Shorter bullet for a short barrel?

[Wolfdog91]

So this might be a stupid question but i was taking stock in bullet so had for my grendel ( haven't touched in in like two years and figured it's time to load for it again) and I got to wondering about something I can't get off my mind now.... Would a shorter bullet be better in a short barrel then a longer one for any reason?
I'm more of the opinion just use what the gun likes but curious if there's anything that could possibly be to this

 

[MDT6BRA]

I’m curious about this as well and also more of your shorter, non vld bullets are where you see flat base designs. I know there are shorter bullets with boat tails but I can’t seem to think of too many long bullets with a flat base.

 

[JohnW...ski]

Heavier bullets need a faster twist, if both bullets are the same weight but different lengths, the longer bullet will generally work better with a slightly faster twist. Shorter barrels will usually shoot slower than longer barrels, in that case a shorter bullet may perform better.

 

[PopCharlie]

Randy Robinette (Bib Bullets) makes a 95 gr flat base 6mm. I have a 16", 9 twist barrel on my AR in 5.56/ .223. It shoots 55 to 62 gr bullets quite accurately. It starts to loose accuracy using 68 gr or heavier bullets. It does not matter if the bullet is a flat base or boat tail. It's the bullet weight vs rifling twist.

PopCharlie

 

[MDT6BRA]

Makes me think I have an older 22-250 that would keyhole 55gr boat tails (Sierra blitzkings) but it would shoot 55gr flat base (nosler Varmageddon) fine. I think it was a 14 twist if I remember right. First time I have ever seen keyholing

 

[C.E.Smith043]

Makes me think I have an older 22-250 that would keyhole 55gr boat tails (Sierra blitzkings) but it would shoot 55gr flat base (nosler Varmageddon) fine. I think it was a 14 twist if I remember right. First time I have ever seen keyholing

That's a common occurrence for a 14 twist.

Savage went to a 12 twist and got away from most of that problem

 

[joshb]

In layman’s terms: Shorter bullets are also lighter bullets and “get up to speed” faster.
Longer bullets are heavier bullets and take longer to get up to speed. Longer barrels and slower burning powders tend to help achieve higher velocity.

 

[dellet]

It depends on what your use is.

In general, the shorter bullet will weigh less and be faster, so within a few hundred yards will have less drop, but...... it will also have a lower BC. At some point the bullet with the better BC will have less drop. This may matter to you.

If it is a hunting bullet and you’re counting on expansion, velocity may also come into play for the effective range.

Again in general, the shorter the barrel the more selective you need to be with your bullet based on use.

But all of that goes out the window with certain bullet shapes. Often a short flat base bullet can be loaded longer, and allow more powder and more velocity. But every now and then you find something with a short fat nose, that has to be loaded shorter. You end up with a less efficient bullet, going slower and the effective range is less through the whole flight.

Shooting small groups on paper at 100 yards might favor the short flat base. Groups at 600 the boat tail and hunting at 300 could show both to be useless.

As always, it’s just finding the best bullet for your use.

 

[Walt Krafft]

Lighter, shorter bullets can work with faster powders than longer heavier bullets. Faster powders can burn completly in a shorter barrel where a slower powder may still be burning when the bullet exits the muzzle.

 

[David Milisock]

So this might be a stupid question but i was taking stock in bullet so had for my grendel ( haven't touched in in like two years and figured it's time to load for it again) and I got to wondering about something I can't get off my mind now.... Would a shorter bullet be better in a short barrel then a longer one for any reason?
I'm more of the opinion just use what the gun likes but curious if there's anything that could possibly be to this
View attachment 1391465View attachment 1391466

Bullet length per caliber VS barrel length is s simple concept. The longer bullet requires a faster twist, a shorter bullet can stabilize at a slower twist, barrel length is irrelevant to stabilization.

However barrel length will determine expansion ratio, ergo efficiency in use of powder, therefore velocity.

As long as you have the twist use any barrel length you want, short barrels lose velocity, have a shorter sight radius for iron sights and increase muzzle flash.

Long barrels increase velocity, reduce muzzle flash and increase the sight radius for iron sights.

 

[joshb]

^^^He said it better than I did.^^^

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Its all about twist rate when it comes to length of bullet, which is where the weight comes in. The length of the barrel has nothing to do with that it just has to be the right length to burn the speed of powder you want to burn

 

[JEFFPPC]

Its all about twist rate when it comes to length of bullet, which is where the weight comes in. The length of the barrel has nothing to do with that it just has to be the right length to burn the speed of powder you want to burn

What Dusty says as well has throat and magazine length.

 

[JohnW...ski]

Its all about twist rate when it comes to length of bullet, which is where the weight comes in. The length of the barrel has nothing to do with that it just has to be the right length to burn the speed of powder you want to burn

Agree, but, you can't always get the speed you need to stabilize in a shorter barrel.