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Hunting
The Basics, Starting Out
What happens to bullets when they hit the ground?
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<blockquote data-quote="BountyHunter" data-source="post: 184098" data-attributes="member: 12"><p>Boy what a thorny question.</p><p> </p><p>The link posted is pretty accurate though. There was a study commissioned by the PA legistlature on this very subject due to reports of bullets hitting houses. Their study focused on muzzle loaders and shotguns primarily compared to the 30 06 with a 150 SP (exposed lead tip). It is on the PA legislative site now, I will try to find the link. Mountain Top technologies was the sub contractor for the Army who did the study for the legislature. </p><p> </p><p>This study mirrors the original army findings and range rules almost perfectly. If the bullet hits the ground at an angle between 10 and 35 degrees it will often/normally not deflect if the ground is relatively soft and free of hard objects. However most firing is done at angles less than 10 degrees and when that is the case the bullets will/can deflect and skipped an additional 1700 plus meters regardless of the ground surface. It is not aperfectly linear skip too on the original target line and they routinely deflect at 90 degree or greater angles off the target line. They can deflect up to 1800 meters in the air.</p><p> </p><p>In this recent PA study the muzzle loaders and shotguns with plastic tip SST type sabot bullets skipped to the same distance of the lead tip 30 06. The study attributed this to the exposed lead tip and thin jacket deforming and slowing things down on the 30 06 and the plastic tip and hard jacket reinforcing the SSTs and preventing deformation which would slow the bullets down.</p><p> </p><p>The other military studies are based off the FMJ bullets which in reality are only copper jacket bullets with the open part of the jacket at the base instead of the point. They are designed to fragment at the cannelure(deliberately on hitting tissue) in many cases and others are designed for max penetration. And No that is not against the Geneva Convention either. The Armor Piercing bullets normally have a tungten or similar type insert inside the copper jacketed bullet that is the actual penetrator.</p><p> </p><p>The harder/thicker jacket and plastic tips, the more the bullet will retain original shape and velocity vs the lead tips and highly deformed thinner jacket bullets.</p><p> </p><p>Bottom line is know what is beyond your target, try to have a soft ground backstop and at an angle of greater than 10 degrees to your shooting target line in a perfect world If it is rocky, expect ricochets at almost any angle. </p><p> </p><p>BH</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="BountyHunter, post: 184098, member: 12"] Boy what a thorny question. The link posted is pretty accurate though. There was a study commissioned by the PA legistlature on this very subject due to reports of bullets hitting houses. Their study focused on muzzle loaders and shotguns primarily compared to the 30 06 with a 150 SP (exposed lead tip). It is on the PA legislative site now, I will try to find the link. Mountain Top technologies was the sub contractor for the Army who did the study for the legislature. This study mirrors the original army findings and range rules almost perfectly. If the bullet hits the ground at an angle between 10 and 35 degrees it will often/normally not deflect if the ground is relatively soft and free of hard objects. However most firing is done at angles less than 10 degrees and when that is the case the bullets will/can deflect and skipped an additional 1700 plus meters regardless of the ground surface. It is not aperfectly linear skip too on the original target line and they routinely deflect at 90 degree or greater angles off the target line. They can deflect up to 1800 meters in the air. In this recent PA study the muzzle loaders and shotguns with plastic tip SST type sabot bullets skipped to the same distance of the lead tip 30 06. The study attributed this to the exposed lead tip and thin jacket deforming and slowing things down on the 30 06 and the plastic tip and hard jacket reinforcing the SSTs and preventing deformation which would slow the bullets down. The other military studies are based off the FMJ bullets which in reality are only copper jacket bullets with the open part of the jacket at the base instead of the point. They are designed to fragment at the cannelure(deliberately on hitting tissue) in many cases and others are designed for max penetration. And No that is not against the Geneva Convention either. The Armor Piercing bullets normally have a tungten or similar type insert inside the copper jacketed bullet that is the actual penetrator. The harder/thicker jacket and plastic tips, the more the bullet will retain original shape and velocity vs the lead tips and highly deformed thinner jacket bullets. Bottom line is know what is beyond your target, try to have a soft ground backstop and at an angle of greater than 10 degrees to your shooting target line in a perfect world If it is rocky, expect ricochets at almost any angle. BH [/QUOTE]
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The Basics, Starting Out
What happens to bullets when they hit the ground?
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