Short Barrel 38 Gel Test - Amateur Edition

[Sakràn Dog]

Prior to 2020, I took advantage of the low prices offered by a couple of my favorite online retailers to cache a supply of what was possibly surplus police 38 Special ammunition. The most common versions I saw offered in bulk were Winchester Ranger 130gr Bonded +P and Winchester Silvertip 110 standard pressure. Both shot great in a variety of revolvers but recently I decided to put them through an exhaustive and extremely professional testing protocol to determine if either met my needs in terms of bullet performance. Using only the highest quality canning gel, mixed while only occasionally glancing at the instructions, calibrated by poking it with my index finger, then covering it with four layers of old boxer shorts, I fired two rounds of each at 5 yards and came to the following conclusion: The Ranger performed best.

Actually both did pretty well out of my Ruger LCR. The top gel shot shows from left to right: Silvertip through boxers, Silvertip - no boxers, Ranger through boxers, Ranger - no boxers. The expanded projectiles show (left to right) the two Rangers and two Silvertips respectively.

This was just a fun little test that only proved that either would be effective on a buttocks shot and that I have no future as a YouTube bullet tester!

 

[LoboGunLeather]

A truly impressive demonstration of the utility of jello-testing, probably among the best of published data on this subject. Obviously, limiting the references to instructions is essential to maintaining the uniformity of the testing media, as confirmed by the judicious application of the finger-poking examination. While I question the validity of using 4 layers of old boxer shorts, I understand the need to uphold the scientific integrity of the testing protocol.

Speaking as one of the relatively few people who have actually been shot in the buttocks, I find your thoroughly controlled methods of experimentation far preferable to any repetition of that singularly unpleasant event.

Well done, sir!

 

[Sakràn Dog]

Thanks and kudos for a very well-written response! A little levity is needed sometimes.

Also a round in the arse is no joke but I'm sure you acquired some interesting scars that are no doubt great conversation starters!

 

[Nevada Ed]

Nice way to break the ice on your first gel test.
Even though the bullets look like they did not penetrate too deep........

the gel block could have ben over dense, copaired to the standard blocks
and caused more resistance.
I give that test two thumbs up and you even get to see the bullets final outcome, which is a fun thing to have.

Beats diving in a 50 gallon barrel.

 

[Sakràn Dog]

I'm not sure about that Nevada Ed - diving into a barrel of water would probably have been welcome the day I conducted my test!

Speaking of which, is funny how ballistic testing has changed. When I was a teenager, I would soak packed newspapers inside an old chlorine drum, lay it on it's side, and shoot it to test bullet penetration and target damage. I would occasionally toss in deer bones to see what effect they would have on the projectiles. I still remember the damage path from a 300gr Nosler Partition fired from my 375 H&H - that bullet effectively ended my drum tests! Good times.

 

[Rammer Jammer]

This test is extremely unreliable and unscientific!

If you had followed the instructions you would know that proper calibration requires poking the gel with your middle finger, not the index finger!

 

[Suburbanite]

I have shot factory 130 grain +P Rangers and both factory 135 grain +P Gold Dot rounds and hand loaded 135 grain Gold Dots into polymer test vessels filled with dihydrogen monoxide. Often times the Gold Dots show marginal expansion. The Rangers have shown more reliable and consistent expansion.

The 135 grain Gold Dots are excellent performers in the .357 Magnum SB load. The recoil level makes a magnum K frame quite manageable.

 

[geekeye]

I have shot factory 130 grain +P Rangers and both factory 135 grain +P Gold Dot rounds and hand loaded 135 grain Gold Dots into polymer test vessels filled with dihydrogen monoxide. Often times the Gold Dots show marginal expansion. The Rangers have shown more reliable and consistent expansion.

The 135 grain Gold Dots are excellent performers in the .357 Magnum SB load. The recoil level makes a magnum K frame quite manageable.

Don't you know that all the cool kids are expansion testing in hydrogen hydroxide?

 

[ZGrand]

Are you still gonna wear the boxers??

 

[Sakràn Dog]

Of course - things like that always lead to interesting conversations with the wife!