Penetration Testing

Takujualuk

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Went through about 75 pounds of newsprint today. Soaked it and put it in the bullet box. I utilized an airspace to further stress the bullets at 4" and 8". I wanted to test some of the firearms I take canoeing to evaluate for black bear defense.

I tested bullets from the following Firearms at 5 yards.

M6 22 Hornet 410 Scout
44 Magnum Ruger Carbine
450 Marlin Guide Rifle
12 gauge 12.5" 870 Clone.

bearbullets.JPG


I averaged the hole in the media from start to finish and from that you can get an idea of the damage the bullet caused. Some projectiles like the 12 gauge slugs created an amazing entry wound but the second half penetration was much less. Others like the 405 Remington 458 Bullet created a bifgger first half wound but showed a bit more balance in the second half penetration. All these figures are a bit rough but I vouch that they are very close.

First up was the M6

In 22 Hornet mode I have used heavy bullets at moderate velocities to take game. I have also reasoned that such an approach will increase penetration for taking a caribou if need be. I use to use 45 grain X bullets but though fairly accurate they became unstable on hitting game and tumbled creating unpredictable wounds. I settled on 50 grain Sierra SemiSpitzers and 55 Grain Rem as these are both short for weight.

50 Sierra 2121ft/sec Penetrates 8" Retained weight 47.5 Grains expanded to 37x43 caliber and creating a hole in the media that averaged about .60 caliber.. Energy is 500 ft pounds

55 Rem 2111ft/sec Penetrated 8.1 Inches but fragmented. Evidence of tumbling in the newsprint very inconsistent wound diameter.
Energy is 544 ft pounds

410 1/4 oz Federal Slug 1662 ft/sec Penetrates 5.5" with .50-.90caliber expansion and 100.3 grain retained weight. Hole in newsprint averages .75 caliber. Energy is 669 Ft Pounds

410 Win 5 Slugs 000 Buck 1117 Ft/sec Penetrate 6"-10". 5 Slugs turn cylyndrical and weight an average of 69 grains. Print into a 2" circle. Energy is 970 foot pounds. Total projectile weight is an impressive 350 grains.

Not sure I would want to run into a black bear with any of these combinations but the 5, 000's are pretty fair. Despite the deformation they stay in a 8" circle for 15 yards in the M6

44 Mag ( In a 1962 Ruger Carbine)

240 grain American Eagle 1753 Ft Sec 11 inch penetration. .76x.80 Expansion and 236.4 grain retained weight though the jacket almost split to the base so separation was close. Energy 1638 ft pounds
Average wound channel about 1"

250 Grain Nosler Partition 1586 ft/sec. Penetration 14.5" Expansion 60x61 RW 240.0 Grains. Average Wound about 0.90" Energy 1397 Ft Pounds

450 Marlin
405 Grain Rem FP 1807Ft/Sec 15" Penetration. .91x.93Xpansion. 390.6 Grains RW, Average Wound 1.25+" Energy 2937 Ft Pounds

350 grain Hornady 2007ft/sec. 15.5" Penetration .71x.91 Xpansion, 272.8 grains RW, Average Wound 1.25+" with bigger wound in front half than Rem and less in second half. Energy 3131 Ft Pounds

12 Gauge
1 OZ Fed Slug 1378Ft/Sec 9" penetration. .91x.93 Xpansion, 434.7 grains RW Average Wound is 1.5" with huge entrance wound. 3x4" Energy 1834 Ft Pounds

1 OZ Win 1351ft/sec, 9.2" penetration 421.5grains RW. Average wound as above. Slug is more brittle than above and had one crack that could lead to fragmentation. Energy 1772 Ft Pounds

15 OO Buck (WIN 3") 7-12" penetration. RW 51.4 Average. .30x.36 diameter. 3X2" entrance that creates gaping wound for first three inches then separate wound tracks. Energy 2017 Ft Pounds. Total Projectile Weight... 780 Grains

Based on experiments on wood with harder targets the slugs will penetrate farther than the buckshot. Harder slugs would likely give better results but are not widely available in the Nort country nor the gun stores I visited in Alberta and Ontario this summer.

Feel free to evaluate the results.

The 870 Clone is of course one of these.

shorty.JPG
 
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Wound Volume Based on the above.

22 Hornet .60" x.60" wound diameter x8" penetration = 2.88 square inches
.410 Slug .75x.75" wound diameter x 5.5" penetration = 3.09 square inches
.410 Buck .35x .35 wound diameter x 5 pellets x 8" penetration =4.9 square inches.

44 Mag 240 Factory 1"x1" x 11 inches penetration =11 square inches
44 Mag 250 Partition.9x.9x14.5 inches penetration = 11.74 Square Inches.

450 Marlin 350 Factory 1.25x1.25" diameter x 15.5 =24.2 Square Inches.
450 Marlin 405 Grain 1.25x1.25" diameter x 15" penetration = 23.4

12 Gauge Federal Slug 1.5"x1.5" diameter x9" penetration =20.25 Square Inches

12 gauge Federal 00 .35x.35 x9" x15 pellets= 16.6 Square Inches. ( Despite the fact that this buck gave smaller end wound channels than the bigger 000 of the .410 where it hit as a mass of 15 pellets it created a huge wound for the first 3 inches.

This is of course inexact. I might give the Hornet and the .410 slugs a bit more and the 12 Slugs a bit less but it's close.
 
There was a big thread on slug vs buckshot penetration a while back and it's good to see that your testing mirrored most of the testing I've seen and that is that buckshot will out penetrate foster-style slugs in a soft medium. Please don't tell the boys over on the hunting and sporting arms forum this though.....they just aren't ready to accept it! :D
 
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I'd try the ammo at 20-30 yards, too. That is close enough to allow an aggresive bear to get to you...At 5 yards just about anything will work, but who wants to let it get that close if you have the option of settling matters at a longer, safer distance.
 
this thread is too awsome, i have a little wager with a co-worker involving a 12 gauge slug passing through the moncton (500 page) phone book, and we are hitting the range in two hours. ill have to post results when i get home.
 
If you think about it in terms of physics it makes sense that smaller buckshot will have better penetration because Force = pressure x area.
The slug has a much larger surface area, so it would have to be moving much faster than the buckshot does to have the same amount of penetration on the target.
Makes total sense from that point of view.
Very interesting experiment! It must have been a lot of work-- cudos!
 
This isn't at all what I assumed it to be about.


...damm!


:cool:

sorry, didnt mean to hijack, but myself and a friend had been talking about this all week. and i was impressed with wha you posted. this morning, at slightly over 100 yards the slug did pass through the phonebook (591) pages. The winchester HP foster slug made a nice entrance, and a massive (about 3'') exit.
 
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