We hunt only with cast bullets. Until Red Chinese "Batwing Soup" virus, I would stop at Missoula Public Library's freebie magazine dump for New Yorker Magazine. Testing occurs for accuracy and for penetration because I rely on Hogdon's manual and powder. The first needs only paper. Penetration must be equally reliable.
For 20+ years I have used 12-inch thick batch of dry New Yorkers duct taped horizontally and vertically on center as test medium. During its acceptance tests, no 458 Winchester or 338 Winchester or 30-06 jacketed bullet penetrated 12 inches. No cast bullet of any shape or hardness penetrated 12 inches. My test medium also verifies bullets' stability during penetration that is, I want penetration to be straight. No veering off from point of aim. Veering occurred with more than one bullet configuration. With cast bullets hardness mattered. We shoot semi-wadcuttters and LBT-style truncated points. Surprisingly jacketed bullets, during proofing of test medium 20+ years ago, had more unintentional veering than cast bullets. I anticipate veering is no longer an issue with jacked bullets. Having proved test medium, bullets in test medium, and ultimately bullets on game, I was set. If A = B, and B = C, then A = C. My testing was verified valid for what I want and expect from my game bullets.
Okay, to my problem. Because of arbitrary regulations intended to "deal" with Batwing Soup virus, there is no freebie pile of magazines. I would not subscribe to such an offensive magazine despite its being a weekly. (I don't know if publication rate has changed, and don't care.) I need a new test medium. Ballistic gel is too expensive and appears to be inappropriate for testing game bullets. Wet newsprint appears to cause all bullets to penetrate straight regardless of my intentionally deforming test bullets. John Linebaugh held penetration test events several years ago. These would probably do the job, but cost may be a factor.
I'm open to methods to use, say half-a-dozen time each year, to verify that handloaded ammunition continues to do what it is supposed to do.
I'm also open to negatives up to: Get a life!