HP expansion test in water - how to?

[abaddon]

I'm planning on testing three different types of 9x18 (9mm Makarov) hollow points.
-95 gr. Barnaul HP
-95 gr. Ram HP (also Barnaul)
-95 gr. Hornady XTP JHP

The test gun is a Bulgarian Makarov.

I understand that the standard way of doing this is with multiple milk jugs lined up. That just seems like too much of a hassle. Has anyone tried shooting straight down into a five gallon bucket of water? I would definitely place the bucket over soft dirt to eliminate any chance of a richochet. Would a 9x18 round penetrate to the bottom of the bucket? Would the shock wave rupture the bucket? Would I get very wet?

 

[Optical Serenity]

A pool is a good place to do it too. Simply put your gun 100% under water and make sure you are as much out of the water as possible. Most hadngun rounds travel about 3-4 feet before dropping to the bottom.

 

[.45Guy]

I've used a 5 gallon bucket with both 9x19 147 gr HP, and .45 ACP 230 gr HP.
Neither pierced the bottom of the bucket.

 

[griz]

With FMJ I think it will shoot through the bottom of the bucket. With JHP it should stop. Either way you will get wet.

 

[GreyAwakened]

No pool for testing!

Someone adviced to fire your gun completely submerged underwater in a pool. I hope no-one will try this with hollowpoints since they will start to expand in the barrel and ruin your gun and potentially harm the shooter!

 

[shermacman]

Well, I may in for a Darwin award, but here is what happened last summer:

I jumped into my pool, clad only in a tactical black Speedo and two handguns. A Glock 23 in .40 and a S&W in .357 loaded with a variety of FMJ, JHP and hand cast lead (for the .357 only). Guns underwater and my precious ears high and dry, with earphones. Yes, I did look ridiculous. There are no pictures.

The bullets traveled anywhere from 3 to 6 feet and tumbled to the bottom. They didn't expand at all. Not even the slightest deformation. The FMJ's traveled the farthest, but only slightly. The Glock would not cycle the action.

Your milage may vary.

 

[asknight]

That's because when you fire under water they never get near enough velocity to expand. Don't be a candidate for the Darwin award. Shoot it into the pool, FROM ABOVE THE WATER.

 

[Jim Watson]

I first tested in water in a poly garbage can, nearly three feet deep. Set it under the edge of the deck, filled it with water, floated a cleaner bag to reduce backsplash, leaned over the rail and shot straight down.
A .38 Special 158 gr LSWCHP expanded nicely to .58" and settled to the bottom. A .380 Speer pre Gold Dot JHP did not expand, penetrated the water, pierced the bottom of the garbage can, and dug about two inches into the dirt.

It will take a lot of water to stop a non-expanding bullet. I have not caught one in six half-gallon milk jugs, for example.

Shooting into a bucket will get you wet and a hole in the bucket if the bullets do not expand very well.

 

[M2 Carbine]

I've been doing this for a lot of years to compare bullet expansion.
It's fast and easy.

I use to line up water jugs.
It's a waste of jugs and I didn't recover the bullet many times.

I found that if a bullet was going to expand, it would expand within the first gallon jug or not at all.

So what I do is use one jug and place about a 14-18 inch deep box of rags behind it to catch the bullet. Rags trap the bullets without any damage.

Be sure to have a good backstop, because if the bullet doesn't expand it may go clean through the box.
Recently 2 of 4 FN 5.7x28 pistol rounds went through the box.


Sometimes the results aren't exactly like jello testing but mostly the expanson looks the same.

 

[MICHAEL T]

Above groung pool shoot thru side walls daugthers dive for spent bullets oldest patches holes in liner. A family that enjoys shooting. Oh make sure kids are out of pool befor testing. 30/30 went nearly 9' before coming to rest/

 

[Ol` Joe]

The milk jug is the ideal way. Here`s some limited testing already done for you.

http://stevespages.com/page8f.htm