Ballistic question

[BuckSnort]

I have a question that I have wondered for quite some time maybe you guys could answer.If a bullet is producing 1000 foot pound of energy,does this mean if you had a chunk of steel weighing 1000 pounds,would the bullet move it a foot?

[Texas Pete]

No. Nor would it move a one pound weight 1,000 feet. Foot pounds of energy is a meaningless number put out by someone so that, heck, i don't know WHAT it's for.
The factory .45-70 405 load puts up the same number as the .22-250 55. Lets go buffalo hunting. Choose.

[BuckSnort]

###Thanks for the help,I am getting ready to build some targets out of 1/4" steel plate.I was wondering if my 300 win mag would move it around? I was thinking of building them about 24" square.I would be shooting them at 300 yards or better do you think that it would work?

[shaginator]

Abstractly speaking you are correct, BuckSnort.

The bullet, at its weight (actually mass, there's a technical difference) going that fast has the energy that can move the weights you state.

But of course, in the real world, it's not that simple [the way to closely demonstrate this is maybe with 1000 lbs of clay on ice, and you're still only gonna get "about" 1ft. Or mix proportions and use a car that can completely stop the bullet :smile-big-blue::smile-big-blue::smile-big-blue:]

For example, if you use a 1/4" steel plate set-up at 100yds, and let's say it weighed 10 lbs, then that doesn't mean that the speeding bullet will move the plate 100 feet. The energy of 1000 ft-lbs. will certainly move the plate... i.e.: at least partially rotate it if it's hinged, the rest goes to deforming the bullet, a small bit goes to the frictional interaction of the bullet with the surface of the metal (causing some heat), and the sound of the bullet hitting the plate; a lot of the remaining will remain in the motion of the richocheted bullet until it hits something.

So there's your physics lesson of the day...

:frankenstein:


(Edited by shaginator at 12:06 am on Mar. 26, 2002)

[alanscott]

I think you gonna find your bullets passing through the steal plate and not actually moving it that much. I made some up a few years ago out of 3/8 steel and I was suprised at the dents a .222 was making in them.

alanscott

[BuckSnort]

Thanks for all the help guys,I'm thinking of building the targets on a frame with legs so they can be moved around,and making the steel plate so it could swing (maybe that would prevent punching holes). When you think about it it's almost scary the power rifles have.