cardboard for bullet testing????

[Mobuck]

Has/does anyone use bundled wet cardboard for testing? When I was working, I had access to unlimited amounts of waste newsprint that I found worked well. Now, I have access to a supply of boxes that could be handled similarly but am concerned the wet cardboard will simply break up the bullets(over expand) rather than mush like wet newsprint does.
We've been using water filled milk jugs but even though spectacular on impact, I don't feel they give a realistic representation of bullet performance-there's no permanent cavity.

 

[pruger45]

Try it and find out!

 

[powder smoke]

Regular cardboard or corrugated? Seems to me corrugated would allow more penetration and probably break up more. Sheet stock non corrugated may be better. dunno.
Testing may be in order. ps

 

[Jimbo357mag]

One of our members, PPS I think, uses that chunked up rubber media, like for playgrounds or flower bed filler, that comes in bags at the lawn store. He says it works real well.

 

[DGW1949]

One thing is for sure...if you test bullet performance in wet cardboard, you'll find out how it performs in wet cardboard.

DGW

 

[contender]

If you soak it,,, and then compress it,,, it should be close to wet newspaper.

 

[mikld]

One thing is for sure...if you test bullet performance in wet cardboard, you'll find out how it performs in wet cardboard.

DGW

I used to use wet newspaper, but as DGW says, it only told me how my ammo worked on wet newspaper. Same with water filled jugs. It can be used to compare how ammo works in that media, but prolly not how it would work on flesh/game. If I wanted to see how my ammo worked on flesh and bones, I might try ballistic jell with some rib bones inserted here and there... :roll:

 

[RandyP]

If your 'goal' for the testing is to decide on a SD round? I'd humbly suggest foregoing messing about with soggy things or bone-in jello and just reload the same bullet used in a factory SD round to a similar speed. The ammo makers have already done the testing and saved us the need to reinvent the wheel so to speak.

Personally I load mid range ammo for target practice and just buy a box of any kind of hollow point SD ammo for carry use. I'm in the school that believes NO handgun ammo is ideal for self defense and that there are so many variables involved in an actual shooting event that trying to determine an outcome based on lab results is near useless. All calibers are lethal if applied properly.

That said, MY goal is to keep ME happy. Whatever floats yer boat is dandy fine for you.

 

[Mobuck]

"If your 'goal' for the testing is to decide on a SD round? "
My SD choice is clear--Gold Dot all the way.
This is in the pretext of comparing hunting bullets in a common media to determine individual designs' comparative penetrative and expansion aspects. This is why I have no real need to use ballistic gelatin with bones and such "realistic" media.
I don't care so much about "actual" performance a about "comparative" performance. I have "known performance" bullets to use for baseline comparison.