CHEAP way to mimick ballistic gel???

[kayakersteve]

I have been playing around with trying to develop a cheap way to see maximal bullet expansion and be able to recover the bullet - I have tried shooting at milk jugs filled with water and wet newspaper so far. What do you guys use that works and is cheap. Did I mention that I dont want to spend a lot of money to buy a chunk of Ballistic Gel? I want something that is readily available and non toxic that I can use to play with my carry loads to see how expansion varies.

When I tried my Hornady 230 grain +p TAP, the bullet expnded into a good mushroom shape, but the diameter was not much more than the base of the bullet - I want more. I have some HST's that will arrive tomorrow and will also try those to see what they do. So, if anyone has a great. cheap formula to make something that mimicks gel, please post here.

 

[kamerer]

The phone books all your neighbor throw away. Collect them when they are tossed on the street. This is the time-honored method of making recycling work for the shooter.

 

[tranks]

would a couple boxes of jello mix work?

you could probably mix them a little thicker to get a thicker gel.

 

[kayakersteve]

Jello will likely work, but

Might be cost prohibitive.

I found some links for making a home brewed gel, but that even seems like too much work for me! Here are those links:

http://www.myscienceproject.org/gelatin.html
http://www.customcartridge.com/pdfs/BallisticGel.pdf
http://www.tacticalshotgun.ca/conte...reparation/ballistic_gelatin_preparation.html

All look great, but I guess I'll stick with what I have done so far. Unless anybody else has any other quick and easy and cheap methods.

 

[tplumeri]

hey steve,
i have some green jello in the back of my fridge. not sure what color it started out as, but i think its the right consistency now!
PM your address and i'll get it to ya.
tom

 

[kayakersteve]

tplumeri

Let's do this. Put the jello in your car under the seat - I will meet you to get it in say.... three months. Thanks anyhow, Green is not my color:barf:

 

[tranks]

well i was assuming you had your own firing range. if you mix the jello thick it may not melt at room temp.

this may be helpful
http://www.myscienceproject.org/j-wall.html

 

[Shawn Dodson]

Dr. Fackler's recommended method:

Equipment Required:

A single, water filled, half-gallon, cardboard milk or juice container.

A box densely filled with polyester pillow batting.

Place the milk carton in front of the box. When you shoot your bullet into the milk carton it will expand, exit, and be captured, without damage, by the polyester fibers.

If you want to also estimate penetration depth, measure bullet velocity with a chronograph. You'll need a copy of Duncan MacPherson's book, Bullet Penetration, which provides the formulae and tables, calibrated for water tests, to use with your velocity and expansion data to estimate penetration.

 

[jfrey123]

5 water jugs in a row on a table never damage my Speed Gold Dots. I've got a beautiful sample after a buddy and I recovered a few of these.

 

[BurkGlocker]

I use Knox gelatin and a gallon of water. I used at least 10 boxes (small boxes, that contain 4 envelopes each) and they only cost maybe a $1.19 a box. Follow directions on the box for mixing. I bought a 18x4x4 mold which a gallon of water and the gelatin fills just to the brim, set it in the fridge for at least 18 hours, and there ya go. I have used and reused my gelatin, and only had to add water to it after melting it back down to bring it back up to a gallon mixture. If I do testing with mediums like denim or plywood, I just strain the gelatin while I am pouring it back into the mold and it cleans out the contaniments.

I have used it for almost three months and it hasnt failed me yet. Some of those sites suggest using cinnimon oil or something similar to inhibit mold growth, but i havent seen any on mine ever. But i have at least 100 recovered bullets from my various testings, and none were ever damaged. I even used a cardboard box full of newspaper to catch the strays, should any make it through the test medium, and I have had some. It might have cost me $20 out of pocket for all of the materials and I an still using it to this day. I just remolded it last night to check some of my hunting handloads, and this will be the first time I shot it with a high powered rifle, so I am hoping that it wont blow it apart too bad.

 

[fastforty]

Clay is a little denser then ballistic jell but it works real good. You can get a 25 pound block (a little less then a cubic foot) for about $10 and reuse it over and over. Or, just dig yourself a nice horse shoe pit & fill it with wild red clay.

 

[GWbiker]

A Tucson or Phoenix phone book thoroughly soaked in water for 30 minutes or so, taken out into the desert and propped against a back drop works well out here!

 

[outbreak722]

well i was assuming you had your own firing range. if you mix the jello thick it may not melt at room temp.

If you can convince any Chinese Buffet to give you their jello recipe, it won't even melt in your pants pockets.

 

[kayakersteve]

clay worked well!

I went walking on my land after work and found a nice vein of blue clay - It worked well for mushrooming, but a few bullets did have jacket separation. Might experiment with it more tomorrow when my HST's arrive!!

wharsmahhummer - Thanks for the recipe - Cant wait to try it - I can stomache $20.00 for fun.

 

[tplumeri]

I can stomache $20.00 for fun

I'll give you $20.00 if you can stomach my green jello.:barf:

 

[kayakersteve]

It's a deal!!!

I will try almost anything once for 20.00. Send it and the jello my way and I'll give a full report if I make it through the experience!!!

 

[EastSideRich]

I guess I can't add alot as far as cheap or easy to come by substitute for ballistic gel, but I have been playing with some stuff I saved from the incinerator at work. It's an acrylic hot-melt adhesive which is kind of like a really soft really sticky rubber that flows over time (like days). Probably not easy to get, but it works beautifully for me, as it stops a 9mm, .40 and .45 hollow-point in about 2" - 3". I've made about 1-2" thick slabs which I can just stack up and shoot into.

What I can add is you will be very impressed with the HSTs. I've tried some cheap-o UMC jhp which performed ok and some Hornady TAPs which are very disappointing, barely expand and jacket separates about half the time. When it doesn't separate, the core will just fall out of the jacket if you shake it.
The HSTs on the other hand are awesome! Huge expansion and perfect "petals" on every one. They all look just like the picture on the box. The only problem I saw with the HSTs was the .45s only expand to the size of the .40s (which end up the diameter of a quarter, so I guess I can't complain too much).
I'm only buying HST for carry ammo from now on.

Anyway, good luck with your testing and have fun.

 

[rantingredneck]

I've shot a few large watermelons backed up by stumps and found the bullets in the watermelon. They kindof go through and bounce back into the watermelon. I've only done pistol rounds (9mm) on this. Not too bad if you're buying the melons but if your uncle owns a sizeable melon patch...........

 

[Superhouse 15]

Cheap

Get an old plastic 5 gallon bucket and fill it full of packed newspaper. Ad a few drops of soap and fill it with water until it soaks in, then add more water and repeat until it's saturated. The bucket makes it easy to carry around and you can follow the holes until you find the bullets. It will stop any common JHP from a handgun. For FMJ, rifles, or large bore JHP or JSP just stack two buckets.

 

[tplumeri]

It's a deal!!!

LOL!