Anyone ever mix up bad gravy (corn starch) for bullet test medium?

[totaldla]

Weather is lousy, so it is about that time of year when I do something worthless like test bullet performance. Gelatin is about $8/lb. Corn starch is about 80cents/lb. Somewhere around 8/1 (water/starch) seems to make some pretty good gelatin (or very bad gravy ). I was just wondering if anyone had tried it and how it worked.

 

[bigghoss]

not sure how it would work for simulating soft tissue but at least it would give you a baseline for comparing bullets to one another.

I'm not sure what the ratio is but mixing corn starch and water creates a non-newtonian fluid and at the instant of impact acts more like a solid. supposedly bullets tend to penetrate twice as far in water as they do in ballistic gel(and thus flesh) and that is why the nice feller at theboxotruth.com uses gallon jugs of water.

 

[totaldla]

This is a heated solution, so it thickens. When it cools it can have the consistency of jello or thicker. I've tried 2/1, 4/1 and 8/1. They aren't completely cooled yet, but it is looking like maybe 6/1 is the right mix.

Might be kind of a pain to pour into molds and cool. I want enough to test 5 bullets, and I'm thinking I'll need a fair amount for the 45/70 and 44 mag.

 

[pelo801]

this sounds kind of fun. let us know how it turns out. i might give it a try, if you have some decent results.

 

[vladan]

Yet another "cooking with a handgun" thread ?

 

[.357SIG]

Neither of them simulate soft tissue worth a crap. Get the cheaper one.

 

[Tallyman]

How about filling an empty plastic milk container with this stuff? I wouldn't stand too close at moment of impact!

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I don't think a non-Newtonian solid would be a very good simulant for animal tissue.

 

[419]

The more force that is applied to a non-Newtonian fluid, the more viscous the fluid becomes. I am guessing that there is a limit to the viscosity that can be achieved, but I'm not sure that shooting at one is a good idea.