Is Ballistic Gel Testing Realistic?

[NWYetiPhotography]

Hello all. I'm new to this group but not a newbie shooter. I've been shooting rifles and handguns since the mid 70's but now in my 60s I tend to just carry my 40 S&W, 38 Special or 22LR as conceal carry or when hiking. I regularly watch YouTube channels like Hickok45, the late Paul Harrell, Tools&Gadgets and Gun Sam Revolver and recently while watching Gun Sam test different handgun ammo into ballistic gel I noticed that he shoots from just a few feet away (at the muzzle) into the gel block.

I recently questioned him on this because as a nature and wildlife photographer here in Oregon as well as when I'm in Montana and Wyoming photographing grizzlies, black bears, moose and so on it would be nice to know the average penetration length (in inches) at more realistic distances (like 50 feet plus) rather than at the muzzle.

Gun Sam didn't seem to like my question and stated matter of factly that the penetration will be the same whether at 3 feet or 21 feet. I replied that I'm no expert but it would seem that bullet ballistics lower the more distance it travels. He never replied back so I guess either I'm an idiot or he just doesn't give a rip.

So my question is: if I'm hiking up a trail and I see a black bear or mountain lion come out of the brush and head my way fifty feet away, will my Buffalo Bore 205 gr flat nose 40 S&W bullet have the same penetration and wound channel that it would at 3 feet?

Thanks in advance

 

[RockAndSage]

if I'm hiking up a trail and I see a black bear or mountain lion come out of the brush and head my way fifty feet away, will my Buffalo Bore 205 gr flat nose 40 S&W bullet have the same penetration and wound channel that it would at 3 feet?

It'll be close enough to be indistinguishable. Don't worry about it, you're good to go at those distances.

 

[IAm_Not_Lost]

Ballistics gel was originally tested to demonstrate three things:

Bullet expansion
Bullet weight retention
Bullet penetration

It was designed around what was already known from real world shooting to provide a reliably consistent medium.



At the distances you’re talking about it won’t make a difference.

 

[dieselchessy]

A .40 flat nose 200-ish grain bullet traveling at -1000fps would lose about 50 fps in 50 yards. As it slows down it will lose speed slower.
At 1300 fps it loses about 100 fps per 50 yards.
(No idea of your launch speed)

The barrel length and action type of your pistol makes more difference than 50 feet of flight distance. The velocity difference shot to shot is probably close to the difference seen at 50 feet.

Gun Sam maybe just didn’t want to take the time to explain to you ballistics. Or he didn't understand how someone who had seemingly no awareness of their bullets velocity would be so concerned with their bullets penetration.

If you buy a chronograph you could learn your bullets velocity at various ranges, and then use that data in your future choices.

This is the 200 grain Sportsman load at 1k.