Does ice or water stop a bullet faster?

[bjw0007]

Water.  Mainly because the fracturing ice won't take as much energy as drag from moving through a liquid.  Now if it was Pycrete...

[gandog56]

Me and another gun buddy did do 12 gauge slugs vs. concrete blocks one day. That was fun.

[Raggedyman]

Did you learn anything interesting?

[gandog56]

Well, except for a 12 gauge slug pretty much makes a lot of cement dust, yeah I did learn something.

The sights on my shotgun are good for rifled slugs at about 50 yards.

[Ramjet]

Ha been thinking about this does the ice actually turn to water in that area where the energy is being dispersed? high speed filming of this would be interesting.

[Raggedyman]

Good question. I wish I had a camera that was capable of that. My guess is that it does liquify, at least at the microscopic level. That ice was about 20°-25° F, having come out of my freezer and having been wrapped in a blanket until just before I used it. It definitely wasn't 40° below. We know that ice that is anywhere near 32° has a thin layer of liquid water on the surface, because of some sciencey stuff that I can't remember right now. It stands to reason that, as it fractures, there is a new surface and the molecules at that surface lose some of the bonds in their crystalline structure. Then there is the heat of the bullet passing.

I think it is certainly possible that it happens as you said.


You guys gonna buy me a high speed camera? 

[my_old_glock]

Ha been thinking about this does the ice actually turn to water in that area where the energy is being dispersed? high speed filming of this would be interesting.

Yes it does.


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