Bucking the wind better BC or weight ?

[trader388]

What is more important when it comes to bucking the wind. The higher BC or the weight of the bullet?

180berger vld .698bc shot at 3000fps
&
210berger vld .640bc shot at 3000fps

The numbers say the lighter weight higher BC bullet will have less wind drift. But some say in real life the wind will affect the heavier bullet less.

[meichele]

It depends on several things, but for the most part the higher BC will perform best in wind. A 200 grain round nose flat base will never dope the wind as well as a 155 match bullet fired at the same velocity in the same apmoshere.

[Ray Meketa]

trader - The higher BC will always win. Accepting this fact seems to be one of the hardest things for shooters to do. It may not seem right but it is. You can't fool mother nature. In the days before chronographs and PCs it was easy to argue the opposite, and win the arguement. But not anymore.

[Varmint Hunter]

And one other thing - The 180gr bullet could easily be fired at greater speed with the pressure remaining the same as the heavier bullet at a lower velocity. Higher BC AND a higher muzzle velocity is a home run in windy conditions.

Given similar bullet shapes, a heavier bullet normally also has a higher BC but can be driven at a lower velocity. Thats the trade off.

[ 10-16-2004: Message edited by: Varmint Hunter ]

[Dave King]

Trader388

A bullet is effected by the intensity and duration of the wind. We can't change the intensity but we can change the duration and the way to do that is decrease the exposure time. Less exposure equals less deflection.

Shoot the bullet that travels the distance in the least amount of time.

[trader388]

Okay...what would you rather hit a deer with at 1000 yards?

A 7mm diameter 180gr bullet with -218 inches of drop, 1366 ftlbs of energy, and 75 inches of windage, and time of flight 1.25 sec.
or
A 30cal diameter 210gr bullet with -246 inches of drop, 1322 ftlbs of energy, and 88 inches of windage, and Time of flight 1.35 sec.

The one that hits where you point it..