wisconsinteacher
Handloader
- Dec 2, 2010
- 1,980
- 293
Any tips on shooting into jugs and trying to catch the bullet? I plan on trying it tomorrow with the .338WM and 210PT bullets.
jug shooting?
- Thread starter wisconsinteacher
- Start date
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,880
- 6,542
Sure! It's a lot of fun if nothing else.
Typically with a rifle, I set up about 20 - 25 yards away from the jugs. Good and close. It really stresses the bullet when hitting at near muzzle velocity. It's a good idea to take one practice shot at a paper target at the same distance so that you know where the bullet will strike at such short range. This could be different from where a guy might think.
The .338 flings stout bullets. I'd expect that bullet to be recovered from the 6th or 7th jug, if you're using plain ol' one-gallon plastic milk jugs. Have at least two more beyond that. I'd put up ten for a .338, or my .375. Depending on the bullet I'd expect to catch it between the 5th and 8th.
Hit as dead-on square as you can. There is sometimes a tendency for a bullet to veer off course and go left or right, exiting the jugs. A straight-on shot helps.
Try to be at the same level as the jugs so that you're not shooting at a slight up or down angle. Might have to shoot from sitting. I do that a lot.
I like to rest the jugs on a pair of 4x4's, leaving about a half-inch gap between the 4x's. That gap lets the energy from the water - which has to go somewhere - dissipate, without breaking the boards.
Numbering the jugs with a Sharpie isn't a bad idea. I forget to do it sometimes, but it helps. Often the first one, two or three jugs are blown completely apart and it can be hard to figure out if that bullet you just found is in the 5th or 6th jug, if they aren't numbered.
If you like your camera or chronograph, don't put them within ten yards of the jugs. They could get drenched!
After the shot, clear the rifle, move up and look at the jugs. The first few may be demolished. Then around jug 3 or 4 I often start seeing just a bullet hole in and out. Water will be gurgling and leaking from perforated jugs. Eventually you'll find the jug that has the bullet still in it. Just remove the plastic top and pour the water out gently. The bullet will come out with the water.
If I'm shooting several different bullets, I'll have a piece of paper back at the firing line and I'll write info on it, and put the spent bullet on it, then photograph it all together, writing and bullet. Back home I'll weigh and measure the bullet. Interesting stuff to note includes:
Bullet type, caliber, and weight
Muzzle velocity
Distance to the target
Which jug it was recovered from
Expanded diameter
Recovered weight
Bring a couple of big plastic trash bags to collect all the jugs and scraps of jugs into. A small zip-lock baggie for the spent bullets is good.
I'm not convinced that water jugs are the best test material, but they're one that we can all duplicate, and compare notes easily. Your jug test vs my jug test should yield results that we can compare with some validity. Some folks knock the jug test, but I have found that it at least parallels what I've seen in the field. "Premium" bullets like the Nosler Partition and the Barnes TSX penetrate deep and expand well. More common cup and core bullets tend to expand violently and not penetrate as deep. This is true both in the jugs and on game.
Oh yeah, have fun and take some photos! :grin:
Guy
Typically with a rifle, I set up about 20 - 25 yards away from the jugs. Good and close. It really stresses the bullet when hitting at near muzzle velocity. It's a good idea to take one practice shot at a paper target at the same distance so that you know where the bullet will strike at such short range. This could be different from where a guy might think.
The .338 flings stout bullets. I'd expect that bullet to be recovered from the 6th or 7th jug, if you're using plain ol' one-gallon plastic milk jugs. Have at least two more beyond that. I'd put up ten for a .338, or my .375. Depending on the bullet I'd expect to catch it between the 5th and 8th.
Hit as dead-on square as you can. There is sometimes a tendency for a bullet to veer off course and go left or right, exiting the jugs. A straight-on shot helps.
Try to be at the same level as the jugs so that you're not shooting at a slight up or down angle. Might have to shoot from sitting. I do that a lot.
I like to rest the jugs on a pair of 4x4's, leaving about a half-inch gap between the 4x's. That gap lets the energy from the water - which has to go somewhere - dissipate, without breaking the boards.
