In order to understand the effect that a lead vs. a non-lead bullet will have upon a target, you have to fire each round into something that allows you to see the impact. Ballistics gel, which is available on Amazon.com, can be very costly. Alternatively, there are recipes all over the internet which allow anyone to make their very own for as little as $30.00. The recipe that I chose to go with was from Custom Cartridge (click link). I chose to make two molds, each about the size of a shoebox. After each mold had hardened, I picked up two boxes of ammo for my .30-06, one lead cored and the other lead free, and headed to the woods to see the difference each would have. Click on the video below to see the whole process and the exciting conclusion.
The ingredients that I used to make the Gel-
- 6 quart plastic container
- pam non-stick spray
- 14 ounces of knox gelatin
- 1.5 gallons of 105 degree water
To perform the test-fire I used-
- 1 box of Remington Express Core-Lokt Lead 180 gr. .30-06
- 1 box of Barnes Vor-TX Copper 180 gr. .30-06
- Weatherby Vanguard .30-06
The observable difference between the two rounds is very apparent. The lead round left several dozen fragments throughout the entire gel and literally tore it apart. The all copper round left a visible channel down the center of the gel, but did not leave any fragments. If you have any questions on how I prepared the gel or would like to more information on the effects of lead and wildlife, please send me an email at- nate@pdxwildlife
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- More Lead Fragments
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- Lead Fragments
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- Knox Gelatine
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- Lead Free Barnes Ammo