penetration test??????

[archery1]

i am sure it's been discussed and several people no better than me......
i wanted to do some testing..
i need something to determine if the new and old shells they got out ..if they  are powerfull enough to shoot up to 40 yards with...i read about people using plywood, particle board etc. is that enough?

[Tomcat655]

I have heard and used myself an aluminum beer can at 40 and if shot goes thru both sides clean it's good knockdown .. But in experience I only ever had a couple pellets caught in it that didn't penetrate.

[deadbuck]

I think the standard medium for judging penetration is roofing tin placed at various distances.

[Ihuntoldschool]

They are powerful enough, pattern fails before penetration. 

[mikejd]

I know guys that have used real turkey necks, ballistic gelatin, plywood and all sorts of other craziness.

[the Ward]

I don't know if this is a good test of penetration, but I built a target holder out of cheap pcv pipe that I tape cardboard sheets to that come on the bottom of wood pallets. So far in all the pattern testing I have done nothing has penetrated the pcv pipe, not even #4 hevi shot. Lead pellets up to #4s (biggest shot I have patterned)) just left  lead "splash" marks with no damage at all. The htl shot made small divots but did not penetrate or even stick in the pipe. This was at both 30 and 40 yrds. Just plain old white pvc plastic pipe, too. Made me re-think a lot of things I had previously thought about pellets and penetration. Granted that turkey skull and neck bones are not as tough as plastic, but they are plenty strong. I killed a gobbler with the old discontinued Win extended range htl #4s and recovered a few bb's in the neck that didn't break the bone, they were lodged against it. That was a 33-35 yrd shot max too. Not scientific  data at all, but it did give me some food for thought!

[Oconeeguy]

Try some Federal Heavyweight 

[BINK McCARTY]

Try some Federal Heavyweight 

YES!!!!!! We have a winner....I conducted my own penetration test at 5/8" pressed board (particle board) and @ 100 yds. Federal HW #7s launched @ 1300 fps went THRU the board.

[Tom Foolery]

Try some Federal Heavyweight 

YES!!!!!! We have a winner....I conducted my own penetration test at 5/8" pressed board (particle board) and @ 100 yds. Federal HW #7s launched @ 1300 fps went THRU the board.

Holy smokes!  I killed a bird Saturday with HW 7's from my 20 gauge.  From 35yds there was not a single pellet left in the bird, every pellet that hit head, neck, and body exited.  Nothing but HW 7's from my 20 for me!

[the Ward]

Try some Federal Heavyweight 

YES!!!!!! We have a winner....I conducted my own penetration test at 5/8" pressed board (particle board) and @ 100 yds. Federal HW #7s launched @ 1300 fps went THRU the board.

How many pellets hit the board @ 100 yards? How big was the board?

[owlhoot]

Try some Federal Heavyweight 

YES!!!!!! We have a winner....I conducted my own penetration test at 5/8" pressed board (particle board) and @ 100 yds. Federal HW #7s launched @ 1300 fps went THRU the board.

Amazing stuff !
Holy smokes!  I killed a bird Saturday with HW 7's from my 20 gauge.  From 35yds there was not a single pellet left in the bird, every pellet that hit head, neck, and body exited.  Nothing but HW 7's from my 20 for me!

[Dr Juice]

Those are some impressive penetrating results. Beyond my comprehension.

[BandedSpur]

Try some Federal Heavyweight 

YES!!!!!! We have a winner....I conducted my own penetration test at 5/8" pressed board (particle board) and @ 100 yds. Federal HW #7s launched @ 1300 fps went THRU the board.

Holy smokes!  I killed a bird Saturday with HW 7's from my 20 gauge.  From 35yds there was not a single pellet left in the bird, every pellet that hit head, neck, and body exited.  Nothing but HW 7's from my 20 for me!

That's why some of us have been preaching for a while that the only way Fed could make those shells better (besides dropping the FCW) is to load them in 8s. The 8s would still have ample energy to kill at any reasonable distance and patterns would sweeten considerably. Then you could relax the choke a bit, get a little forgiveness in the pattern, and still have ample pattern density to kill way out there.

[BINK McCARTY]

Try some Federal Heavyweight 

YES!!!!!! We have a winner....I conducted my own penetration test at 5/8" pressed board (particle board) and @ 100 yds. Federal HW #7s launched @ 1300 fps went THRU the board.

How many pellets hit the board @ 100 yards? How big was the board?

Sorry so long to respond....I didn't bother to count holes but it wasn't a whole bunch....I always shoot @ a 4'x4' piece of particle board,and usually use a 3'x3' blank piece of paper. Its just easier to buy a 4'x8' sheet of board and cut it to 4'x4'.

[BINK McCARTY]

Try some Federal Heavyweight 

YES!!!!!! We have a winner....I conducted my own penetration test at 5/8" pressed board (particle board) and @ 100 yds. Federal HW #7s launched @ 1300 fps went THRU the board.

YESSIR!!!!! Would love to see Fed.HW make a few changes....such as kickin' the FCW to the curb,increase #7 payload to 2oz. or 2 1/8 oz. and / or load #8 shot with the two recommendations I mentioned above!!!!

Holy smokes!  I killed a bird Saturday with HW 7's from my 20 gauge.  From 35yds there was not a single pellet left in the bird, every pellet that hit head, neck, and body exited.  Nothing but HW 7's from my 20 for me!

That's why some of us have been preaching for a while that the only way Fed could make those shells better (besides dropping the FCW) is to load them in 8s. The 8s would still have ample energy to kill at any reasonable distance and patterns would sweeten considerably. Then you could relax the choke a bit, get a little forgiveness in the pattern, and still have ample pattern density to kill way out there.