going through the Rossi will be modified. I have not had time to test my marlin model 60.
BTW-What in the world is the stuff that you are shooting in to? I shot into a stack of 1/4" to 1/2" bourds about a foot thick.
Daniel

[longbow]

The green goop is a Ballistic Technologies "Bullet Test Tube". My wife saw me looking at one on the internet and bought one for me! She's a good wife!

It is a waxy goop in a cardboard tube that can be shot to check terminal bullet performance. It retains the cavity which can be checked for volume with water, sectioned to see the cavity (not too thrilling with .22 rimfire) then remelted, recast and shot again.

Ballistic Technologies says I will need at least one extension for .44 mag hard cast boolit tests - yet to come. Even then they say a hard cast boolit will likely penetrate both tubes.

Here's their site: http://www.thebullettesttube.com/

I will likey buy an extension but if I need more I think I might try a mix of beeswax and paraffin to get something similar.

Longbow

[georgeld]

I'd get some of that stuff if it didn't cost so damned much.

I'd like to have a small piece of it to see what it's like.
then maybe go searching for similar material.

Surely just because they've mixed their own recipe don't mean theres not a hundred similar products available that would do the same job.
It don't even have to be that crappy green color either.

Any ideas??

[longbow]

George:

Ballistic Technology claims that the Bullet Test Tube material is a consistent media for testing bullet expansion but that it does not dulicate animal tissue. They also say results can be compared to ballistic gelatin by multiplying the penetration in their media by 1.34.

It is a waxy material and is very sticky. It is melted in a double boiler or crock pot to be recast into another tube. It floats on boiling water - I melted it off the recovered bullets so it certainly is not as dense as gelatin but it is harder.

What I like about this idea is: it works well; it is easy to use; you can melt and recast it unlike gelatin or wet phone books; no disposal after use; it is consistent; it doesn't go bad; and I kind of like the green colour (personal preference). However, like you said there are likely good substitutes.

Straight paraffin would be too hard (brittle) but straight beeswax might be okay or paraffin and toilet bowl ring. I also thought of using a thick mix of flour and water like a stiff bread dough. Flour is cheap and it could be mixed with sawdust to make things a little cheaper. Should work and could be shot, cut then re-kneaded and shot again then left in the bush to feed critters after all is said and done.

Let me know if you find something that does work 'cause I'll try it too.

I got some .44 mag test results to post too (9 or 10 different boolits) but they were shot into end grain wet birch. I'll try the Test Tube too but I will only get one shot at a time into it which is a disadvantage if you want to test several boolits.

Longbow

[leftiye]

There's a stuff that they use on "mythbusters" called Ballistic Jell. It seems to be alot like gelatin, but it can be melted and cast , say into an ice cream bucket. It can be re-used, just melt and recast. It can also be sectioned, etc.. I think I first saw it in Handloader magazine about 1975.

The paper tubes they sell at building supply stores to form concrete cylindrical posts, and foundations would provide deeper media tubes, and come in many sizes. The jell doesn't have to be in the tubes when shot at, but it might fly around some if not contained in some way.