And now for something completely different: (aka, Let's see who reads this thread)

Homemade Ballistics Gel

Let's face it, most of us don't have $400 or more to plop down on a chunk of ballistics gel like you see on T.V., but would love to try it out. While still not cheap, per se, you can make your own ballistics gel at home for less than $100.

What you'll need:

  • Stove
  • Refrigerator
  • Shoebox sized plastic food storage container(s) for your mold(s)
  • Pan large enough to hold your mixture which you'll later pour into your mold(s)
  • Kitchen sink (no, really)
  • Kitchen cooking thermometer
  • Water
  • Non-flavored gelatin powder


This will be messy to make AND to clean up, and you definitely don't want to get any of the mix on your stove burner or you'll never hear the end of it from your roommate(s) or significant other. Another drawback is that you'll be lucky to get two shots out of this block. If you'll be shooting it with a high-powered rifle/caliber, you'll need to use 2 or even 3 blocks of these gel blocks placed end-to-end.

Essentially, the best recipe for mixing this up is to add 1 cup of water to 1 ounce of non-flavored Knox brand (or similar) gelatin.

First, get your mold. Before you start mixing the ingredients, measure exactly how much liquid (water) your mold can hold. This will tell you how much gelatin you'll need (based on the 1 cup/1 oz recipe above). Pre-measure your gelatin.

Next, put the measured amount of COLD TAP WATER into your pot then stir in your pre-measured gelatin until all of the clumps are thoroughly stirred in. Place this pot in the refrigerator for 2 hours to allow the gelatin to "bloom".

Now, fill your sink (I told you you'd need this) with HOT TAP WATER - allowing enough space for the displacement caused by your pot - remove your pot from the refrigerator and place it into this hot water bath. This will slowly heat the gel to create a liquid. Once your gel is liquid, remove the pot from the sink and place on the stove. You need to SLOWLY HEAT the liquid on low to medium heat until the gelatin is completely melted. DO NOT allow this mix to go over 130 degrees F. Once the gelatin is completely melted, remove the pot with your mixture from the stove and carefully pour the gelatin mixture into your mold(s).

Lastly, let your gelatin set up overnight in the mold(s) and THEN place the molds in the refrigerator in the morning & leave it for AT LEAST 24 hours. DO NOT freeze the gel or let it to get too hot or you'll ruin the whole batch.

Now that all of the work is done, get out and shoot and have some fun blasting your homemade ballistics gel.

[Obligatory disclaimer/notice: While the write-up is my take on the original article, this recipe was originally printed in the Jan/Feb 2015 edition of the Rocky Mtn. Elk Foundation's Bugle magazine.]