As far as i know the opponent of "White Feather" had an old russian WWII scope which was shorter in build. Maybe thats the reason and it depends on the rounds are used to. But very interesting to see. I very much doubt if a aspirin is enough when you´re at the recieving end...?;-)
They redid the test in a later episode, using a PU scope. Bullet went through, somewhat.
Biggest error, though, is they did not duplicate the terminal velocity of the 173gr bullet at roughly 800yds. (They were using a 150gr M2 at about 50-100yds). Perversely enough, as velocity gets lower, often penetration goes up! They proved that on the show several times, but ignored it in this test...
They redid the test in a later episode, using a PU scope. Bullet went through, somewhat.
Biggest error, though, is they did not duplicate the terminal velocity of the 173gr bullet at roughly 800yds. (They were using a 150gr M2 at about 50-100yds). Perversely enough, as velocity gets lower, often penetration goes up! They proved that on the show several times, but ignored it in this test...
I have seen old (post WW1) .30-06 ball penetration test data in which white pine boards were used. The testing was initially done at 25 or 50 yards (?) and the penetration was unexpectedly low with the bullets veering off course. The test was repeated at 200 yds and the penetration went up and the bullets traveled straight throught the boards. I vaguely recall this was in one of Hatcher's published works.
It was concluded that the bullet required a certain amount of time/distance to fully stabilize. And that at short range the bullet tip is rotating in a circle around the long axis of the bullet causing the bullet to veer off course when striking a hard target.
Regards
Jim
“...successful rifle shooting on the range is nothing more than first finding a rifle and lot of ammunition which will do precisely the same thing shot after shot, and then developing the same skill in the rifleman.” ~ E. C. Crossman
They redid the test in a later episode, using a PU scope. Bullet went through, somewhat.
Biggest error, though, is they did not duplicate the terminal velocity of the 173gr bullet at roughly 800yds. (They were using a 150gr M2 at about 50-100yds). Perversely enough, as velocity gets lower, often penetration goes up! They proved that on the show several times, but ignored it in this test...
Hi jmoore,
you´re right, i forgot about the "shooting-in-the-water-test". Where they found out that the old and slow .38Special went much deeper into the water than the much faster modern bullets!
They redid the test in a later episode, using a PU scope. Bullet went through, somewhat.
Biggest error, though, is they did not duplicate the terminal velocity of the 173gr bullet at roughly 800yds. (They were using a 150gr M2 at about 50-100yds). Perversely enough, as velocity gets lower, often penetration goes up! They proved that on the show several times, but ignored it in this test...
It was more like 50 feet!
Bullets yaw about their axis as they leave the muzzle much like a top does when you first release it. This is called 'going to sleep" and it takes a .30-06 about a 100 yds to fully stabilize. The .30-40 Krag with a 220 gr bullets was able to penetrate 24" of oak at 200 yds! I suspect the id the MB crew were to set up a test at 3 or 400 yds, the bullet would penetrate any scope they test. That would make hitting a 1" dia scope a bit of a problem and I imagine that is why they do it at 50 feet. They still could use a reduced velocity load to simulate 400 yd velocity.
They redid the test in a later episode, using a PU scope. Bullet went through, somewhat.
Biggest error, though, is they did not duplicate the terminal velocity of the 173gr bullet at roughly 800yds. (They were using a 150gr M2 at about 50-100yds). Perversely enough, as velocity gets lower, often penetration goes up! They proved that on the show several times, but ignored it in this test...
FWIW according to the book SGT Hathcock was only about 200yards from the enemy sniper when he made the shot.
Hathcock made that shot just north of Hill 55, and both the body and the rifle were recovered with numerous witnesses. Hathcock kept the rifle and scope as a war prize, but it was stolen from storage. Since the rifle serial number is known, anyone trying to sell that rifle/scope had better have a good attorney on hand. It was never a matter of just Hathcock's word, which would still have been good enough for me, but the verification by many witnesses. I for one, nor the Corps, could care less what the goofy Mythbusters do, since it was never a myth.
Jim
*********************************
"Me. All the rest are deados!"
67th Company, 5th Marines 1st Sgt. Daniel "Pop" Hunter's response to 1st Lt. Jonas Platt's query "Who is your Commander"?, Torcy side of Hill 142, Belleau Wood, 8:00 am, 6 Jun 1918.
Mythbusters Sniper Scope Test
PM
Originally Posted by jmoore
