What did I miss?

[WS6]

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/rescources/calculators/php/wound.htm?v2=1300&v1=.200

According to this, the 357 SIG produces a 0.65" diameter permanent wound tract using FMJ-FP ammunition. I do not feel that this is factual. Is this calculator flawed? It looks like a really neat calculator, but...

*Of course, as velocity drops, so does the permanent cavity, so I understand that it won't be .65" all the way through, and as I recall, my former roommate (when he had an ND with this exact load) did have a hole in his thigh of approximately .65"

**For those interested, the weapon was fired in a thin-walled appartment, it did not alarm/register with my other roommate who was 1 bathroom (2-walls or hollow-core doors) away. Was a muscle/flesh wound only, he did suffer some neuropathy that mostly reversed. He was ambulatory after the GSW and reports only a sensation of "shock" and "concern" upon seeing the blood. Later he was ambulatory with consideral discomfort (after adrenaline wore off). Weapon was a G32, accident occured during removal of slide. Round used was WWB 125gr FMJ-FP.

hmmm...

Thoughts about this calculator?

[Marcus L.]

I've never seen a ballistics test with a FMJ-FP load in the service calibers that that has expanded beyond its original diameter. The construction of a solid lead core bullet encased in a copper jacket is too strong to cause deformation in tissue, gel, or soft barriers such as heavy clothing. Even FMJ-FP loads fired from rifle cartridges will not expand. There is also no cavity in the tip of a FP to allow hydraulic forces to mushroom the bullet.

The only time in which a recovered FMJ bullet will have expanded is if it has passed through a harder substance than tissue or gel. Depending on the makeup of wallboard, it can cause the bullet to deform before impacting the person. Striking a rib or other bone can also cause deformation.

The beartooth calculators are good for calculating stuff like sectional density and other predictible things. Do not trust it to have any relivant accuracy in predicting terminal effects. Terminal effects can not be accurately predicted with mathematics as the composition of a bullet's construction and design must be considered, along with the composition and AOA must be considered when penetrating a person. Then of course there are always some sort of barriers to shoot through, and each individual has different amounts of certain tissues which vary in elasticity and hardness. It's kind of a joke that they would even believe that such a calculator could even come close to predicting terminal effects. I'm not even gonna go into the effects of alcohol/drugs, levels of adrenaline in the body, and mental determination.

Realistically, the best way we can test ammo is to shoot it into substances that simulate what we intend to shoot in the field, and then do it over, and over, and over again until the results are predictible. Each time you test shoot, your test media needs to be same as the media you used in each previous test.......if it isn't, then your results will not be reliable. This is the concept behind the standardized FBI protocol tests and why it is crucial to follow them exacly.

[DocGKR]

Well said sir!