Expansion testing suggestions

[Ian]

Magazines are super-tough and will likely powder the bullets, at least that's what happened with my subsonic bullet testing when I tried it. Phone books minus covers, big catalogs with non-glossy pages like Grainger etc. The gloss filler is clay I think and it makes the pages tough and water resistant.

 

[Will]

Huh
Now that raises some problems. I was hoping I had a use for all the old magazines.

 

[fiver]

the glossy stuff is tough and tear resistant.
go to the local second hand shop and get you some love novels.
they make good fire wood when your done, or look around back of the second hand shop many of them won't even take them and the attempted seller ain't gonna haul e'm back home again.

 

[Bret4207]

Huh
Now that raises some problems. I was hoping I had a use for all the old magazines.

Depending on what the magazines are they may be worth more on Ebay than as expansion material. I once burnt several years worth of Guns and Ammo and Shooting Times, from back when Elmer and Skeeter were in their prime. Big mistake!

 

[Will]

I found a bunch of old trapping magazines that canes in newsprint. I may have enough.

I’ve also been getting a lot of cardboard boxes since my wife’s been Christmas shopping.

 

[KeithB]

I never really thought about this topic much. There is a local non-profit that used to collect newspaper and cardboard for recycling; they probably still do but I'm not sure. I know the bottom has fallen out of the recycling market. I bet I could buy all the paper/cardboard I would ever need for cheap. And they bale up the stuff in uniform length stacks using plastic banding.

Just thinking out loud in print here, bet there are a lot of places like this around the country.

 

[S Mac]

Good idea Keith, my wife works in a grocery store, they bale cardboard, could probably get it free.

 

[Brad]

Always wondered if you could use the shredded paper insulation. Get it damp the pack into a bag and put in a box. Would need to really compress it for best results.
It would certainly be reusable as it could easily be recompressed for further testing.
Might need to use a little surfactant to get it wet as I am sure it is treated so keep it dry.

 

[KeithB]

If you could control the bale size you could control how long it would take to saturate. And putting it in a box and cutting off the banding would loosen it up enough to speed up saturation

 

[fiver]

A 5 gal bucket crammed full of shredded wet paper works pretty good.
you can also tape a water bottle to the front of the lid.

 

[358156 hp]

One of the guys pretty much forced off YouTube for providing information on "manufacturing" ammunition has started his own website and moved his YouTube posts here. Part of it includes his hollowpoint experiments with bare gelatin, and I'm adding a link below. This is intended to help supplement everybodys research. The alloys he used were "off the shelf" Rotometals standard alloys. It's really interesting stuff. He's still sorting out video issues, so please be patient with it, the information is worth it.

https://thereloadersnetwork.com/aut...coated-cast-lead-hollow-point-bullet-testing/

 

[Will]

Thanks for the link. I have watched all of loads of bacons videos. He did some really good testing.

What interest me though is using a modified WW alloy to get reliable expansion. I have a 55gallon drum and several 5 gallon buckets of wheel weights.

I would not care to buy some of the lead tin alloys I just think it would be a pain constantly having to keep it all separated.

 

[Bret4207]

Well, once again I wonder if the farm biz might have what you guys need. Fine wood shavings. They come compressed and bagged in a cube about 12'x18"x30". It's kiln dried, but when it soaks up water I can attest it's pretty soggy stuff. It's sort of like the old "excelsior" packing material of our youth, at least those of us over 50 or so. It might do for a recovery material that when wet offers enough resistance for expansion testing.

Of course nothing really mimics flesh if that's what you are after. For that you might look for farmer neighbors with downer cattle. I don't know how it is everywhere else, but we're seeing adult cattle sell for as little as $20 PER HEAD locally. And yes, that's a horribly cheap price!

 

[fiver]

wow.
they might as well give them to you.
Holstein steer calves have been hanging out around 40$ for since forever, getting an adult for 20$ is just wow.

 

[Bret4207]

Dairy breed bull calves are under $10, if you can get any bid at all from what I'm told. Hogs in the 300 lbs plus range are going for under $100. Tough times locally. I'm hearing about people giving bull calves away at the farm. The veal market is non-existant anymore, so I imgone most are going for dog food.

 

[Will]

Ok I ended up just trying the jugs filled with water to see what happened. I tested the plain open cavity and the one filled with hot glue. Ran out of jugs after that. Velocity was 1241fps 10 ft from the muzzle using my 3” SP101.

https://imgur.com/tfKqBmQ

My pitiful testing setup

https://imgur.com/LdVR3f6

Bare HP bullet after going through 4 jugs. All of the shrapnel was in the first 2 jugs.

https://imgur.com/QggRwm4

https://imgur.com/cQNEceE

Here’s the HP filled with hot glue. I was running low on jugs so I shot the first jug laying down length ways and the bullet stopped in the jug behind it.

https://imgur.com/4dztVWt

 

[Will]

Here’s another pic of the second bullet.

https://imgur.com/YcvyMi5

 

[S Mac]

What alloy, coww?

 

[Will]

3 ports COWW to 1 part pure lead. Air cooled.

 

[fiver]

yep, getting some shearing on the nose.
I'd say good nuff, [on the second ones for sure] some want perfect mushrooms and that generally requires a tin lead [or low tin/antimony 1.5-1.5 or 2-2 type balanced] alloy with a gas check at that speed.