RiverBottomBowHunter

I'm just curious as to the effect of a heavier bullet vs a lighter bullet. Doesa lighter bullet just shoot flatter or is there a difference? I guess I'm just curious as to the theory behing the light vs heavy.

I'm wanting to extend my range this fall. Right now my limit is 150yrds max. I now have a practice range available for me to practice farther shots. The problem I have is when I shoot my gun starts shooting highter. The horiz. line is right on every time but it keeps shooting a little higher each shot even though I clean it. If I put it up and wait the next day it starts hitting perfect again for a couple shots then starts shooting high. What do ya think.

thanks
RBBH

eldeguello

A bullet doesn't shoot flatter because it is lighter-it only shoots flatter if it is moving faster. This is NOT theory-it is fact: All bullets drop to the ground at the same speed due to gravity, so what determines how high or low they hit on the target is how much ground they cover horizontally while they are falling to earth. The faster they go, the less they seem to drop in relation to the target at any given downt=range distance.

A lighter bullet, despite being launched faster, may not shoot flatter at extended ranges if it loses its' initial advantage in speed too quickly, as happens if the bullet haspoor ballistic properties. Use a bullet with a high ballistic coefficient, and shoot it at as high a velocity as you can safely get, (with the required accuracy, of course!).

It sounds to me like your group starts walking when the barrel heats up. This is not unusual, but it is annoying!!

Next time you go to the range, take another gun or two along to shoot while you let your ML sit and cool down after each two shots. If it shoots OK for the first two shots, use those two to zero it in. In all liklihood, you'll never get more than two shots at game anyway. Probably only one!

RiverBottomBowHunter

Does a lighter bullet lose momentum quicker than a heavy bullet?

Also, With equal charges of powder, which one goes faster? Does the light one go faster due to weight or does the heavier one build up more pressure and come out faster?



BTW -thanks for the answers! I love talking muzzleloading, just I'm still new(2yrs) and still do not understand some of the more inticate stuff.

Triple Se7en

1) Yes!
2) Lighter one out of the muzzle due to less weight
... Heavier one has more downrange power/energy

You want a lighter, high ballistic coefficientbullet (missle-shaped) for 200+ yard shots ON CALM DAYS ONLY. It's difficult working up enough volume to deriveaccurate powder loadsfor a heavy (400+gr.)ML bullet "flat" for 200+ yards. A few sabots will get it there thou - but odds decrease with size & gun conditions -- which vary from gun-to-gun.

Either the recoil is too heavy or blowby, sabot or conical base-areadamage occurs. Sometimes leading occurs - but mainly inaccuracy with the heavies.... etc..etc. They stay flatter longer than the lightweights, but starting them out of the muzzleto go straight is the main problem most times.

I'm no guru on longbullet flight. Best to stay with the lighter ones thouand learn to be restricted on non-nice weather days for reaching out for250 yard shots. Don't even try to get it there without any rainbow trajectory. If you want less rainbow, buy an Ultimate Muzzleloader that uses 200 grains or a Savage Smokeless ML-10.

rem 700

A lot depends not only on bullet weight, but bullet ballistic co-efficient. I'd rather have a pointed 250gr bullet than a flat nosed 444gr bullet if I were shooting 100+yds, as they don't drop as quickly(noticing they're more aerodynamic);and because they keep their speed up, they have the advantageon thefarther the shots, and the advantage only gets better the farther the shot. For example, a 165gr spire point bullet in a 30-06 or a 220gr. round nose bullet. Which would you want to shoot farther off? The 165 has a better BC, so even if they started off at the same speed, the 165 has less trouble piercing through air so it will shoot flatter and the energy advantage will shine in far distances. Being said, you aren't going to shoot a 220gr nearly as fast as a 165gr anyways.

RiverBottomBowHunter

I'm gonna stick with my 200 grain shockwaves for now because they fly really well. Does anyone have an idea at what distance my bullet will lose its effectiveness. I don't want to have a good shooting gun at 200yrds and the bullet not perform because of too little energy.

Triple Se7en

I think you are good for 200 yards. I just worry about the breakup of those blue sabot petals beyond that point using hot stuff like 777 and Swiss blackpowder. There comes a point where the petals comingoff will affect accuracy. If you want 250 yards, I would move up to the 250 gr. and it's black high-pressure sabot.... not that yellow one that's out now.

I know that black MMP or the regular Harvesters sabot will take all the powder pressures up-to 150 gr. loose.

rem 700

If you're shooting 50 cal I'd go up to 250gr. Better BC and has the happy medium of performance between the 300gr and 200gr. Yes, energy is velocity squared, but now you have the perfect agreement between speed and actual bullet performance.

RiverBottomBowHunter

Thanks guru's, that should get me going good for this year. I've been shooting the 200's with 90 grn of pyro. It hits good out to 150. I shot a doe last year at about 120( I can't rem.). The bullet did a complete passthru. I think I would like it to stay in the animal. I might pick up some 250's, up the powder, and see what happens.

centexhunter

No expert by any means but I just finished reading an article that stated that rising POI can be caused by shooting with a hot barrel. The article focused on rifles but I assume it could be true for MLs as well.