.455_Hunter
Member
Greetings,
These are questions that my office have been discussing for the past few days. Maybe you folks can answer them?
Set-up #1
Lest say you have two .38 special rounds. They are both loaded with non-deforming FMJ projectiles, lets say 158 grains and 110 grains. The nose profile of both bullets are identical, just the body is longer in the heavier projectile. Both rounds are loaded with a similar powder charge such that the muzzle energies are identical, but not the velocities. Both rounds are fired from the same test barrel into the same calibrated ballistic gelatin medium at close range.
Which one will penetrate more? The lighter, faster one; the heavier, slower one; or will they be the same? Remember, the energy levels are the same with the two loads.
Set-up #2
Identical general conditions as Set-up #1, except now the projectile momentum values are the same, not the energies.
Now which one will penetrate more? The lighter, faster one; the heavier, slower one; or will they be the same?
It is well known that if you fire a light bullet and a heavier bullet at the same velocity, the heavier bullet will penetrate more. However, the above questions are very different scenarios.
Thanks for your time and input,
Hunter
These are questions that my office have been discussing for the past few days. Maybe you folks can answer them?
Set-up #1
Lest say you have two .38 special rounds. They are both loaded with non-deforming FMJ projectiles, lets say 158 grains and 110 grains. The nose profile of both bullets are identical, just the body is longer in the heavier projectile. Both rounds are loaded with a similar powder charge such that the muzzle energies are identical, but not the velocities. Both rounds are fired from the same test barrel into the same calibrated ballistic gelatin medium at close range.
Which one will penetrate more? The lighter, faster one; the heavier, slower one; or will they be the same? Remember, the energy levels are the same with the two loads.
Set-up #2
Identical general conditions as Set-up #1, except now the projectile momentum values are the same, not the energies.
Now which one will penetrate more? The lighter, faster one; the heavier, slower one; or will they be the same?
It is well known that if you fire a light bullet and a heavier bullet at the same velocity, the heavier bullet will penetrate more. However, the above questions are very different scenarios.
Thanks for your time and input,
Hunter
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