Comments on: Anecdotes. http://ballisticsbytheinch.wordpress.com/2008/12/01/anecdotes/ Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:20:50 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: James Downey http://ballisticsbytheinch.wordpress.com/2008/12/01/anecdotes/#comment-29 James Downey Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:42:54 +0000 http://ballisticsbytheinch.wordpress.com/?p=60#comment-29 So, over the last couple of nights I've settled in with Firefly and started sorting the brass from the testing. Hadn't had either the time nor a real need to do so before now, but am getting my reloading set-up going and figured that the time had come. And what better show than Firefly for such? Anyway, last night, as I was closing in on sorting the last thousand or so casings, I came across a slug. Nice, heavy, looks like probably either a .45 Colt or a .44. Nose plugged up with wood, a couple of the 'petals' peeled back, but otherwise in pretty good condition. What was it doing in the brass? Well, this is speculation, but I bet it's right - I bet it landed there while we were testing. As noted on the site (<a href="http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/videos.html" rel="nofollow">Steve's Long Run</a>), we ran into the phenomenon of bullets coming back at us from the target stump(s) after subsequent shots impacted. Not true ricochets, these didn't have much velocity - but it could still be disconcerting when one such would come flying right through the door and hit you with a light thump. See, the brass bucket was kept just behind the shooter's chair, against the back wall of the tent where it was out of the way. So it would be possible that an incoming slug could sail back through the door, past the shooter, hit the wall, then land in the bucket. We did pick up several such spent slugs off the floor, and I'd bet that this one just happened to land in the bucket. It's a good memento of the whole project! Jim Downey So, over the last couple of nights I’ve settled in with Firefly and started sorting the brass from the testing. Hadn’t had either the time nor a real need to do so before now, but am getting my reloading set-up going and figured that the time had come.

And what better show than Firefly for such?

Anyway, last night, as I was closing in on sorting the last thousand or so casings, I came across a slug. Nice, heavy, looks like probably either a .45 Colt or a .44. Nose plugged up with wood, a couple of the ‘petals’ peeled back, but otherwise in pretty good condition.

What was it doing in the brass?

Well, this is speculation, but I bet it’s right – I bet it landed there while we were testing. As noted on the site (Steve’s Long Run), we ran into the phenomenon of bullets coming back at us from the target stump(s) after subsequent shots impacted. Not true ricochets, these didn’t have much velocity – but it could still be disconcerting when one such would come flying right through the door and hit you with a light thump.

See, the brass bucket was kept just behind the shooter’s chair, against the back wall of the tent where it was out of the way. So it would be possible that an incoming slug could sail back through the door, past the shooter, hit the wall, then land in the bucket. We did pick up several such spent slugs off the floor, and I’d bet that this one just happened to land in the bucket.

It’s a good memento of the whole project!

Jim Downey

]]> By: James Downey http://ballisticsbytheinch.wordpress.com/2008/12/01/anecdotes/#comment-22 James Downey Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:39:18 +0000 http://ballisticsbytheinch.wordpress.com/?p=60#comment-22 Pursuant to <a href="http://www.defensivecarry.com/vbulletin/945382-post8.html" rel="nofollow">this comment</a> on Defensive Carry, I thought I'd pass along an interesting observation that Jim K made when we were getting set up for the project and discussing it with Steve. This is a paraphrase: <blockquote>Who knows? We may find that an 8" barrel with .25 ACP is the <strong>ideal</strong> man-stopper. I think it's unlikely, but currently all we have to go on is anecdotal information, not solid research.</blockquote> Jim D. Pursuant to this comment on Defensive Carry, I thought I’d pass along an interesting observation that Jim K made when we were getting set up for the project and discussing it with Steve. This is a paraphrase:

Who knows? We may find that an 8″ barrel with .25 ACP is the ideal man-stopper. I think it’s unlikely, but currently all we have to go on is anecdotal information, not solid research.

Jim D.

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