Bullet keyholing a loose paper target.

[JohnM]

Just what's happening to make this occur?
Is a shock wave in front of a high velocity bullet some how flipping the paper up before the bullet strikes or what?
I've seen it, but never figured why.

 

[wally]

I've seen it, but never figured why.

Happens all the time if the paper target is not on firm against a stiff backing board. The paper pulls with the bullet and rips on the edge of the bullet instead of punching a clean hole.

Double your distance between you and the target, and if you are still on the paper its not "keyholing" from bullet stability problems, but "ripping" from lack of a backing board.

See it all the time at our club once the backing boards get thoroughly shot up.

 

[JohnM]

Ah, OK. The paper gets pulled/pushed by the bullet before penetration and is punched longitudinally along the bullet. Never could figure out what the paper was doing.

 

[rcmodel]

It's trying to get out of the way!!

Wouldn't you if you didn't have your back pinned to a wall!

rc

 

[Hungry1]

What caliber?

I had some 38/357 that was key-holing from crimp jump out of the small framed LCR.

 

[Ehtereon11B]

The paper has plenty of places to go if it is just hanging there. When you put the target paper against something such as cardboard, there is less room for the paper to go ie less key holing.

 

[dardascastbullets]

You need to provide more information in order to acquire a concise answer. Caliber, range, load, firearm, reloading process, etc. Waiting for the information......

 

[LiveLife]

I agree that we need more information.

A bullet that is keyholing and tearing target paper from lack of backing will still show the sideways profile of the bullet when the ripped paper is pushed back together.

A bullet that is simply tearing target paper due to lack of backing will show a round hole when the ripped paper is pushed back together.

 

[chris in va]

It happens more with slower calibers. I thought my 45's were keyholing until I started tacking the target firmer on the cardboard.

 

[JohnM]

You need to provide more information in order to acquire a concise answer. Caliber, range, load, firearm, reloading process, etc. Waiting for the information......

It's been asked and answered.I'm not about to let a simple effect I'd suddenly wondered about turn into 5 pages of BS.

 

[Float Pilot]

You mean that you do not want to know the entire history of paper making, target ink and how a Monk high in the Himalyas once went blind from ink poisoning and accidently became the first range master.????

 

[JohnM]

The story about the monk would probably fit right in.

 

[Master Blaster]

Staple to a piece of cardboard problem solved