fired bullets

[fho]

I need to catch bullets from my slug gun. I was wondering if I could use a 10 foot piece of 8-10 inch PVC pipe full of water to catch bullets with? I want to look at them non-deformed. I also want to see what the up-set looks like.
I don't want to make a sawdust box to catch bullets.
Olie

 

[Rebel]

Any of yer neighbors have a pool? ::

 

[musketman]

I need to catch bullets from my slug gun. I was wondering if I could use a 10 foot piece of 8-10 inch PVC pipe full of water to catch bullets with?

How are you going to shoot it in without the water running out, unless you shoot down into it...

If you cap the ends, the bullet will deform as it passes through the cap, plus water will provide resistance as well...

Better off filling the pipe with a jello... :hmm:

What about wet newspapers tied in bundles?

 

[flashpanner]

too dense! will flatten or deform ball. My dad made a decel slide for ordnance. it has a "catcher's mitt" mounted on a water slide. The rail is accelled at the same time as the projectile is fired so that the sled is close to the same speed as the moving projectile. The rails on the slide slowly converge into a water trough. Hanging below the slide is a paddle that drags into the water, slowing the mitt,slide assembly gradually. Water sprays everywhere as the energy is spent. Works well enough that the nose of the projectile is not changed from it's previous non-fired state. Rifling signature on the projectile is undisturbed.
This apparatus is not in a home shop but was done in a test lab basement. (now declassified)

 

[fho]

I though about setting one end of the pipe on the ground and the other end on a sawhorse and shoot on an angle but I don't know if I would have enough deepth of water to stop the bullet.
Olie

 

[roundball]

I need to catch bullets from my slug gun. I was wondering if I could use a 10 foot piece of 8-10 inch PVC pipe full of water to catch bullets with? I want to look at them non-deformed. I also want to see what the up-set looks like.
I don't want to make a sawdust box to catch bullets.
Olie

DEFORMED:
I just line up gallon jugs of water to get a sense of penetration and upset...they eventually usually stop inside a jug...line up good and square on them or you'll run the risk of the projectile angling off out through a side

UN-DEFORMED:
Not sure I understand...they're un-deformed when you take them out of a box, so do you mean you're looking for how the rifling engraves the bullet?
If that's the case, just seat one downbore, then pull the bullet back out with a ball puller, or blow it out with compressed air.

 

[Liver eatin’ Johnson]

I though about setting one end of the pipe on the ground and the other end on a sawhorse and shoot on an angle but I don't know if I would have enough deepth of water to stop the bullet.

:hmm:
I wonder if the spin of the bullet might cause it to veer off in one direction and run into the side...? Water jugs might work better.

 

[Stumpkiller]

It's not as easy as it first seems. Water does not compress and will flatten a bullet. Ever seen the clips of WWII fighters ditching into water? The ballistic labs have a "best angle" that they use to fire the gun at to minimize deformation (and not so angled as to allow a skip). I don't know what that angle is. A bubbler further limits the surface tension barrier.

I have found undeformed balls sitting on top of the leaf litter behind my shooting spot. No idea how you could duplicate those conditions. A really big pile of dry leaves?

 

[3 stinky dogs]

I saw on a crime show thees guy's just shooting into a tub of water and recovering the fired bullet with just the rifleing's on them.Could you just fill one of those big Galvanised water tanks you see at the feed store and fill it with water and just shoot directly into it ?They were shooting .38 specal so It may not stop a rifle ball but the swimming pool idea was a good one if you can find a willing particapent.

 

[Gary]

Old fashion 55 gallon drum filled with water. Be sure to empty it when done. Don't want to breed 'skeeters.

 

[musketman]

Watch out for the wave of water spraying out of the tube/barrel from being displaced by the bullet's energy...

 

[fho]

I want to thank everyone for the help.
Olie

 

[BLAHMAN]

I want to thank everyone for the help.
Olie

Olie, you don't live that far from Lake Erie. Just get one of those large buffalo targets, go to a beach, flop the target on the water and shoot.

If anyone asks what yer doin', just tell 'em yer shooting the bull! :haha:

 

[rabbit03]

Hi Olie

I think your idea is a worthy one which will work. I would put a female adapter on the other end (even if you had to reduce it to a size where you could find a threaded fitting) and put a plug in that lower end. I would definitely make the pipe as long as your suggesting too! Then I would place the pipe with the pluged side on the ground, propped up against anything to raise it up about 5,6 or even 8 ft up in the air. I would then have something to stand on to be able to shoot the round downward in the angled pipe full of water. The next thing would be to just unplug the other end letting all the water out and retrieve the bullet.

I would make sure that if I shot through the side of the pipe accidentally that there would be proper protection against hitting any objects on the side or behind the testing.

Great idea!

rabbit03

 

[rabbit03]

Hi again Olie

A PS to the last note,

I doubt seriously that you could shoot through to the outside of the pipe, even if you tried to!

rabbit03

 

[fho]

I was thinking of putting a T on one end and covering that end with a piece of inter tube held on with a big hose clamp. I could lay the pipe flat to shot throught the inter tube hoping that the inter tube will reseal the water off. The other part of the T would be pointed up to let the preasure off form the bullet hitting the water. What do you think?
Olie :thanks: