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So science fair time came around and my youngest son wanted to see if a heavier bullet would penetrate further than a lighter bullet would when both were traveling at a similar speed. The set up: New Nosler 30-06 brass 150gr partitions with 55gr IMR 4831 200gr partitions with 55.5gr Reloader 19 2683 fps and 2596 fps respectively (ran into potential pressure issues trying to get the 200 to go faster) We cut up some 1x6 pine boards that we had taken off of an the old deck in 1 foot sections and clamped 14 of them together. Then we started shooting! One shot then replaced all damaged boards and shot again. 3 shots per weight of bullet tested Results: 150 gr penetrated an avg of 8.5 boards 200 gr penetrated an avg of 9.5 boards THIS POST IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY! (Well, that and to brag on my boy!) TAKE ALL RESULTS FOR WHAT THEY ARE (A 6th grade science fair project) AND FOR WHAT YOU PAID FOR THEM! | ||
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Good for you and your son. Sounds like fun. A fun project for both of you. I have shot thousands of bullets into different materials to test expansion penetration. Now I just you tube the bullet and someone has done ballistic gel testing. | |||
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The heavier bullets slower velocity could also helped with the penetration. There’s some physics at work there. Might make a good project for next years science fair showing the science behind it. Might even garner some interest right here on the forum. | |||
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Reminds me, about 20 years ago my daughter a high school junior came to me and needed a science project,quickly. We loaded a bunch of 223 ammo with various powder amounts and bullet weights. We put some in a freezer and some left ambient temp. She did the reloading and shooting. We chronographed the loads and she graphed the data to show differences in velocity of various powder amounts, bullet weights and cartridge temperature. She got an A and was invited to enter the contest at a state level. These days, I wonder if they would even accept the project. NRA Patron member | |||
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Bravo to your son and you. Reminds me of my own science fair project when I was a senior in high school. I called it Theoretical Applications of Interior and Exterior Ballistics. After a lengthy analysis, I concluded that, to optimize small arms lethality in battle, the US military should adopt a .277-.284 caliber round capable of achieving a muzzle velocity of 2,500-2,700 fps. I won a couple of gold medals, the US Army award and finished pretty high up in the regionals. And about 50 years later, I was gratified to learn that the US military had finally decided to follow a teenager’s advice!  Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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Very interesting story. Well done. I think the 50 year thing had more to do with the fact that the main purpose of military small arm rounds is to make the enemy duck, rather than to kill like in hunting. No matter how bad a hunter with the worst possible ammo choice, it would be difficult to match the military's estimated 250,000 small arm rounds fired per killed insurgent. | |||
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I did the same thing except I used a muzzleloader and different bullets weights using TC Maxihunter bullets in two different weights. My rational in using the muzzleloader was cheaper to shoot, and I could “control” for more variables as I assumed the bullets were the same except for length from weight difference. I used the same charge of powder 100 grains. We did not handload, and the goal of the class was to show the scientific m method controlling for variables. Of course, velo was different. I did not have access to a chrono back in the 2003. I did the project w my biological mother. That is a good memory. Thank you for sharing y’urns. It made me think of mine. | |||
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That is a REALLY cool science fair project!!! the only "issue" looking at it from a "statistics " stand point: you have two different powders using two different loads. Those are two variables that could be considered limitations. If one were able to figure out a way to "eliminate " those limitations ....that would make for phenomenal research project!!! Very neat!!! I like the idea. forgive me for diving into the semantics, that's just how my brain works... | |||
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Tell your son good job! Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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NICE! In PO Ackley's "Handbook for Shooters & Reloaders" has some of Whelan's studies on penetration in various media - pretty good read, though I don't know how old your son is, iirc, there's a section on shooting pigs to simulate people, so it may be a bit earthy for the younger people opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club Information on Ammoguide about the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR. 476AR, http://www.weaponsmith.com | |||
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I did a similar science project with my son about 35 years ago. We used my 45 Colt 250 g. working at 5 yard increments from 5 to 100 to establish the arc of trajectory, and depths of penetration at different distances using the wet phone book medium. (back when we could still get a ton of them from the post office), I'm not sure how a project like that would be accepted these days; I'm glad to hear that the subject was accepted + viewed positively at your son's school. My boys are all long ago out of school, but I've been led to understand that the more current school systems tend to frown on ANYTHING firearm related. Mores the pity for many reasons, not least of all that just like your son's + mines science projects, we are dealing with mathematics + physics in action + realistic application. | |||
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