Can a bullet go through jello and still injure?

Question

Let's say I am swimming under jello a couple feet and someone aims a gun at me and shoots, will it do it's thing or what?

Answer 1

Short answer yes, Long answer maybe.
There are chances it would. A "couple" feet of water will stop some rounds at some distances, some will require more water.
Jello is less dense than water so it has less stopping ability.
Ballistic gelatin is thicker than jello and a couple feet of thet would protect you from all but the most powerful rounds.

So basically if you were somehow able to swim in jello and someone took a shot at you you'ld have a better chance of surviving than if you were just a few feet away on land, but not as good a chance as if you were in the water.

There are many too many variables involved for a straight yes or no answer, interesting question though.

Answer 2

No, it won't.

I've had so many arguments about this same topic over the years, you wouldn't believe me. Look at all the answers already posted that are opposite mine and you see what I mean.

A few years back, one of the major firearms/hunting magazines did a study on actual real penetration vs the bullsh*t that folks were tossing around and the results kinda shutup a few folks.

Of the standard hunting bullets that were tried at 25 feet from a .308 rifle, Nosler Ballistic Tips penetrated approx 12 inches into the gelatin and stopped. Nosler Partitions, the ones that folks absolutely swore would go through and through on an elephant actually didn't go beyond 15 inches.

Handguns, the 9mm will penetrate approx 11". .40S&W, 12". .45ACP, 12". .38, 9". .357mag, 12". .44mag, 14".

12 gauge 00buck at 10 feet, approx 10". 000buck approx 16-17"

.223rem, approx 16" of gelatin.

The best penetration overall was from smaller cal weapons with FMJ bullets. Small diameter plus high velocity plus zero expansion equals massive penetration. 7.62x25 Tokarev penetrated *through* 28" of gelatin and into the sand backstop.

Interestingly enough, as I think another person in this thread pointed out, the Mythbuster fellows tried a .50BMG into water in a public swimming pool. With three feet of water on top of a gelatin target at approx 10 foot range, NONE of the rounds hit the target. The bullet totally fragmented into a handful of shrapnel.

http://www.spikedhumor.com/articles/70038/Mythbusters_Bullet_Proof_Water.html

Just dug this out. Enjoy, folks! ;)

If you had a minimum of two feet of solid Jello on top of you, not many weapons in the hands of the general public will kill you. I stress the word "solid", though. Jello retains a LOT of air when stirred up and that air will radically decrease your chances of survival. Solid Jello, though....you're pretty safe.

Answer 3

Depends, is the Jell-O set or still fluid? Are you under a layer of Jell-O through water, or actually *in* it? (When we say "under water" we're not actually *under* the water, right?)

I don't remember the circumstances under test, but Mythbusters did a segement which involved firing a bullet through ballistic gelatin. The gelatin was able to stop the bullet, but required several feet. In one firing the bullet was deflected off to the side (and carried enough energy to knock the rather large block of gelatin off the platform.) I don't know the concentration difference between Jell-O and ballistics gelatin however.

Also what kind of bullet is being used? Some bullets are designed to expand on impact and will likely be slowed greatly compared one that maintains its shape and pierces through. The irregular shape it reforms as may also affect its deflection.

You might also want to consider the undulation of the Jell-O as you swim. Suppose the bullet is fired straight down, then breaks the surface of the Jell-O perpendicular to it. As the Jell-o undulates, it may deflect the bullet enough so it travels at an angle compared to when it broke the surface. (But is still somewhat perpendicular to the surface of the Jell-O, which is now at an angle.)

In conclusion, my answer is I don't know. :( So I'll take the question at face value, the bullet apparently had the energy to go *through* the Jell-O, so it's probably still carrying enough energy to injure.

Answer 4

The jello would NOT have the same ffect as water because since it's made into a solid it's actually WAYYYY less effective because it's such a crappy solid. I mean usually a solid would be good news - but when the solid is just about the most delicate solid there is, it would just splatter to pieces and I'd say go pretty far in. Unlike water jello is a solid and does not have that great force that water does. Water is a great and mysterious thing.

Answer 5

there are many factors to consider such as caliber of gun, ballistics of the caliber and cartridge involved as well as the distance from the jello and the consistency of the jello involved but it would be safe to assume under many circumstances that the bullet would injure with the good possibility of being fatal.

Answer 6

Mythbusters did a interesting review, except they used water...pretty much same principle.......ultimatley, they proved u had to only be a few feet under water to be safe, but it depends on what type of bullet is being fired, its velocity, etc etc, but like they said........jello or water, even if u were 10 feet under water......or under jello......would u want someone firing even a small caliber weapon at you.....common sense, something lacking in this world today, should be screaming no at you.....if not, please seek some type of counseling or maybe you can invest in living in a bubble.

Answer 7

Depends on the type of gun and caliber....but yes, most likely. Maybe just a tad bit slower but still lethal.

Or they could just plug up the breathing tube that you're using to get oxygen below "a couple feet of jello". Not to mention the weight of the jello possibly suffocating you.
I love it when people who are stoned out of their gourds submit questions....keeps the world a fun place. Keep it real, sweetheart.

Answer 8

no longer quite. as shown on the invention channel's "Mythbusters" educate, Even a .50 high quality Browning Machinegun cartridge fragments so without delay on result with water that almost no products capible of rendering signifigant harm will proceed to exist result. They examined 9mm, 30-06, and .50bmg with similar outcomes. the in reality way they were waiting to attain any harm capturing by water became capturing streight down by it from above, and the damage incurred in that celebration became extra a function of a fault in the layout of their tank than it became the effectiveness of the bullet passing by water. better sorting out became executed at an perspective consistant with someone capturing on the water from the "shore", and the outcomes were that even severe -power bullets lose speed/fragment so without delay, that they are really a lot ineffective below those situations.

Answer 9

well apparently you dont have to be that far below water to avoid a bullet, so im not sure of the exact distance you would have to be under, but im assuming it would be along the same results as water, as jello is a thicker substance.

Answer 10

Does the bullet do it's thing when you are swimming in water? I would say so...only there is the better chance that you survive in jello since the bullet has more interference in its path....still, I would not want to be the test subject on this one, sorry for your lifestyle....