Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Results from The Bullet Test Tube ?

Have enjoyed the book on terminal bullet performance.

Have those of you who have continued to work with The Bullet Test Tube reached any more conclusions, e.g., do bigger bullets produce bigger permanent cavities ?

Not as much as a lot of people would like to think. As my friend Charlie Sisk says, "It's kind of depressing seeing how similar the wound cavities are from a 6.5x55 and a .300 Winchester."

But yeah, there are differences, and length of the permanent wound channel, or which bullet produces the most immediate big hole, etc., are also interesting.

One thing that has realy interested me is that results in the TT do seem to parallel what happens inside an animal, at least as far as we've been able to observe during a few dozen autopsies. Not that a bullet shot into the wax will perfectly minic penetration depth in animals tissue, but if a bullet expands quickly and violently in the tube, then it also does it in an animal. If the tube shows a certain bullet producing a narrower, longer permanent channel, then that tends to be reflected in animals as well. So it does appear to be a useful tool.

JB

Do you read T. Weiland ?? IIRC his latest book had quite a bit on the subject. My copy is a work, I'll check tomorrow...

I'm not a gunwriter but........

I spent part of my vacation shooting test tubes. I had some questions and wanted to compare certain bullets. I found the tests very interesting, and in some cases down right enlightening. Anyone interested in a bullet's terminal performance should give test tubes a try.

But be warned, like so many other things in our challenging and interesting hobby, the more I learn, the more questions I seem to have. Now I want to shoot and compare even more bullets.

I kept written records, took pictures, and collected the bullets, except for that 9.3 Accubond that wasn't impressed enough about my test tube to stop. Good documentation is important in allowing you to assess your results. You will probably only be shooting a couple of tubes at any given time. Then you have to melt, reform the tubes, and allow them to cure for at least 24 hrs. If I didn't allow them to set this long, my results were questionable. In fact, I want to reshoot that 9.3/250 Accubond to see if my results are consistent.

Otherwise, it didn't take me very long to come to the same assessment as Mule Deer. Bullets in the 270 to 30 caliber range are very similar. Give it a try. To me, it was kind of addicting.

Steve

I shot some Test Tubes last weekend with several Remington .300 Ultra Magnum loads. The ultra mag loads with regular 150-grain Core-Lokts at reduced velocity of 3,000 fps (.30-06 level)produced the same wound channel and penetration as the 150-grain bonded Core-Lokts at 3,350 fps. This tells me I should shoot a .30-06.

I have noticed the even resistance the Test Tube, and other materials, give a bullet often results in recovered bullets having a perfect mushroom withe their core and jacket intact. A good example is the Sierra 30 caliber 180-grain boat tail. The core and jacket of this bullet nearly always separate when the bullet hits game. But in bullet testing material the bullet comes out looking picture perfect.

What are you guys using for a support structure for the tubes when you shoot them at the range?

thanks...jim

I wondered about that myself. All of the bullets I caught had nice pretty mushrooms. But on a test where I got in too big of a hurry, and shot the tube too soon, one bullet went through the tube, and the jacket of the bullet was found on the ground about 6 feet behind the tube without a core. When I shot that same bullet and caught it in the tube, it had a nice mushroom.

That's why I want to shoot as many bullets at possible so I can make fair relative comparisons. By the way, the bullet that did slip the core has an excellent reputation, and penentrated extremely well. The core slipped out at the end of it's trip, and was not found in the test tube.

Steve

Jim,

I shot my tubes at 40 yards. The terrain at the range I was using allowed me to us an 8"x8" wood block about 30" long. I dug a spot in the dirt, that allowed the tube to be level with the bore of the gun, as the gun lay in the bags on a makeshift bench I was using. I chose 40 yards because that was the way everything seemed to work the best at my shooting location.

I screwed a couple of 5/16" eyebolts into the side of the wooden block, and used some rubber tarp straps pulled over the tube, to hold it in place. I was concerned the tube might jump or slide, but that was not an issue for me.

The main thing is, as you will see if you use them, is to get the bullet on the same axis as the tube, and hit the tube as close to center as possible. I used a sighter target next to the tube to make sure of my POI.

I hope that makes sense. I tried to keep things as simple as possible.

Steve

I have taken a test tube, filled it half full with wax, let that cure, then placed a cow bone in the middle(cut to fit exactly across) then filled the test the rest of the way up. I found that tested the bullets a little more. You could then see deflection on the bullet upon striking the bone and how much jacket material is left around the strike. It does however, make it more challenging to cut the tube in halfs.

