Kentucky Ballistics shoots SLAP rounds again, five years after his accident

Five years after a .50 BMG SLAP round accident left him with a 15-inch neck scar, Scott from Kentucky Ballistics vowed never to shoot SLAP rounds again. In this video he breaks that vow, starting with the same fire hydrant from the day he was hurt.

The short version

Scott explains that SLAP rounds won't chamber in just any .50 BMG. The Serbu RN-50 he used five years ago was specifically set up for them; his current one is not, so he switches to a Desert Tech .50 BMG bolt-action that is. He finishes the hydrant, which still has a .50 BMG bullet lodged in it, then works through a series of targets: a Honda Civic engine, a Premier Body Armor Level 4 plate, two blocks of ballistic gel and a zombie target bust.

He reports every target was defeated. The round stopped the Civic's engine, went through the Level 4 plate and a five-gallon water jug behind it and into a vehicle, and tumbled sideways through the gel for a wide wound channel. He says the exercise was as much about facing a fear as testing ammunition, and credits Denver Bullets for supplying the rounds.

Key points

• Rifle swap: His current Serbu RN-50 won't chamber SLAP rounds, so he used a Desert Tech .50 BMG instead.
• Unfinished business: The fire hydrant from his accident took its final shot.
• Engine: One round through the Honda Civic's engine stopped it running.
• Armor: The Premier Level 4 plate, rated for black-tip .30-06, did not stop the SLAP round.
• Gel: In two 16-inch blocks of 10 percent clear ballistic gel, the round deviated sideways on impact.
• Recoil: He says the rounds kicked harder than he remembered.

Bottom line

SLAP ammunition does exactly what its name suggests against armor and hard targets. The video is also a frank look at a shooter getting back behind a gun that once nearly killed him, and it is worth watching for that alone.

Source: Kentucky Ballistics