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View Full Version : 5.45 x 39 terminal ballistics


brycewise
11-11-15, 02:45
Does anyone have a link to actual data or evidence of the 5.45 having good terminal ballistics?
I know about the "poison bullet" nick name but that was given from shooting victims requiring amputations, which means to me that they lived.
Also, human tissue was said to have elastic properties that minimalize the damage caused by a tumbling round and wouldn't tumbling make a unpredictable wound channel?
MorphCross
11-11-15, 06:47
The internet is loaded with discussions on this subject.
Yes, an amputation would suggest that the one who was shot lived. More importantly an amputation suggests they were shot in the limb, not the torso.
Pay greater attention to depth of penetration than tumbling characteristics. After 18" of penetration is met then you look at what the bullet did within the length of the wound track.

Finally, don't get overly wrapped up in the debates about one shot stops. It will take however many number of shots it takes to affect a stop or a retreat if you are using the round against someone.
civiliansheepdog
11-11-15, 07:20
YouTube has some excellent ballistic tests in gel. The 69 gr. Red Army Standard does a very good job.
RetroRevolver77
11-20-15, 00:34
What would you like to know specifically? The round was designed to begin tumbling immediately upon entering flesh due to the mild steel score sliding forward upon impact into the hollow cavity found within the tip. It doesn't fragment instead it just starts tumbling usually within only a couple inches of entry. It is not an AP round, the later series rounds were designed more for armor piercing. It performs better at greater ranges than M855 due to the non specific velocity threshold requirement for fragmentation. Accuracy usually around 2MOA with the right optic. It's fun to shoot due to the low recoil. It mirrors the drop of M855 overall so I generally sight in a 74 the same distances I would sight in an M4.

Here's a good read with some details:
http://www.akfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=108647

Slow mo video showing how it performs, it's already flipped before exiting. If it hit bone, it would continue flipping in a different direction since it retains nearly all it's kinetic energy because it doesn't fragment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Oq3ZEZ7YFw