Heavier bullets for smaller callibers

[gohring3006]

It's too easy to see the difference in wind drift of different bullets by using JBM Ballistics' online tool.

10 mph direct crosswind

6.5 130 Scirocco at 3150 fps
300 yards - 4.4"; .4 mils
500 yards - 12.7"; .7 mils
800 yards - 35.5"; 1.2 mils

6.5 124 HH at 3150 fps
300 yards - 4.4", .4 mils
500 yards - 12.5", .7 mils
800 yards - 35"; 1.2 mils

6.5 124 HH at 3250 fps
300 yards - 4"; .4 mils
500 yards - 11.9", .7 mils
800 yards - 33.3"; 1.2 mils

6.5 156 Berger EOL 2600
300 yards - 3.9"; .4 mils
500 yards - 11.4"; .6 mils
800 yards - 31.2"; 1.1 mils

6.5 156 Berger EOL 2950
300 yards - 3.3"; .3 mils
500 yards - 9.4"; .5 mils
800 yards - 25.7; .9 mils

Can anyone shoot the 1 tenth of a inch difference?
Edited after you entered 800 yards in the post. Those numbers can be quickly lost in the noise dispersion. I'll go with flatter trajectory all day when it's 800 and in.

 

[del2les]

The vast majority of my hunting is small varmints- prairie dogs and marmots. The higher BC bullets definitely make a difference in wind drift, at ranges as close as 300 yards depending on the wind. The past couple years I've been shooting 75-85 grain bullets and the next barrel will move up from 22-250 to 22 creedmore and I have 1K 88 grain ELDM's under the bench. For me it's all about BC.

I run a couple of 8" twist 22-250AI's, basically a 40degree CM, and with the 80's they are LR and ELR varmint killers. I have some 88's, but since I have a couple of thousand of the 80's still here, I will shoot them first.

 

[del2les]

Can anyone shoot the 1 tenth of a inch difference?

There is actually 1" variation there, and that is only at 300 yards. AS for shooting 1" variation at 300, yes, I and many others do that consistently. We hold 300yd/meter "golf ball shoots" and the old time egg shoots. One inch will miss many times. Shooting P-dog heads at 300 is very similar. 1" out of group in a 300 yard BR match will lose, lose.

 

[parshal]

I'll go with flatter trajectory all day when it's 800 and in.

That's how I always did it until I started shooting competitions. Now, I dial everything and won't take a shot past 200-250 yards without knowing the exact distance. Yep, I'm hamstrung if I have no rangefinder or the batteries die.

 

[gohring3006]

There is actually 1" variation there, and that is only at 300 yards. AS for shooting 1" variation at 300, yes, I and many others do that consistently. We hold 300yd/meter "golf ball shoots" and the old time egg shoots. One inch will miss many times. Shooting P-dog heads at 300 is very similar. 1" out of group in a 300 yard BR match will lose, lose.

That's how I always did it until I started shooting competitions. Now, I dial everything and won't take a shot past 200-250 yards without knowing the exact distance. Yep, I'm hamstrung if I have no rangefinder or the batteries die.

The important take away is, there's more than one way to skin a cat.
Most will never discriminate the difference with a wind call. If you miss by a inch you'll never know if it's the bc or a bad wind call.

 

[parshal]

If you miss by a inch you'll never know if it's the bc or a bad wind call.

I'd wager a large sum that it's the wind call and not the BC no matter who the shooter is.

 

[del2les]

At the 800yd mark with only that caliber AND a steady 10mph wind, which it NEVER does, you have a near 10" variation in drift. On deer and similar size game, that can be the difference between a kill or gut shot or similar. Now consider winds are always variable velocity and sometime not even the same direction at varied distances. happens here a lot. Reducing variable wind drift helps to reduced missed or wounded animals, or it keeps a 10 or X score from going 8 or 7.

There are reasons high BC bullets are used, but for some, they may not have a desire nor need for them.

 

[parshal]

And del2les reply directly above provides the clearest example of shooting what works for your application. The more I shoot competitions at long range the more I realize how hard it is to judge wind at distance without taking a sighter shot. I don't feel comfortable shooting at an animal at 800 unless the conditions are perfect.

Since the majority of my shots are under 400 it doesn't matter if I shoot a 124 HH or 156 Berger EOL as long as it's through the vitals. I waver back and forth between the two and will probably continue to do.

 

[gohring3006]

At the 800yd mark with only that caliber AND a steady 10mph wind, which it NEVER does, you have a near 10" variation in drift. On deer and similar size game, that can be the difference between a kill or gut shot or similar. Now consider winds are always variable velocity and sometime not even the same direction at varied distances. happens here a lot. Reducing variable wind drift helps to reduced missed or wounded animals, or it keeps a 10 or X score not go 8 or 7.

There are reasons high BC bullets are used, but for some, they may not have a desire nor need for them.

I completely agree with that if the velocity supports it. A super slow heavy isn't going to have a advantage of a faster bullet with a moderate bc. Velocity has to support it.
Time of flight should be a consideration at 800 and a lot can happen from the pull of the trigger and a bullet traveling at 2650. It can be just as bad as a bad wind call.

 

[del2les]

Most will never discriminate the difference with a wind call. If you miss by a inch you'll never know if it's the bc or a bad wind call.

Higher BC bullets help to reduce those bad wind calls by reducing the actual drift.

 

[parshal]

Another thing that gets missed is recoil management. Compare the 124 HH at 3150 to the 156 at 2500. The drift at 800 is less with the 156 and it starts out 650 fps slower. The difference in recoil between those two is quite substantial. I can way more easily spot my shots with the 156's and a suppressor where I need brake with the smaller, faster bullet.

 

[del2les]

I completely agree with that if the velocity supports it. A super slow heavy isn't going to have a advantage of a faster bullet with a moderate bc. Velocity has to support it.
Time of flight should be a consideration at 800 and a lot can happen from the pull of the trigger and a bullet traveling at 2650. It can be just as bad as a bad wind call.

Who said anything about "super slow heavy"? Lets keep apples to apples within the realm of the cartridge and load. I gladly sacrifice 2-300fps, sometime more, in a modern LR hunting cartridge for a higher BC bullet at LR and ELR ranges. I can quickly laze or mildot a game's distance and adjust holdover or turret, but with experienced LR/ELR shooters, it is the wind that always makes the difference. That's why high BC bullets.

 

[gohring3006]

Another thing that gets missed is recoil management. Compare the 124 HH at 3150 to the 156 at 2500. The drift at 800 is less with the 156 and it starts out 650 fps slower. The difference in recoil between those two is quite substantial. I can way more easily spot my shots with the 156's and a suppressor where I need brake with the smaller, faster bullet.

Now I think we all are just adding noise. Suppressor vs my time of flight.

Who said anything about "super slow heavy"? Lets keep apples to apples within the realm of the cartridge and load. I gladly sacrifice 2-300fps in a modern LR hunting cartridge for a higher BC bullet at LR and ELR ranges. I can quickly laze or mildot a game's distance and adjust holdover or turret, but with experienced LR/ELR shooters, it is the wind that always makes the difference. That's why high BC bullets.

I did, that's the whole point of my post that everyone jumped on. Slow and heavy vs light and fast. I said most people can't shoot the difference with in a certain range.
130 hybrid at 3000 fps vs a 156 at 2650.

 

[parshal]

Now I think we all are just adding noise.

I'm not sure that's noise. The OP mentions recoil in the first post.