Quote:
Originally Posted by Tuukka
A few points, for which I'd want to generate discussion;
- It is quite obvious that the terminal ballistics of a new bullet or a bullet already in use need to be tested by the various manufacturers, organisations etc.
- As I wrote earlier, is it safe to say that those bullets that perform well in gelatin testing are usually also quite effective in actual shootings?
- If gelatin is not the best test material, what is the replacement? Bearing in mind it it most likely should be something readily available, uniform to conduct comparison testing, easy to conduct the testing with etc?
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Live tissue is not homogenous.
Organs, fat, muscle, bone, etc. each have different characteristics and elasticity.
Ballistic gelatin is fine as a generic single density test medium for most ammunition. In some cases, the terminal ballistic performance is similar to its performance in live tissue. In others, it does not appear to be. I wonder how many rounds might have been effective in live tissue, but were rejected because of their performance in gelatin. Conversely, I wonder if rounds have been selected because of their superior performance in gelatin, but did not perform to expectations in tissue.
Personally, I think live tissue should be the standard test media for bullets intended for use against live tissue. The issue is the test protocols and repeatability.
Would you test armor piercing rounds against Jell-O to determine their armor penetration as well?
TR