It is a goal of mine to ultimately run a test of every lever action cartridge still in production, and maybe even a few that are largely no longer available. The big problem with this plan, as usual, is money. I am not a man of great means, so it is unlikely (barring a Powerball win) that I will own a lever action rifle chambered in every available cartridge within my lifetime. Luckily, I’m in contact with people who have many more firearms than I and who are willing to run a few gel tests for me.
Ted Hambach from the forums over at www.leverguns.com was kind enough to take the time to prepare some gel blocks and test a few of his favorite .45-70 gov’t loads. His test setup consisted of 12”x6” blocks of 10% gelatin backed by stacks of dry phone books. All test shots were fired from a Marlin model 1895 Guide Gun with an 18.5” barrel. All cast bullets were made with wheel weight alloy for an approximate BHN (Brinell hardness) of 12.
Rounds used in the tests (from left to right); 322 gn cast HP, Hornady 350 gn FP, Speer 400 gn FP, Cast 420 gn FP
The unfired bullets (left to right); 322 gn cast HP, Hornady 350 gn FP, Speer 400 gn FP, 420 gn cast FP Lyman 322 grain cast hollowpoint
The first load to hit the blocks was a 322 grain hollowpoint cast from the Lyman 457122HP mold. The usual muzzle velocity of this load is 1600 f/s. In the interest of simulating a 50 yard impact on the block (which was shot at a range of 15 feet) the charge was reduced to produce a 15 foot impact velocity of approximately 1450 f/s.
The bullet began to open up a few inches into the gel then explosively expanded, sending bullet fragments in multiple directions through the gel block with some fragments exiting the top and sides. The expansion of the bullet devastated the first 8 inches of the block and the core travelled through the entire 12 inch block, just embedding itself in the first phone book behind the gel. The primary fragment had a retained mass of 115.3 grains and a diameter of .552”.
Cross section of the cavity created by the 322 grain hollowpoint.
Recovered 322 gn HP Hornady 350 grain flat point
Next up was a Hornady 350 grain jacketed flat point. The full power load leaves the muzzle at 1900 f/s, so it was loaded down to a velocity of 1700 f/s in order to simulate a 50 yard impact.
The load inflicted a tremendous amount of destruction on the gel block, splitting it, and the 2×6” pine board on which it sat, into two pieces. After annihilating the block, the bullet buried itself 1.5” into the dry phone book backer. The recovered bullet had a retained mass 311 grains and an expanded diameter of .897”.
Cross section of the cavity created by the Hornady 350 gn FP
Recovered Hornady 350 gn bullet RCBS cast 420 grain flat nose
This bullet was cast from the RCBS 45-405-FN mold (lubed and gas checked) and loaded to an impact velocity of 1250 f/s, putting it on par with the loads that were fired from trap door rifles on the American frontier in the 19th century.
The bullet cleared the block and 3” of dry phone book, demonstrating spectacular penetrative capability. The recovered bullet has a mass of 389.5 grains and an expanded diameter of .720”.
Cavity created by the 422 gn cast FP
Recovered 422 gn cast FP Speer 400 grain jacketed flat point
This heavy hitter is usually launched at a muzzle velocity of 1800 f/s but was loaded down to an impact velocity of 1650 f/s to simulate 50 yard performance. The bullet left a wide cavity in the gel block before exiting and embedding 1” into the dry phone book backer. The bullet held together exceptionally well, balancing expansion and weight retention. The recovered bullet retained 396.1 grains of its original mass and expanded to a diameter of .842”.
Cavity created by the Speer 400 gn FP
Recovered 400 gn FP
A comparison of the unfired and fired bullets (left to right); 322 gn cast HP, Hornady 350 gn FP, 422 gn cast FP, Speer 400 gn FP
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