FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BULLET TEST

• Is it re-useable?
• How does the Bullet Test Tube compare to animal tissue?
• Are the results comparable to ordnance gelatin?
• Is the Bullet Test Tube temperature sensitive?
• Does the Bullet Test Tube have a shelf life?
• How far away or close can I shoot the Bullet Test Tube?
• Why dose the Bullet Test Tubes come in short sections and not one long tube?
• Can I test the penetration of shotguns in the Bullet Test Tube?
• Does it require special tools to re-use?

Is it re-useable?

Yes.  As much as you want.  Since the Bullet Test Tube’s expansion material contains no water it does not change consistency during re-melting.  You can use the bullet expansion material inside the BULLET TEST TUBE to make more BULLET TEST TUBES, DEFENSIVE HANDGUN TUBES or TURKEY TEST TUBES as long as you use the appropriate mold.  Though a different color, the bullet expansion material is the same in all of the TUBE products.

How does the Bullet Test Tube compare to animal tissue?

The short answer is we do not know and it really does not matter. 

The long answer is that it is a scientific impossibility to duplicate animal tissue.  This is easy to understand when you consider the variety of different tissues a bullet must pass thru as it penetrates an animal such as hide, cartilage, bone, fat, muscle and soft organs.  And, when you consider the differences in tissue from animal to animal.  A claim that any bullet testing material replicates animal tissue is misleading and ultimately unsubstantiated.

That said, the expansion material inside the Bullet Test Tube and Xtenders does offer a reliable and consistent means for comparing bullets by exposing them to similar stresses and resistances that they will encounter inside animals.  Bullets recovered from animals bear a remarkable resemblance to bullets recovered from the Bullet Test Tube.  More-so than we have found with any other bullet testing media.  The Bullet Test Tube and Xtenders were not designed to test animal tissue, they were designed to test bullets and offer a Total Understanding of Bullet Expansion.

Are the results comparable to ordnance gelatin?

Yes, in some ways.  With regard to penetration you can multiply the penetration depth in the Bullet Test Tube by 1.34 to make a relatively accurate prediction of how the bullet would have penetrated inside ordnance gelatin.  However, ordnance gelatin does not offer a reliable means for measuring the wound cavity bullets create.  And, ordnance gelatin offers a great visual exaggeration of the affects of what has been called the “temporary stretch cavity”. 

With the Bullet Test Tube you can physically measure the volume of the “wound cavity” which is the actual material physically displaced by the penetration and expansion of the bullet thru its entire depth of travel.

Is the Bullet Test Tube temperature sensitive?

Yes and no.  The Bullet Test Tube was designed to be shot at normal room temperatures.  This allows the Bullet Test Tube to be stored indoors with no special handling. 

For best results the Bullet Test Tube should be shot when its core temperature is between 68 and 76 degrees, with an optimum temperature of 72 degrees.  The density of the bullet expansion material inside the Bullet Test Tube allows it to remain on the range for more than an hour in temperatures as cold as 32 or as high as 90 degrees without worry of the results being affected.

The core temperature of the Bullet Test Tube can be checked with an inexpensive candy thermometer pushed to a depth of three inches inside the Bullet Test Tube.

Does the Bullet Test Tube have a shelf life?

No.  You can store the Bullet Test Tube, before and after use, for as long as you like with out deterioration.  It is non-toxic and not susceptible to mold or evaporation.  There is not water in the Bullet Test Tube.

You can even shoot the Bullet Test Tube today and wait six months if you like before you open the Bullet Test Tube to check the results.  We generally test as many as 10 to 20 bullets per range session and sometimes it is weeks before we open the Test Tubes to check the results.

How far away or close can I shoot the Bullet Test Tube?

We generally suggest a minimum distance of 6 feet for handguns and 20 feet for rifle cartridges, however, there is no limit, near or far, as to how far away the Bullet Test Tube should be shot.  It is most imperative that the bullet strike the center of the Bullet Test Tube and then pass thru the center, lengthwise, of the bullet test tube to insure that the Bullet Test Tube contains the wound cavity and captures the bullet.

If you desire you could shoot the Bullet Test Tube at 300 yards just understand that if the bullet does not strike the center and then travel thru the center, lengthwise, of the Bullet Test Tube, it may exit the side of the Bullet Test Tube and you will not be able to recover your bullet.

Why dose the Bullet Test Tubes come in short sections and not one long tube?

The Bullet Test Tube is always a nominal 11 inches in length because that length will contain most any wound cavity.  This allows those testing bullets to compare wound cavities over a consistent depth of 11 inches.  By adding the Xtender the bullet can be captured outside of the Bullet Test Tube. 

Can I test the penetration of shotguns in the Bullet Test Tube?

The best way to evaluate the penetration of a shotgun load is to use the new TURKEY TEST TUBE.  This unit has been calibrated to produce penetration similar to what can be expected in a turkey’s head.  Because any correlation to penetration in animals is only speculation, the TURKEY TEST TUBE is a perfect tool to compare the penetration capabilities to various shotguns and loads.

Keep in mind that unless you are shooting at or near point blank range, where you might test a particular shot-shell load for effectiveness for personal defense, a shotgun will not create a wound cavity that can be measured by volume. 

Does it require special tools to re-use?

Yes & no.  The bullet expansion material inside the Bullet Test Tube and Xtenders can be melted in a variety of ways.  You will need a crock pot w/ or without liners or some form of double boiler.  The bullet expansion material should never be heated above 185 degrees.  Direct flame should never be applied directly to the bullet expansion material which is a wax based compound because it does have a flashpoint.