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ermac
08-02-11, 20:15
What exactly does tumbling do? Does it leave a larger hole in flesh then the diameter of a bullet?
COVERBUSTER
08-02-11, 20:27
It cleans your brass.
Safetyhit
08-02-11, 20:39
Tumbling means the bullet looses it's spiral and rotates front to back, or awkwardly at the very least. Some twist rates are not compatible with certain bullets usually due to their weight, so they may tumble after one or two hundred yards.

As far as leaving a "larger hole", several factors come into play regarding entry and exit wounds. Read up a bit more here and you will find out what you want to know.
200RNL
08-02-11, 22:46
What exactly does tumbling do? Does it leave a larger hole in flesh then the diameter of a bullet?

I assume you are talking about 'tumbling' after a bullet strikes a human body. That was the term used to describe 5.56 bullet behavior when the M16 was first used in Vietnam. A more accurate term would be 'bullet yaw'.
DocGKR
08-02-11, 22:59
ermac, Have you read this--https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=34714?
ermac
08-03-11, 15:36
ermac, Have you read this--https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=34714?
Thank you for the link. I didn't completely understand all of it, but it was very informative. What I find a bit frustrating is that none of the fackler type gelatin drawings have a measurement of what final hole of the permanent cavity is.
DocGKR
08-03-11, 16:29
Probably because it is not possible to accurately measure it...
Zhukov
08-05-11, 15:36
ermac: One common misconception on "tumbling" - and I don't know if you had it or not - is that tumbling means the bullet is flipping end-over-end like a helicopter blade. That's not what happens. In virtually all cases, a conical bullet will make exactly ONE 180 degree rotation so as to travel base first - that's it.