fiftybmg
Well-Known Member
I follow with ambivalence the striving for longer bullets in tighter twist barrels, and notice the fad gets forgotten then resurrected periodically.
I do understand that longer bullets have higher sectional density. Other than that, what else do they have ? Bragging rights ? My twist is tighter than yours ?
You have a 6.5 caliber, and you fancy sending 180 grainers downrange. Or, you really need to go up to 250 grains in your .30 cal. No problem, new barrel, tighter twist.
No shortage of rifle builders to make that up for you, but why ?
If you're hung up on the bullet weight, why not just go one or two calibers larger ? Instead of 250 grains in 30-whatever, why not 245 grains in .375 ?
Yes, the BC. So the BC of the smaller caliber may be higher. Maybe. The velocity gain most likely cancels the BC loss.
Recoil ? You want less recoil ? Big bullets without recoil - a fascinating theoretical concept.
Accuracy ? Accuracy is a platform, not a bullet.
There are many advantages to running a rifle on the light side of the ballistics, and none to pushing the max - other than it being an itch to scratch, which seems to resurface as if it's something new again after skipping a generation.
The first, or one of the first - long-for-caliber bullets was chambered in the 6.5x55, in the 1890's . Slightly taller brother to the 6.5 Creedmoor.
I do understand that longer bullets have higher sectional density. Other than that, what else do they have ? Bragging rights ? My twist is tighter than yours ?
You have a 6.5 caliber, and you fancy sending 180 grainers downrange. Or, you really need to go up to 250 grains in your .30 cal. No problem, new barrel, tighter twist.
No shortage of rifle builders to make that up for you, but why ?
If you're hung up on the bullet weight, why not just go one or two calibers larger ? Instead of 250 grains in 30-whatever, why not 245 grains in .375 ?
Yes, the BC. So the BC of the smaller caliber may be higher. Maybe. The velocity gain most likely cancels the BC loss.
Recoil ? You want less recoil ? Big bullets without recoil - a fascinating theoretical concept.
Accuracy ? Accuracy is a platform, not a bullet.
There are many advantages to running a rifle on the light side of the ballistics, and none to pushing the max - other than it being an itch to scratch, which seems to resurface as if it's something new again after skipping a generation.
The first, or one of the first - long-for-caliber bullets was chambered in the 6.5x55, in the 1890's . Slightly taller brother to the 6.5 Creedmoor.