bullet fact or fiction?
- Thread starter goodgorilla
- Start date
I've run into this with powders before but not really any bullets. The only time I see a difference is when you are comparing two completely different grade of bullets; say Sierra matchkings and Armscorp FMJ. But in my guns I see very little performance difference between Sierra, Hornady, and Berger.
Goodgorilla -- in my opinion, this is very true with regards to 22 rimfire rifles. I've tested this with a number of 22's I have, and have found out that each rifle's accuracy if pretty dramatically affected by brand of cartridges. I have found that my results are repeatable and verifiable. All of my 22's seem to like different brands. Beats me why, but they do. Consequently I don't fight it, but just give each of them what they like to eat.
It has little to do with the "brand", everything to do with the shape, weight, ballistic coefficient, etc., as well as barrel length, contour, land/groove type. In the case of bullets of comparable weight from different manufacturers, they can range anywhere from very similar in shape, to quite different. As long as they were compatible with the chamber specs, most bullets could be made to shoot reasonably well from a given rifle if one was willing to put in the time; however, some may take a lot more work than others in terms of load development. People often switch to something else if they don't see some promise right away.
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Some benchrest shooters SWEAR by one brand or another. Some brands are made under tighter quality standards than others. When we were actively making bullets every day, I inspected almost every makers bullets. They aren't made alike. I understand how some shoot better than others.
I believe this is a fact. I have loaded for many rifles that were picky on the bullets they like. I have weight them and sorted to likenesses then loaded with different powders and some like a bullet and some dont.
Gstaylorg got it. Almost all rifles like one weight, velocity or powder better than another. Some like all, but in my experience some are more picky than others. I am working up a load for my neighbor in 22/250, We shot groups of three different powders behind the same bullet. on the one that it liked, the groups were about half the size of the others. The chrono said all three were almost the same velocity.
In my SSG-04(.308) it does like Berger 175 BT long better the 175 SMK the groups are a just a little with the Berger. The Berger also carries better at 750 to 1000 yards then the SMK.
There are a lot of variables when you consider what makes a accurate load for any given rifle, its all about finding the right combination.
I recently got an AR-10 upper with a Krieger barrel chambered for .260 Rem. I tried Berger 140-gr Hybrid, Sierra 142-gr Match Kings and Hornady 140-grain A-Max. Results were not good -- 1 MOA if I was lucky. Finally got some Lapua 139-gr Scenars. While I won't call the results a bughole, the groups cut to slightly less than 1/2 MOA at 200 yards.
So, whatever shape the Lapua bullets are, this barrel likes them.
Cheers,
Richard
So, whatever shape the Lapua bullets are, this barrel likes them.
Cheers,
Richard
Call me an ass, but I feel like I need to kill something that bugs me about the way we phrase things. (PHRASING! Are we not doing that anymore??)
Guns don't "like" bullets. They don't have "preferences". It's a question of compatibility of that particular load to that particular configuration of rifle and conditions. If you don't understand why, it's not magic, it's not the rifle's "feelings". You just don't know, and you haven't taken the time to figure it out. This is a science. I think we should treat it as such, and should work actively to dispel any notions that suggest otherwise.
/end rant on semantics.
Guns don't "like" bullets. They don't have "preferences". It's a question of compatibility of that particular load to that particular configuration of rifle and conditions. If you don't understand why, it's not magic, it's not the rifle's "feelings". You just don't know, and you haven't taken the time to figure it out. This is a science. I think we should treat it as such, and should work actively to dispel any notions that suggest otherwise.
/end rant on semantics.
Sooooo.... I'm not exactly getting your point. My .300 win mag loves R22 a bit more than H1000. Are you saying that I need to put a "scientific reason" behind why this is so ?? I don't think that is necessary as MOST of us veterans here do understand that twist rates, ballistic coefficients , burn rates , bullet design ( secant vs tangent ogives) , barrel harmonics ect all have a lot to do with getting accurate loads. However, making it sound too complicated for people who fully don't quite grasp the entire set of factors ( people new to hand loading , or shooting in general) I think is a deterrent from them grasping the main goal... Getting the most potential from their weapon and load. Not trying to be a jerk, but no need in putting things that can be simply relayed in "lay men's terms" in some kind of wording that would make it hard to understand.
My gun told me that it didn't like 168 gr. sie, especially at 1k. no matter how much I argued with it, it continued to spray them all over the target. So finally I gave up and started feeding it what it liked. Now, it loves 185 berger juggers. LOL
My rifles speak to me too... It's usually "Shit, all the time and care that was put into making me , and this is the asshole I'm stuck with "
My rifles speak to me too... It's usually "Shit, all the time and care that was put into making me , and this is the asshole I'm stuck with "
I have a safe full of them that see me once a year and are like "So asshole, you spent all that money for us, any chance we'll actually get USED this year?"
I'm hoping this is the year to quit disappointing them and start getting them dirty and shooting out some barrels.
It's true. Some guns won't even cycle with some bullets, while others seem to like all of them.
Same is true for different bullet styles with the same brand. For example I loaded some "varmit" bullets made by Speer, way back when most .223's were bolt guns and had 1-14 barrels, the jackets were so thin they would disintegrate when they left a fast twist AR barrel.
Same is true for different bullet styles with the same brand. For example I loaded some "varmit" bullets made by Speer, way back when most .223's were bolt guns and had 1-14 barrels, the jackets were so thin they would disintegrate when they left a fast twist AR barrel.
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