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Burn rate and barrel length

mtmuley

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Apr 22, 2007
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Related? Will trying to use the burn rate of a powder somehow matched to barrel length affect velocity? If a powder produces the highest velocity in a 20 inch barrel, will it produce the highest velocity in a 28 inch barrel? Also, do you think unburned powder will exit a barrel if the burn rate isn't correct? mtmuley
 
1. Will trying to use the burn rate of a powder somehow matched to barrel length affect velocity?
Of course. The optimum performance is achieved when all the energy available in the burning powder is applied to the bullet through an energy curve that is not overcome by the drag on the bullet as it passes through the barrel.
So, in a perfect world. the energy from the burning powder will increase to peak in a power curve that peaks just about the moment the bullet leaves the barrel.
But outside of a sophisticated laboratory I don't know how you'd determine where that point occurs and it is, naturally, relative to barrel length.

2. If a powder produces the highest velocity in a 20 inch barrel, will it produce the highest velocity in a 28 inch barrel?
Bryan Litz, Applied Ballistics
Amazon.com: Applied Ballistics for Long Range Shooting : Understanding the elements and application of external ballistics for successful long range target shooting and Hunting (9780615452562): Bryan Litz: Books

Best bang for your buck and you can keep in in your book case for times when these kinds of questions arise.
 
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Related? Will trying to use the burn rate of a powder somehow matched to barrel length affect velocity? If a powder produces the highest velocity in a 20 inch barrel, will it produce the highest velocity in a 28 inch barrel? Also, do you think unburned powder will exit a barrel if the burn rate isn't correct? mtmuley

I read an article on this very subject. The author took a long barrel and developed the fasted load he could and then tried several other powders. Then he started cutting the barrel off an inch at a time. By the time he cut the barrel back about ten inches the fastest was still the fastest. Its velocity was just slower.
 
I read an article on this very subject. The author took a long barrel and developed the fasted load he could and then tried several other powders. Then he started cutting the barrel off an inch at a time. By the time he cut the barrel back about ten inches the fastest was still the fastest. Its velocity was just slower.

In most cases, I think this is true......Rich
 
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