Hollow Point water expansion test?

T

Tactical Jackalope

New member
Does anyone have any personal experience with doing this? I can't do this, not ready to drive 100+ miles for it. Those of you who own a lot of land and are out of the city limits and actually able to fire rounds into your own backyard (I envy you)

PLEASE! Post pics!

I've do this all day if I could...
 
I do it often, but water will open a bullet up faster than other test mediums like ballistic gelatin. It is a good gauge of penetration and to a slightly lesser degree expansion.
 
I typically save old milk jugs, fill them with water, take them out to the range, and line them up.

Shooting into water gives a "best case" scenario as far as expansion. Put some old jeans in front to see how much of a problem plugging is. IIRC bullets will penetrate about twice as far in water as they will in tissue/gel, but I could be wrong.
 
I save all my milk jugs, laundry soap bottles, etc. - anything that holds water without a deposit - fill'em and shoot'em before I burn them. My parents save theirs for me too.

Comparing and testing various loads gives a relative idea of how they will perform. I test everything from .22 LR in my pistol to .30-06, shotguns and muzzle loaders too, at various ranges, point blank to 200 yards.

Sorry, no pics.

P.S. I'd look for some state or federal land open to the public where shooting is legal (not illegal) or an abandoned gravel pit somewhere in your area. Always pick up your stuff and things that the slobs left behind so that those areas are available in the future. Also look into renting or buying a place of your own in an area where you can shoot.
 
This is what they do here in Miami apparently


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I also use milk jugs filleg with water. I like to test what I read or hear about the lasest high tech knock'em dead bullet.

You would be suprised at how many fail to expand, but don't seem to have much more power than a 22 RF.

Don't believe everything that you read in gun magazines.

These little tests prove enlightening.

Same for bullets bouncing off of auto glass.
 
While the milk jugs filled with water are not comparable to flesh and bone, they do give an opportunity to compare bullets in a similar media. I use them often and when I can get some, add wet newsprint backup for rifles at 100 yards.
 
I wish I could....I'm curious too

Yesterday, 03:24 PM #1
Constantine
Senior Member


Join Date: December 5, 2010
Location: Miami, Florida
Posts: 260 Hollow Point water expansion test?

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Does anyone have any personal experience with doing this? I can't do this, not ready to drive 100+ miles for it. Those of you who own a lot of land and are out of the city limits and actually able to fire rounds into your own backyard (I envy you)

PLEASE! Post pics!

I've do this all day if I could...
__________________
Glock 22 .40cal - Glock 27 .40cal - Springfield MilSpec 1911 .45acp - Browning Hi-Power 9mm (Belgium made) - Springfield XD45 - Smith and Wesson Model 19 .357/.38

I'm an optimistic pessimist, I hope for the best, but I expect the worst.
Click to expand...

Constantine,
We have an 8 feet deep swimming pool in our back yard. You would not believe the number of times I've wanted to "test fire" a hollow point from one of my .45 ACPs, 9mms or 40 cals into the deep end. Problem is, a new liner would run about $6,000 w/ labor.

My brain and my heart say that no way would a round ever make it to the bottom with enough energy left to destroy the lining. But, my wife tells me otherwise and has promised 'bad things" will happen to me if I ever shoot our swimming pool! :eek:

I'll keep an eye on this thread just in case someone else is willing to shoot their own swimming pool! :D
 
I have a neater, cleaner, and more portable solution to water jug testing. Pack old newspapers into a plain old 5 gallon plastic bucket. Add a couple drops of dish soap and fill with water. When all the water soaks in fill again until its all saturated. Most defensive-type JHP ammo will stop in the bucket, if you're firing something like a hunting round or an FMJ you can stack two buckets. It will last for dozens of shots, but eventually it will get shredded enough that it's hard to find the mushroomed bullet. One full bucket can test more rounds than 20 or so full water jugs, and the logistics are easier. When you're done the newsprint can be dried out and recycled.

The last thing I saw fired into a pool was a 12ga flare, and it stopped in the water with no damage, but that was a beer inspired college experiment.
 
I have a 100 gal water trough for the livestock that I shoot into. That is plenty of water for any handgun. I've also shot into a swimming pool. Absolutely no problems doing so. Someone told me that show Myth Busters did a piece on water penetration, and the results were very surprising. Takes very little water to slow down a handgun bullet. I don't watch TV, so I've never seen it, but maybe someone here has.

It's great backyard fun, but has little practical self defense conclusions.
 
An old .40 S&W Winchester Ranger SXT (Black Talon)

Went right through two gallon jugs of water and stopped in the third.

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