Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Got Old Phone Books Piled Up? - Shoot 'em!



Got old phone books piled up?



We get new phone books all the time. They get stacked up under the phone until they become a nuisance and then you get more. Use them to compare penetration of different loads and shot sizes. Shoot one with a load of #9 shot and another with #8 and another with 7 1/2 .......Count the pages the different sizes and loads penetrate for a comparison. You may want to document the results, depending on how many you are comparing.

It's best to set the books up in a way that keeps them from moving when hit. Like attached to a piece of 1/2 inch plywood. Movement can produce inaccurate results.

And as always, BE SAFE!

1 comment:

  1. Right after I read this I was going through the Advantages IV handloading guide by Ballistic Products when I came across this info concerning old telephone books and pellet energy evaluation. A pellet needs about 3 lbs of energy to be lethal Penetration (the main component of load lethality) can be tested by using an old phone book. Assume that a light target load of #8 is probably the minimum energy needed. Shoot this into the phone book and measure the penetration checking the page number. Compare new loads to this standard. Pellet size effects penetration as does plated shot. Look for consistent penetration from shot to shot to evaluate your loads. Looks like I finally found a use for all those old phone books in the cabinet.

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