My first fullsize attempt at ballistics gel

[Warpt762x39]

I had previously made a small (less than 1lb) sample of homemade ballistics gelatin. It is roughly 10% gelatin. My first small sample was 10oz of water and 1oz of Knox unflavored gelatin.

I formed it in a small plastic soup bowl from a Chinese food place we order from and it actually came out pretty good. It's consistency is pretty close to what you see used on Mythbusters, but they are using the professional, high dollar stuff.

The real test came when I tested it with a Red Ryder BB gun in the backyard. I stood it up on edge and held it there with some snow. Stepped back maybe 10 or 12 yds and fired a dozen or so BBs into it. Of the 12 BBs I shot into it, only 1 penetrated all the way through. The rest stopped about 3/4 of the way through (2 maybe 2 1/2 inches penetration).

I sliced it apart (noticing that it slices up just like the stuff on Mythbusters) to get the BBs out so I could try to melt it down and reform it. Took less than 1 minute in the microwave and it was melted back into a liquid. I let it set in the fridge for a couple of hours (it will still solidify at room temp, it's just faster in the fridge) and ventilated it with the BB gun again.

After my small scale attempt, I went and bought 13oz of Knox gelatin and a gallon of distilled water, as it is the cleanest water you can get in a bottle and I wanted my gel to be clear.

This morning I put the water in a big pot on the stove to heat the water to about 105 degrees, mixed in the gelatin and poured it into two cardboard orange juice containers.

I put them in the fridge before I left for work at 2 and when I got home about 9:30, I peeled the container off of one of the blocks. It's the same consistency of my small attempt from before and it measures roughly 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 x 8 inches.

I'm hoping to be able to go shooting next week and I will definitely bring the blocks with me to see how well they work with 9mm Hornady Critical Defense hollow points.

Here is the block I opened this evening. There is a second one still in the fridge. They will be lined up end to end when I shoot them.

Gel_length.jpg

Gel_angle.jpg

Gel_from_the_top.jpg

Gel_end.jpg

[egent]

That looks good, I hope you remember to take the camera to the range so we can see how well this works there too.

[Warpt762x39]

That looks good, I hope you remember to take the camera to the range so we can see how well this works there too.

I'll definitely have a camera with me as it will be my first chance for trigger time on my new XDM.

[falcn]

Nice!

I want to do this myself some day this year

I am very interested in your tests of your Hornady Critical Defense as that is what I also use. I tested some on 2 wet phone books strapped together and they expanded beautifully and penetrated to within about 1/4" of my friends .40 rounds.

[Warpt762x39]

Nice!

I want to do this myself some day this year

I am very interested in your tests of your Hornady Critical Defense as that is what I also use. I tested some on 2 wet phone books strapped together and they expanded beautifully and penetrated to within about 1/4" of my friends .40 rounds.

1 gallon of water heated to 105 degrees. Mix in 13oz of Knox unflavored gelatin. Pour into an orange juice container. Let it cool. Peel off the cardboard and tada! You have ballistics gel blocks

[Statkowski]

Yeah, but the unflavored gelatin tastes yucky!

[falcn]

Instructions I read said that you can add a little cinnamon oil to help with clarity and keep funk from growin in the gel.

[Warpt762x39]

Instructions I read said that you can add a little cinnamon oil to help with clarity and keep funk from growin in the gel.

Mine isn't crystal clear but it's still plenty clear enough to see a bullet inside of it. Plus cinnamon oil costs about what the rest of the stuff costs to make it.

[falcn]

Mine isn't crystal clear but it's still plenty clear enough to see a bullet inside of it. Plus cinnamon oil costs about what the rest of the stuff costs to make it.

Good to know, thanks!

[Connal]

Thanks for the info! I'm going to have to try that this summer with my .17. I've been wanting to see what it does at 200 yards.