Here are some unofficial pumpkin ballistic tests on a few different rounds...ok, I know they're a tad out of season but we had a few left over in fairly good shape. Three different rounds were used--XM193, Wolf 5.45x39, and Silver Bear .223 62gr. soft point.
Firing Platforms: AR-15 20" for the XM193, Buddy's AK-74 for the Wolf, Mini-14 for the SilverBear.
Distance: ~50yds
Temp: cold
Punkin elevation: atop an old paint can
XM193: .22 cal entry hole and exit hole about the size of a baseball.
5.45x39: .22cal entry hole and exit hole about the size of a softball.
Silver Bear SP: Blew the sucker to bits!!
I kid you not,there were chunks flying 15ft high in all directions. We both stood there amazed at each other, he asked what the heck was that..I said just this ol' cheap russian stuff. We tried it on the larger pieces...same thing, looked like we were throwing M-80 firecrackers at it.
Now...I know this is about as far from real ballistic testing as you can get,and there are about a gazillion variables...but even so,this soft point round is acting nothing like what ammo-oracle says they should. In fact, this round should have mushroomed and only had an exit slightly larger than the entry.
So...my questions are: Is this normal for ANY soft point rounds? Has anybody done any REAL testing on SilverBear ammo (gel,varmint)?
I know I'll probably get hammered by the perfectionists for discussing such unprofessional ballistics profiles, but hey, this is just plinkin' info...so let the flaming begin. But it might come in handy if you are ever attacked by angry pumpkins in the middle of the night.
Man, I can't wait till watermelon season opens.