Bullet testing with Water Jugs

[Antelope_Sniper]

I learned about rotational speeds on the internet as well, then had to have a physics student explain it to me.

One additional note, if you are going to shoot hard cast bullets, take lots of jugs. The only things that I've ever had shoot through a stack of 10 was a .41 mag with a 250gr hard cast bullet.

Also take some duct tape. Although the first few will explode on you, the next few will have small hole that can be covered with the duct tape, and the jugs can be used for the next test.

 

[Guest]

Thanks to all, this jug testing sounds very interesting! :mrgreen:

Don

 

[DrMike]

This jug testing sounds very interesting! :mrgreen:

Don

I've tested a few jugs; none have stood up to any bullet launched from one of my rifles. I am not testing any more jugs. :shock:

 

[Rem Jim]

Warning, some unintended consequences of water jug testing:

1. Accumulation of large numbers of one-gallon milk jugs...
2. Addictive.
3. Shooter, rifle & chronograph can all get very wet. 10 yards is NOT a good idea with a powerful rifle! :grin:

4. Take a trash bag to collect all the remnants, it may take a while.
5. Your friends don't understand when you say you've been hitting the jug...
6. Your wife doesn't like it when you start talking about jugs.
7. Can BREAK the support under the jugs, particularly with a hard-hitting rifle. I use two four by four posts, with about an inch gap between them, so that the water has somewhere to go.
8. You may have a bullet veer off path and come out the side of the jug, or out the bottom. It happens...

There, just a few considerations for jug shooting...

Guy

Al VERY GOOD points there Buddy ! I like to be at least 30 yards so to avoid water spray ! :grin:

Cheers RJ

 

[nvbroncrider]

Once a bullet is launched, for all practical purposes, it's rotational speed remains the same. It has something to do with "The angular conservation of momentum".

Holy Smokes A-S, I had to Google that. I believed you, but that was a .50 cent'er statement.. :lol:

Makes sense though (now that I understand the term).. As the bullet slows, the rotational speed also decreases.

Yes it does but it takes a while for it to happen. That's why longer bullets require a 1-9" versus a 1-12" twist with a longer bullet in order to stabilize it you need the center of gravity to rotate faster to remain stable. Also that's why you have stabilization problems when a bullet comes out of supersonic flight. There's even an article in the Sept. American Rifleman on military sniper ammunition that mentions this. The same reason the WWII pilots crashed in high speed dives at the transsonic speeds the pressure build up causes erractic a cone of pressure which made the control surfaces less effective. Look up the reason the X-1 and X-2 rocket were built like a .50 cal bullet and when they swept the wings on the X-2 they got rid of a lot of the control problems as they got them outside of the pressure wall along the leading edge.