Duh. The can goes flying spectacularly, of course!
Well, that’s what I expected when I shot tin cans with my Remington 700 VTR at the local range, and boy, was I disappointed. Now, I’m not a great marksman, but I’d just spent an hour or so consistently shooting <2 MOA groups at 100yds, so I was fairly confident I could hit a can (which is about 3×4.5 inches) at that distance too.
So I loaded up 5 rounds, shut the bolt, took careful aim, and pressed the trigger. Bham. I saw dust settling behind the can through my scope, but the can was still there. Reload, aim, fire. Same results. I repeated over and over, going down the line of cans, and they just wouldn’t move! WTF?
As it turns out, 5.56 NATO (or .223) FMJ traveling at over twice the speed of sound will punch through cans with such ease, that it barely nudges the can at best. It’s like stabbing soft butter with a needle. Of course it doesn’t move! This is probably also why FMJ bullets aren’t (or shouldn’t) be used for hunting. Sure, unlike in a tin can, a 5.56mm bullet going through flesh will cause all sorts of hydrostatic forces, but it’s still fundamentally not unlike getting stabbed with a knitting needle. Now, I don’t have anything against hunting, but stabbing your prey with a knitting needle just sounds cruel.
So, instead of the satisfaction of seeing flying cans, all I have is this silly blog post.
Haha, nice! I can honestly say I have never seen anything like that happen before.
You gotta fill the cans with water first. More fun to watch.
when a fmj bullet enters a living thing it tumbles and distortes and pinches in half creating a violent wound channel
I second the idea of filling the cans with water, and use HPBT’s if you can ,
I have shot all sorts of things with my .223 and if you have any, the Hornady V-max or Nostler balistic tips make the best “show” especially with Spray Paint cans. (best @ 200yrds)
I recommend instead of cans, milk jugs full of water that is frozen. I like the feeling that I have created a new way of making snowcones!