Science Fair Projects?

Question

I have to come up with a highschool sciencefair idea within one week. I was thinking about doing something with guns, such as does the cost of the bullet effect the accuracy. I don't think this will be good enough for a highschool science fair, do you have any other ideas? Is this a good one? If I am going to use this I was thinking of including the velocity of it as something sciency.

Answer 1

Sounds good. I just hope the science fair judges are not anti-gun or something like that.........How about the history of Firearms and the progressive changes in their designs thru years past till present? Just off the top of my head. I want to see you get a decent grade and not be misunderstood or controversial

Answer 2

I think you are going to run into some serious problems. Most schools are "Gun Free Zones." Before you do lots of research, talk to your teacher AND the principal and ask if you will be able to bring such a project on campus. Some school administrators are so paranoid and stupid that they won't even allow pictures of guns in their schools. You don't want to discover that your school is that stupid when you show up with a couple of hundred rounds of ammo and a couple of rifles, that could cause a world of trouble.

BTW, you will find that consistency is a more decisive factor than cost, and that the rate of spin and bullet weight are more important to accuracy than velocity.

All in all, while the project seems laudable, I believe you will find there are too many objections to overcome for it to be worth the effort.

Doc

Answer 3

Sounds like a neat project, but don't automatically assume cheap ammo is inaccurate ammo. You are sure to see some interesting results from this project.
Maybe start with 10 cartridges of a few different brands with the same bullet grain weight.
What would be neat is if you take all your cartridges and assign them a test number, then find a reloader and have them weigh your cartridges first to find individual weights and record them. Take dimensional measurements of length and diameter and record these too. Then while shooting them for accuracy, chronograph their velocity. With each brand then find the average group size, average weight, average length and diameter; lastly then remeasure your empties to find their new diameter and record them. Then you could predict how cost, weight, case expansion, or velocity works into the accuracy. Or just work with one of those variables.

Answer 4

I would look at the development and evolution of gun powder.
Gun powder tool on many forms from Black powder to gun cotton to modern smokeless powder.
Of course you would only wont to take enlarged photos of the stages and not real powder or ammo to school.
I cant help but thank that would be frowned up on.
But talk to the school and see what is allowed, as a project.

D58

But I too like your idea.
If you evaluate the difference in true competition ammo, with its premium Match bullet, match Primer, precise weight in powder charge and match qualities of the competition brass.
In comparison to mass produced ammo, would be very interesting indeed.

If you understand the process of reloading, then you will understand what the manufacture has to do to insure match Quality ammo.

I’m a reloader and have studied the process of loading Bench rest competition ammo as apposed to just reloading normal cheap ammo.

I would advise you do a wed research of competition reloading and the process involved.
A few links to start you off.

Read the whole link it is helpful in understanding precision reloading
http://www.varmintal.com/arelo.htm

http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/1221/new_reld.htm

Best of luck.

D58


Hunting with Rifle, Pistol, Muzzle loader and Bow for over 3 decades.
Reloading Rifle, Pistol and shotgun for over 3 decades.

Answer 5

I think this would be ok.
I would love the results.
The only thing is you'll need to have the gun in a mount so to have no human error.

Good job!
just remember to get the same grain count in every bullet
and that if you read the box it should tell you how far the shell should beable to go before dropping .
because the shell should reamain constant to a certain distance.

Answer 6

Why not the history of guns? All the way from early flint locks and percussion caps to today's modern Vulcan gun that the military uses. (Or Puff the Magic Dragon... The sheer amount of hell raining down from that is unfathomable.)

Answer 7

There is a chance that the school wouldn't even want you doing this or one of the judges may be anti-gun.

I did one on Abo flint napping, I made projectile points out of chert using only primitive tools. Won the fair ; )

Answer 8

Do a volcano!

Answer 9

mr.science.com