I don't have the ability to use ballistic geletin for testing high power rifle loads. What I'm looking for is penetration and disruption. What I've used in the past was dry phone books, wet phone books, 5 to 12 in a line 1 gal milk jugs full of water, then a combination of phone books and milk jugs.
All of the above sure impressed the heck out of me, but most likely was useless in the real world. At the time I set up a milk jug full of water then a phone book and 5 more jugs of water. Everything got penetraited, admitidly the last jug was only holed. It sure impressed me that a bullet could bore thru nearly 4 feet of water, plastic and a phone book.
Would setting up a box with pine boards separated by a couple of inches, and fill the spaces with sand and dowels be fairly good representation of penetraition?
Jim

Jim

Like you I have fired lots of shots and lots of things however it never seemed to amout to anything in the real world.

Bullets do funny things. Many years ago, perhaps 20, I had a heavy barrel Sako 243 away with me. It shot very good with the 85 grain Sierra spitzer. Forts day out with those bullets I shot some rabbits and a type of melon we have growing out here in the bush. It blew rabbits and melons to pieces. As we drove on further I started to belt some kangaroos with it. The bullet then behaved like a late expander. You can always tell on smaller roos. You huge exits on chest shots and the roo does not go down. After shooting those melons and rabbits I thought that 85 grainer would pole axe small roos.

I have found the best solution is to use a 375 for everything with blunt bullets and let other people shoot phone books

Mike

I test mine on deer ,in all my years of hunting I have never had a bullet to fail,they all did what they were susposed to,kill the deer.