Numbering the jugs with a Sharpie isn't a bad idea. I forget to do it sometimes, but it helps. Often the first one, two or three jugs are blown completely apart and it can be hard to figure out if that bullet you just found is in the 5th or 6th jug, if they aren't numbered.
If you like your camera or chronograph, don't put them within ten yards of the jugs. They could get drenched!
After the shot, clear the rifle, move up and look at the jugs. The first few may be demolished. Then around jug 3 or 4 I often start seeing just a bullet hole in and out. Water will be gurgling and leaking from perforated jugs. Eventually you'll find the jug that has the bullet still in it. Just remove the plastic top and pour the water out gently. The bullet will come out with the water.
If I'm shooting several different bullets, I'll have a piece of paper back at the firing line and I'll write info on it, and put the spent bullet on it, then photograph it all together, writing and bullet. Back home I'll weigh and measure the bullet. Interesting stuff to note includes:
Bullet type, caliber, and weight
Muzzle velocity
Distance to the target
Which jug it was recovered from
Expanded diameter
Recovered weight
Bring a couple of big plastic trash bags to collect all the jugs and scraps of jugs into. A small zip-lock baggie for the spent bullets is good.
I'm not convinced that water jugs are the best test material, but they're one that we can all duplicate, and compare notes easily. Your jug test vs my jug test should yield results that we can compare with some validity. Some folks knock the jug test, but I have found that it at least parallels what I've seen in the field. "Premium" bullets like the Nosler Partition and the Barnes TSX penetrate deep and expand well. More common cup and core bullets tend to expand violently and not penetrate as deep. This is true both in the jugs and on game.
Oh yeah, have fun and take some photos! :grin:
Guy
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,880
- 6,542
Typical jug setup for me. This was when I was testing the 220 gr Nosler Partition from my .30-06 and I really wasn't sure how many jugs it would penetrate, so I lined up 12 jugs on the 4x4's. I used an old picnic table for the base, but a pair of saw horses works really well.
And the aftermath! Wish I'd set up the camera to get a video of the shot. Oh my... Now that's a bullet!
This is how I like to document, before I even leave the range:
Another photo of another jug test:
FMJ bullets and hard cast bullets, or big bullets with low velocity tend to penetrate like crazy.
Most soft point or hollow point "defensive" type handgun bullets are caught in the first 3 or 4 jugs.
Varmint bullets sometimes blow up in the first jug, or maybe the second.
Scotty did the jug test, using his .338 Win mag and the 210 gr Partition:
viewtopic.php?f=52&t=22944
It's all an awful lot of fun. :grin:
And the aftermath! Wish I'd set up the camera to get a video of the shot. Oh my... Now that's a bullet!
This is how I like to document, before I even leave the range:
Another photo of another jug test:
FMJ bullets and hard cast bullets, or big bullets with low velocity tend to penetrate like crazy.
Most soft point or hollow point "defensive" type handgun bullets are caught in the first 3 or 4 jugs.
Varmint bullets sometimes blow up in the first jug, or maybe the second.
Scotty did the jug test, using his .338 Win mag and the 210 gr Partition:
viewtopic.php?f=52&t=22944
It's all an awful lot of fun. :grin:
- Thread starter
- #4
wisconsinteacher
Handloader
- Dec 2, 2010
- 1,980
- 293
I would like a bullet from all my hunting rifles and the .338 will be my first test. I have 7 jugs filled and will fill a few more before I leave. I was thinking about shooting prone with the jugs on the ground.
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,880
- 6,542
That will work just fine.
nvbroncrider
Handloader
- Aug 20, 2011
- 3,085
- 4
Check your alignment 3 of 4 time from both directions. That's the toughest part.
- Oct 30, 2004
- 24,471
- 3,588
I love these tests. They do say a lot about bullets construction.
Scottie can I send you some Hornady 162 gr (7mm) SST's to test?
Scottie can I send you some Hornady 162 gr (7mm) SST's to test?
