External Ballistics , bullets and cartridges

[catnthehat]

I have mentioned this before but I think it bears repeating .
For all the new hunters , shooters and those entering the field of hand loading ,we must remember something .
With all the threads about 6.5 and .762 bullets lately and numbers getting inserted in the posts concerning sectional density , Ballistic coefficient momentum , etc one must remember that these numbers and terms concern the bullet not the cartridge .
It matters not what cartridge the bullet came out of, it matters more about the construction of the bullet itself .
A person can have two completely differently constructed bullets of the same caliber coming out of a cartridge at the same velocity with totally different results down range , for example .
A person can fall down a very deep rabbit hole and get totally tangled up in minutae that mean very little in the big scheme of things when it comes to external ballistics and shooting and especially hunting !
Cat

[fps plus]

The good old PO Ackley books have some great articles . On ballistics , killing power etc. Very good reading

Guys are getting pretty wired up as if someone insulted their wives on a few of the recent posts . IMO The best cartridge out there is the one you own because that’s what you want.

[Don_Parsons]

X's 7

[elkhunter11]

Now don't go bringing common sense into this.

Of course you are correct, once that bullet leaves the rifle at a given velocity, it makes no difference which cartridge it came out of. And while some of us do extensive experimenting with various cartridges and bullets, the majority of people purchase a factory rifle, and whatever factory loads the local store stocks, and they go out and shoot. It really wouldn't matter to those people, if the velocity changes by 150fps, or the B.C. changes by .05, because those people would never notice the difference. As to those of us that do reload, the simple truth is that when it comes down to hunting, at the ranges that most game is taken at, even we would not see a significant difference if one load is 100fps more, or drops 2" less at 400 yards. And for target purposes, the difference is usually only a matter of a click or two on the scope turret, if a person twists turrets.

[260 Rem]

Cat, thanks for your call to use common sense in the assessment of bullet performance (even though I was kind of wondering how the 6.5 G stacks up against the 50BMG).

[catnthehat]

This most important thing to remember just before the trigger gets tripped!
Cat

[Beeman3]

Elkhunter11 that was very well explained. A good example of this was comparing a friends factory 300 Win Mag ammo to my reloads this year. He was shooting Federal something or other. Just going by the numbers on the box; my 215 Berger load held the same ft-lbs of energy at 900 yds as the Federal factory ammo did at 400 yds. But as you said, to him and many others this means nothing because most will never shoot that far. Myself included. I would rather be closer, but I practice and if a farther shot presents itself I feel I am at least prepared. Paid of on my elk last year.

[Dick284]

Ah, why did you have to go do this for?

Ain’t nobody gonna go Evangelise common sense dontchyaknowit!