Dennis,
Excellent point. Testing bullets in various kinds of media provides some idea of how they MIGHT perform in the field, but shooting animals is the real test.
This is exactly why bullet companies who care about how their bullets perform normally test a new bullet in at least two kinds of media, then test them on actual animals before releasing the bullet for sale. Even then they will probably tweak the bullet further as more information comes in from the field.
There really isn't much point, however, in media testing bullets that have already been on the market for a long time. We know what they will do.
Anymore, I media-test bullets ONLY when something new comes on the market, and then compare the tests to other bullets that might be used for the same purpose. When Nosler introduced the first "heavy jacket" Ballistic Tip, the 200-grain .338, about 20 years ago, I tested it in media alongside the 210 Partition.
The 200 BT penetrated about 90% as deep as the Partition, and made an even bigger hole. That told me everything I needed to know, so I then started "testing" it on big game. It worked great and still does, so I haven't bothered to retest it on media.
When I do bother to shoot a time-tested bullet into media, it's to provide a base-line for a new bullet, as in the above experiment.
