Airgun terminal ballistics series

[jNc]

Hi guys, long time no see!
I'm starting with a new video series about terminal ballistics with airguns. Just released the first episode with six different .25cal pellets/lightweight slugs. I know there's lot of similar content on youtube already, but we're focused on doing every test on similar basis/environment so that results are comparable. Already set-up with .257 tests, so stay tuned! And also if you have any ideas what pellets/slugs you want to see, or you have your own design that you want to be tested&compared, drop me a message!

Go check it out if interested!





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsYwvvSqrLw

 

[tsmith]

interesting. very nice job! looks to me that at most common airgun ranges, one is just as well off sticking with pellets. polymags performed well.

 

[biohazardman]

Excellent job one of the best I have seen of this type of testing! I really like the way you set up the test and put forth the results. Thank you very much for the post.

 

[Ydunn.223]

That was enjoyable to watch really liked the lighting and the slow motion was good.

 

[jNc]

interesting. very nice job! looks to me that at most common airgun ranges, one is just as well off sticking with pellets. polymags performed well.

That is exactly the case. Within range of, let's say 75 yards, it's hard to beat hunting pellets. At some platforms slugs may give better accuracy at shorter distances than pellets and the choice is obvious then, but that is usually not the case. Of course when shooting past 75 yards, better coefficient of slugs kick in and they're vastly more superior.

Yeah, polymags performed very well. Good balance between expansion and penetration. Ratsniper slugs showed their power also again - dumped all energy within 6" inches and left a massive permanent cavity.

 

[ChuckHunter]

Awesome video!

Not A bunch of talking or fluff I like it.

On a side note where did you get the rat sniper slugs? Isn't he out of business?

His Wicked monsters were some great shooting slugs and hit like a brick on small game. 

James from Michigan 

 

[jNc]

Awesome video!

Not A bunch of talking or fluff I like it.

On a side note where did you get the rat sniper slugs? Isn't he out of business?

His Wicked monsters were some great shooting slugs and hit like a brick on small game. 

James from Michigan

Thank you!
Out of business? Didn't know that.. too bad, they were excellent slugs. I had some leftovers from my first and only order. 

 

[AirgunBill]

Interest results. Are you using the Clear Ballistics gel and if so is it the airgun size block. I was about to try some but thought the airgun block might not catch all pellets or slugs. I was surprised at the H&N Hornets performance compared to the Polymags. Both are comparatively expensive pellets to shoot. I hope eventually you get some of the .25 cal. Hades to try out as they are reasonably priced and will probably fit most magazines. Bill

 

[jNc]

The block was created from normal food grade gelatin with mixture rate of 10%.

I will sure test Hades in .25cal when they're available!

 

[Long_Shot]

Excellent video. I liked the way you put it together.

Your results might be very close to a through the shoulder heart shot on a Coyote sized animal.

Don't take this the wrong way. I don't think the results are what you can expect in the field on pest sized animals though. 

A huge block of anything that stops the round, is far more resistance than a small animal. 

In a .25 cal. slug or pellet most all pests (Squirrel, Pigeon, Starling) shot are clean pass throughs. 

A 1.25 - 1.75" thick block of gel with a pass through into a tube full of plastic shopping bags or feathers would yield a closer to field condition out come as far as expected expansion goes. 

I've shot quite a few cadavers and a lot of other testing to base my opinion. 

Again, I liked your video. Just wanted to suggest another variable to consider when testing for expansion of a given projectile. 

 

[mtnGhost]

Nicely done! I was wondering where you went jNc

 

[JungleShooter]

I have watched my fair share of AG videos....

And even more of them when Netflix is late again with updating my favorite series...!



However, many of them are a strain on the ear — talking heads/ talking guns — and not much more.

jNc on the other hand has given us a feast for the eyes (wasn't that the idea of video over audio-only in the first place...?)!

And the audio part is similarly pleasant. VERY NICELY DONE!

Thanks!





You asked for suggestions? Cool.

(1) Your idea of making all the tests under the same conditions for comparability is great. Keep it up. State those conditions clearly, incl. the specs of the ballistic medium you're using.





(2) Make the tests as realistic as possible — to the typical shooting contexts and conditions. That means, hit your ballistic material at typical impact energy levels.

The impact energy that many manufacturers use in their demos is ridiculously high — unrealistic to hunting — as they hit a ballistic gel block with a 40FPE .22 cal rifle at 10 yards distance. Anything will mushroom at that impact energy, a drinking straw will (though they're banned now ).

So, determining typical airgun muzzle energy categories, combined with typical hunting ranges, and the typical hunting pellets' BCs — will give you several typical impact energy categories to test at.



(3) Maybe the most helpful test result for most of us would be this:

A table that shows at what impact energy a certain hollow point will still expand — within the typical size body of a typical size quarry (instead of an infinite amount of ballistic gel to transform every single FPE into expansion, just as Long_Shot suggested above)



Again, jNc, you have done a very nice video , and I'm looking forward to see what you'll be producing in the future!

Matthias

 

[AirgunBill]

A huge block of anything that stops the round, is far more resistance than a small animal. 

In a .25 cal. slug or pellet most all pests (Squirrel, Pigeon, Starling) shot are clean pass throughs. 

A 1.25 - 1.75" thick block of gel with a pass through into a tube full of plastic shopping bags or feathers would yield a closer to field condition out come as far as expected expansion goes. 

I've shot quite a few cadavers and a lot of other testing to base my opinion. 

Again, I liked your video. Just wanted to suggest another variable to consider when testing for expansion of a given projectile. 

I like you premise of matching the ballistic gels block size/mass to the pest or game your are intending to take and the catching it in the plastic shopping bags. I just order the Clear Ballistics 20% gel block 4"x4"x18" to do my own testing. (probably could of order the smaller size airgun block) I think I will mold the gel in various sized blocks to mimic small pest and game mass. Bill

 

[jNc]

...

Don't take this the wrong way. I don't think the results are what you can expect in the field on pest sized animals though. 

...

That is true. As you can see from the results not many of the projectiles open up properly during the first 1.25 - 1.75" inches based on the cavity they left. Also for medium sized game skin adds extra variable and sometimes causes hollowpoint to fill up with skin material causing it not to open at all. There's just so much variables in real life that tests can not mimic.

..and thank you JungleShooter for your suggestions! I will prepare those kind of tests in the future!

 

[JungleShooter]

jNc, cool! I'll be following you!

 

[Long_Shot]

...

Don't take this the wrong way. I don't think the results are what you can expect in the field on pest sized animals though. 

...

That is true. As you can see from the results not many of the projectiles open up properly during the first 1.25 - 1.75" inches based on the cavity they left. Also for medium sized game skin adds extra variable and sometimes causes hollowpoint to fill up with skin material causing it not to open at all. There's just so much variables in real life that tests can not mimic.

..and thank you JungleShooter for your suggestions! I will prepare those kind of tests in the future!

You're so right there. The fat just under the hide can fill a hollow point like you describe, and of coarse bone changes everything. 

I've shot Ground Squirrel cadavers at 60 - 80 yards many times to verify HP performance. Even shot some .25 cal. slugs I make 200 yards testing for expansion at POI. 

Here's a couple photos that help show those variables that you pointed out. Look how a different hit can make a difference in performance of expansion and obviously subsequent tissue damage to an adult Ground Squirrel cadaver. 

Hope you find something positive in my posts. Just trying to give you another way of thinking about ballistics testing for airguns. 

Your video is 5 star for sure. Professional looking. I'm definitely looking forward to your next one too. 

 

[jwrabbit123]

Very nicely done , I was a bit surprised to see the JSB pellet had most penetration .