Bullet impact on paper?

[WEATHERBY460]

If you have 2 loads and dont have a chrono....same bullet, and one bullet hits higher...is that the slower or faster bullet? Thanks

 

[Kevin Thomas]

If you're talking about a handgun, the bullet that impacts higher will be the lower velocity bullet, especially if it's a heavier bullet.

Lots more variable where rifles are concerned, and you can't make this same generalization. Sorry, need a chronograph to know for sure.

 

[robert6715]

How can the bullet with less fps impact higher,when all other variables are the same?

Rob

 

[Dr. Vette]

The other variables aren't the same. The vibrations/oscillations of the barrel are what come into play here. I'm sure that many of us here have seen "heavier"/slower bullets hit higher than light ones when shooting the same rifle/scope sighted in to the same point of aim. I saw it just this past weekend with my 340 Weatherby.

 

[Edd]

The other variables aren't the same. The vibrations/oscillations of the barrel are what come into play here. I'm sure that many of us here have seen "heavier"/slower bullets hit higher than light ones when shooting the same rifle/scope sighted in to the same point of aim. I saw it just this past weekend with my 340 Weatherby.

The basis of the question was using the same bullet.

If you have 2 loads and dont have a chrono....same bullet, and one bullet hits higher...is that the slower or faster bullet? Thanks

I'm interested in some more info about this too.

 

[BK6x47L]

With a handgun, time spent in the barrel corresponds to how high or low it impacts on paper. A slower bullet will generally impact higher due to the longer time spent in the barrel during recoil.

The barrel/or handgun tilts up during recoil more for the slower bullet before it has time to leave the barrel.

As said, all bets are off for a rifle. Harmonics, nodes and all other things factor in more because the rifle itself remains relatively stationary and moves more rearward than upward.

But for handguns, typically the slower bullet impacts higher on the target.

Brad

 

[Joe King]

+1, I compared 2 different loads for my dads 06 years ago. Load 1: 150gr Nosler BT, Load 2: 165 gr Sierra GK. I don't remember which (this was over 15yrs ago), I believe the GK hit a full 6" lower and 1-2" right.

The difference was hugely surprising to me at the time and I just didn't understand it until I studied (read up on) barrel harmonics. Since then I've been pretty surprised, and pleased when a rifle would place several different loads within 2moa.

To sum it up if you have rifle that will repeatedly have a similar POI with 2-3 or more very different loads, you have a very accurate very good rifle, most factory rifles will do as my dads rifle (Savage 110) did. That doesn't mean how ever that a factory rifle isn't capable of fine accuracy, Savage keeps proving that.

 

[Joe King]

The basis of the question was using the same bullet.



I'm interested in some more info about this too.

think about load development, working up a charge weight specifically. How often do you see every charge carry the same POI? I've seen it a few times, but usually some will be higher, lower, right, or left.

To illustrate what happens when your primer goes off till the bullet leaves the muzzle. Take a wire coat hanger straitened out and set it on a table edge with 3/4 of the hanger off the table and tap the end of the hanger with your finger. That's what your barrels does, just to a far lesser degree. So if you change one variable about your load, your bullet will leave at a different point in the circle your barrel makes in it's vibration pattern, not to mention that you could also create a different vibration pattern.

 

[Dr. Vette]

The basis of the question was using the same bullet.

I'm interested in some more info about this too.

Happens with the same bullet as well.
While "most" of the time the faster bullet hits higher I know that I can show you ladder tests where the velocities marched up with the charge but the bullet's point of impact did not.

See attached.

 

[Edd]

So to answer the guys question, based on the data you have, the faster or slower load can't be identified by the point of impact.

 

[Dr. Vette]

So to answer the guys question, based on the data you have, the faster or slower load can't be identified by the point of impact.

Correct. You can't guarantee which one is faster or slower based on point of impact alone. Suggested, yes. Confirmed, no.

 

[WEATHERBY460]

22-250
400 Yards
50 grain bullet

Hand loads hit 4" lower then factory loaded ammo.
Which is faster?

 

[barnesuser28]

Same bullet? Same zero? Same shooting conditions? Your questions have been very vague.

 

[WEATHERBY460]

yes...all the 3 the same...it must be the higher bullet is the faster bullet