Bullets flying sideways

Richard93

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Do you think these marks are signs of unstabilized bullets?
They are commercial FMJ bullets. The load seemed quite hot.
 

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Light paper targets at the indoor ranges, that just hang down from clips.....

can get "un-round" holes in them, do to movement from muzzle blast

and not having a backing behind them.

With "Big muzzle blast shooters on both sides of me, I sometimes have to wait for my 15-20 foot target to stop moving, from air currents !!

Don't you just love it?
 
Based on the minimal information provided, the holes appear to be normal for anything but a wadcutter or semi-wadcutter with a sharp, well-defined shoulder.
 
Is the target mount to a cardboard backing or free hanging? If just blowing in the wind the holes will be jagged or keyhole

The target is a piece of cardboard with the old targets attached that slides on a pulley outdoors
 
Based on the minimal information provided, the holes appear to be normal for anything but a wadcutter or semi-wadcutter with a sharp, well-defined shoulder.

The bullet is a 9mm FMJ 124gr FIOCCHI. The gun is a G17 3rd generation. The target distance was 25 yards. Unfortunately I didn't have a chronograph with me but the load seemed pretty hot...
 
The bullet is a 9mm FMJ 124gr FIOCCHI. The gun is a G17 3rd generation. The target distance was 25 yards. Unfortunately I didn't have a chronograph with me but the load seemed pretty hot...

Typical photo of holes made by FMJ bullet whether cone nose, flat nose, or round nose.
 
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Fiocchi ammo most often is on the warm side. :D
At the Trap range, when someone is not using the proper ammo,
one of the regulars, will shout, that sounds HOT.
Then they are removed, unless someone gives them ammo to finish the flight.
 
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I have a few old Mosin rifles that keyholed because of a bad crown. A simple counterbore fixed the issue.

After having seen a lot of sideways bullets, I can positively say that the holes above are quite normal.

The other issue is the quality of the cheap paper they use for targets. Shoot at a good boxboard or Masonite board and the holes won't look like that.
 
I have a few old Mosin rifles that keyholed because of a bad crown. A simple counterbore fixed the issue.

After having seen a lot of sideways bullets, I can positively say that the holes above are quite normal.

The other issue is the quality of the cheap paper they use for targets. Shoot at a good boxboard or Masonite board and the holes won't look like that.

They will look very similar if not identical regardless of the paper used. At least, that's been my experience. The backing material behind the target may make a difference.
 
Fiocchi ammo most often is on the warm side. :D
At the Trap range, when someone is not using the proper ammo,
one of the regulars, will shout, that sounds HOT.
Then they are removed, unless someone gives them ammo to finish the flight.

If someone tried to remove me from the field because they didn't like the sound of my shells there would be a problem.
 
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I don't think those bullets are tumbling, the orientation of the slightly oval holes all appear to be identical. I'd say it is more related to bullet shape (round nose bullets make not so round holes in paper) and possibly the target swaying just a bit.
 
If someone tried to remove me from the field because they didn't like the sound of my shells there would be a problem.

The sound gave away the fact that they were shooting ammo,
that was not allowed on the range.
The RO either asked others to help with proper ammo, or removed them.
Nothing like those new shooters, with auto loaders, that would chamber a round, with the barrel pointed down, and blow up the concrete.
 
I don't think so. Try a piece of corrugated cardboard as a target backer. Also bullets that are tumbling tend to be wildly inaccurate. Looks like you're on target.
 
Unless the soft thick paper target was taped down flat to a backer board ...
You will see the oblong holes and it may not be the bullets ...
simply the bullet cutting the paper as it tries to move out the way .

Was your target taped to a backer board ... if not , repeat the shooting with targets taped to a backer and see what happens .
Gary
 
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