44 mag penetration in water

[Pirate69]

I have a 310 grain 44 mag load that is running about 1300 fps (1100 ft-lb) at 50 yards. I am interested to see what the bullet expansion looks like at that range. I am thinking that the best option that I have is to stop it with water jugs. Question is, how many inches of water will be required to stop the boolit? Do not want to have to do this more than once since it will be a problem finding jugs for the first try. Anyone have any information that may give me some guidance? Thanks in advance.

[memtb]

I would think that around 10 should do it. Your problem may be keeping the bullet in an absolutely straight line penetration.....if it drifts somewhat, it may exit the jugs!

I’ve done this with Barnes Bullets from a rifle (270 Win, 140 TSX) and penetrated 7 jugs, before exiting the side of #7 jug. It barely exited, and was found on the ground near the jug! memtb
memtb

[Gray Fox]

You may find some answers at The Box 'o Truth website. GF

[rtyler8140]

I've been using a 5gal bucket of sand lately as a boolit trap & it has been working pretty well. I just went to Home Depot and got 2 bags of paver sand, a 5 gallon bucket and a lid. Had some old rubber from floor mats and put that under the lid to keep the sand from falling out as its being shot. After a few hundred shots, you'll have to replace the lid, but those are cheap enough. Not sure how closely the expansion in sand relates to game, but it does a great job stopping the boolits. Have shot my 35 whelen which is 200g @ 1200-1400fps and it gets trapped about 8-10" in on sand.

[megasupermagnum]

I would expect more than 10. 15 will probably do it. 20 will for sure. A dirt backstop just in case is a good idea.

[sukivel]

My 250 gr hp going about 1300 only goes through 4 bleach jugs.


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[DougGuy]

I use that same Lee 310 cast in 50/50+2% I can scratch it easily with a thumbnail. That is a devastating boolit on game without expansion. I have never recovered one and most deer shot with this SBH dropped in their tracks, a couple went less than 20yds.

[smoked turkey]

I am thinking 8+ milk jugs filled with H2O will do it. I was doing the same kind of thing you were doing a while back and I ran out of jugs for the last test. so I'm thinking I had lined up 7 jugs. It went through all of them and so at this point I would plan on 10 jugs at least. Of course it is dependent on a lot of other factors so your mileage may vary from mine.

[bluejay75]

I would wager 5-6. I have done this test with a 280 grainier and I think it made it into the 5th jug. That’s behind 23 grains H110.

[versa-06]

I'm pretty sure you realize that if your alloy is very soft for velocity it will expand & create drag, & the harder the alloy the deeper the penetration. Probably much deeper.

[tomcat388th]

I use that same Lee 310 cast in 50/50+2% I can scratch it easily with a thumbnail. That is a devastating boolit on game without expansion. I have never recovered one and most deer shot with this SBH dropped in their tracks, a couple went less than 20yds.

I run the same bullet in my SRH shot a nice doe a couple of weeks ago at about 40 yards . I get about the same results as you with deer. Even with my 41 mag and lymans copy of a keith style bullet I have shot deer quartering toward me and they exit through the opposite hip/ham. And its not really a hot load 9.2 gns unique mild recoil and really accurate RugerBH 4 5/8 barrel. As for how many milk jugs with the 44 I'd go with 10. My bullets are cast from coww air cooled
Justin

[country gent]

Build a trough out of wood 18" X 18" x 8ft long, Back can be made of wood from rubber plastic or other easily replace able material. Use cheap garbage bags to line it. set the bags in the trough fill with water and let go. with the tops open you can see where the bullet penetrated to easily and reach in to pick it out. If your planning on extensive testing take extra fronts with you. Leave some small slots along the corners to speed draining water out.

[bmortell]

put old rags and towels ect. in a cardboard box behind the last jug, that helps alot to not lose bullets. if its bhn 10 or less could probably just use 5 1 gallon jugs with mentioned fabric catch behind to be safe you'll catch it. if its hard youd want more like 7 jugs with fabric behind. i just always use the catch behind and im pretty good at guessing good enough to stop in the first couple layers of fabric, except if im expecting expansion and get none it goes pretty deep in the fabric. but towels are pretty bulletproof to slowed bullets

[Wolfer]

Ive told this story before but it was a while ago. I wanted to catch a boolit from my 45 colt and check for gas cutting. I duct taped the end of a 10’ x4” pvc pipe and propped it up on my baler tongue and filled with water. Stepping back a few feet to line up with the angle of the pipe I fired one off.

WOW a 4” stream of water came at me like a fire hose. Washed my hat off my head. I had a small dry strip down the middle of my back.

The boolit went through the tape after 10’ of water and hit a rock hard enough to ding the nose. No gas cutting though.

[Dinny]

I never understood why people shoot water jugs. Is that to test the bullets you intend to shoot fish with? Why not fill a box with sand, dirt, wet newspapers, etc? Water seems rather hard and bullets seem to always expand no matter their alloy.

Thanks, Dinny

[bmortell]

I never understood why people shoot water jugs. Is that to test the bullets you intend to shoot fish with? Why not fill a box with sand, dirt, wet newspapers, etc? Water seems rather hard and bullets seem to always expand no matter their alloy.

Thanks, Dinny

cause deer are mostly water. and dirt/sand are less similar to deer and more just mush up the nose. i like using wet newspaper when i can but its not everyday i can get a thick stack of paper for free. if water expands stuff more than deer i just compensate for the difference. but water dont expand everything i have about 50 bullets in a pile from water testing and about half are medium to no expansion.

[Ledhead]

I've put that same boolit through 36 inches of wet pack and still had enough energy to pop through 2" of compressed, taped up magazines. That was with a muzzle velocity of just over 1300 fps. I was getting zero expansion though, even with 50/50+1%.

[siamese4570]

I went thru the same exercise and I couldn't stop that boolit with 12 milk jugs full of water. That booklet penetrates like a lazer beam.
Siamese4570

[Pirate69]

Thanks to everyone for the comments. Once I collect enough jugs and can do this, I will let everyone know my results. I am not worried about getting enough penetration in a deer; I just want to see what a fired boolit looks like. I must be getting really bored.

[reloader28]

You better have a big pile of jugs.
I know the Lee 125gr RF wont stop in 9 jugs with 4.4gr Bullseye
Unless its soft alloy Id be surprised if the 44 stops with less than 12

[farmbif]

my old friend Marvin the gunsmith used a piece of 6" steel pipe about 5 feet long, filled about 3 1/2' with water and shot into it.
just dump it out to get a look at slugs look like

[outdoorfan]

Btw, the miha 135 grain rnfp in 9mm at 1200 fps exited the 13th one gallon milk jug (all I had lined up) and kept on trucking, so that 310 Lee will do even better.

A 45 caliber 290 slug with .325 meplat did around 10 or 11 jugs at 600 fps, if I recall

[Hogtamer]

A live hog would tell you more.

[MT Gianni]

I remember someone way back on the board that tried it in their pool. IIRC 12 ' of water left a hole in the pool.