I also shoot a tester before I shoot my tube. I usually set my test tube on top of my box of journals/dry phonebooks. I shoot a test shot for POI, then the phonebook box, then the test tube. I like to compare the results of the two different media. If I like the way the bullet performs in both, I will then do the cow bone trick to see if I still like the results. I always shoot mine at 100 yards because I rarely shoot any closer than that at game.

I agree with Wally about the addictiveness of testing, I find myself finding new ways to test bullets.

I have tested .25-06 bullets, .270 Winchester bullets, and .30-06 bullets and have found very similar wound cavity volumes. That why I like the quarter bore so much.

kyreloader,

I like that bone idea. Did it spread a bunch of bone fragments throughout the media?

I tried placing 3" of dry phonebooks, tightly taped together, in front of my tubes. The results were interesting, but the wound channels in my tubes were packed full of confetti!

Steve

Maybe a couple of layers of latex to simulate skin elasticity?

While I'm at it, I'd like to expand some more on this mushroom thing. Yeah, I kept retained weights, mushroom diameters, along with a lot of other information, but what I was mostly interested in was the size and shape of the wound channel, and how it compared with the killing effect of bullets with which I have had a good deal of field experience. Wound channels kill, not pretty mushrooms.

For example, I have killed more game, up through and including elk, with Hornady Spire Point Interlocks. I've have always been completely satified with their quick killing effect, and I have recovered very few of them. Most of the time I was shooting them in 6.5 through 30 caliber, including a 7 mag and a 300 Win mag.

While I was loading different bullets to test in the tube, I decided that the Hornady would be my baseline, so to speak. I wanted to compare the wound channels of the Hornadys with some of the premium bullets. I was essentially looking for something that made very similar wound channels as the Hornady, but gives me the insurance of a premium.

If I started testing bullets with which I had no field experience, then I would end up with a bunch of measurements and wound channels that didn't relate to anything I knew about. I have already found a new generation premium bullet that meets the above criteria in my eyes. But, as I said earlier, the more bullets I test, the more I want to test. I also want to branch out into the larger calibers. My Dad has a 9.3x62, and I have a 375 being built. A single early test of the 9.3 was eye opening to say the least, but it may not be a valid test. I want to test these against the smaller bores, and see for myself what the difference looks like. Then I guess I'll be forced to go hunting with them, and see how that experience relates to the results in the test tubes. (What a bummer!) I ran out of time before I could test some triple shocks. I've heard so many good things about them, I want to see how they compare.

The possibilities are endless, and the more I research, the more I want to learn. Too bad I can't make a living at this.

FWIW,
Steve

Steve,

Thanks for the details on your test fixture. One range I shoot at frequently is very organized and picky, and I was thinking about a little rack that looks like a very small wine rack only with level "bottles".

I have also used the Hornady Spire Point as you describe, usually .224 to .308. I also have shot game in Africa with their 270 grain bullet as loaded in .376 Steyr factory ammunition. One animal I shot was a big eland, and the first bullet didn't make it through the shoulder. Granted this was a metric ton of animal (2200 pounds), but it convinced me I wanted to use a tougher bullet on Cape buff (I used a 300 gr Swift A-Frame in my .375 H&H).

I sold my .376 Steyr and bought a .375 Ruger, and I will carry that rifle on an elk hunt this fall. I want to shoot the Hornady factory ammunition into a bullet test tube as well to compare to my .376 Steyr results.

jim

Jim,

Africa, plains game, and a buff are in my future plans for sure! Come to think of it, that would be a good excuse to continue tests, and the perfect place for the field tests.

Good luck on your bullet testing and your hunts.

Steve

I use a ladder to hold the Test Tubes. The way I use steps of different heights so my aim is straight with the Tube.

I generally place the Test Tube on top of a 12x18 inch box full of tightly-packed dry newspapers. After checking POI, I shoot one bullet into the tube, then 3-5 more of the same load into the newspaper.

Have found over the years that dry newspaper pretty much simulates hitting bone. Have also found that "soft" test media like the Test Tube, wet newspaper, etc. pretty much simulate hitting soft tissue.

JB

Actually it only tells you that a 30-06 will produce a similar wound channel with the 150gr core lokt bullet.The results produced with other bullets may vary considerablly.Then again,if your 150gr loads are only producing 3350fps,you are wasting your time shooting a 300ultramag.My 180gr loads produce more velocity than that.

But have you mastered downloading the 300 RUM to 30-30 velocities while maintaining 1/2 MOA ?

.

If I want 30-30 velocities,I will use a 30-30.

Okay Wally,
How about if you tell us what bullets you did shoot, and how did they compare to the horndy bullets.