Can One Calculate Penetration?

Hello all!

I have a truly meaningless question to ask but I just wanted to learn a little more about penetration qualities of same caliber bullets. Say one wanted to calculate the penetration of a 9mm FMJ load in say ballistic gel, I will offer two common practice 9mm TMJ RN loads from Speer say the Lawman line and we will use the 115gr TMJ RN http://www.speer-ammo.com/ballistics...x?loadNo=53615 at 1200fps and the 124gr TMJ RN http://www.speer-ammo.com/ballistics...x?loadNo=53616 at 1090fps. Now I know everyone will say to buy, mix , fire and measure and you will have the answer but I was wondering is there some type of calculation were one can add all the info on the bullet and the media to be shot and come out with some kind of estimate?

Thanks!

Yes. Duncan Macpherson published an entire book on the subject, including detailed explanations of all the equations involved. Bullet Penetration: Modeling the Dynamics and the Incapacitation Resulting From Wound Trauma. (El Segundo, CA, 1994, Ballistic Publications)

Of course, unless you have all of the raw data and measurements required as "inputs" and you enjoy calculus, it might be a lot easier and more fun to just shoot the gelatin.

And whether you're a math fan or not, you really should get a copy of McPherson's book. It has real world text writing along with the math forumlae and computations so that each stand alone and can be used and understood by both laymen and the true scientist. I found this the most valuable book to be had to understand terminal ballistics from the scientific and not the "Bubba" standpoint.

There are graphs n Duncan's book that you can use to do the estimates, and you don't have to be a math wiz. You just need to have the velocity, bullet weight, expanded diameter, etc... and be able to read. It is pretty easy for non-expanding projectiles ike FMJ (practically non-expanding, basically)...

If I can get it, most people should be able to...