The post on the new Sierra bullets got me thinking. Why are there new heavier and heavier bullets coming out every year? I realize that there is a market for it or manufactures would not make it. Is it the technology to make the bullets evolving so they can produce them or just demand? A very general statement is take the heaviest bullet possible and shoot it as fast as possible for a particular cartridge. But now bullet weights that were thought to be to heavy are now common and getting heavier. What has Changed to allow this?
Why all the new heavy bullets?
- Thread starter ngoforth
- Start date
The idea of what is too heavy has changed. The reality of what really works has taken over.
Back in the day most though it was better to launch a light bullet very hard and it was good enough. It was mainly tied to hunting. Scopes sucked back then and constant adjustment was going to cause it to fail.
Back in the day most though it was better to launch a light bullet very hard and it was good enough. It was mainly tied to hunting. Scopes sucked back then and constant adjustment was going to cause it to fail.
ab_bentley
I fix stuff, sometimes....
Better BCs, longer ranges, PRS competitions.
Adam
Adam
snert
Silver $$ Contributor
Old fart weighing in here.
Somehow despite my best efforts and involvement in the industry, I sorta got locked in a time warp about 1990. The standard cup n core was well defined, and arguably "good nuf".
While I slept, old nagging experience with the performance of long for caliber bullets at longer ranges coupled with laser range finders, better optics, experiences building better barrels and improving bullet qualities started coming together to create the "ability" to shoot further accurately. In a sense we are seeing a move from round ball to minnie. Sorta.
Somehow all my stuff has remained "round ball" in the process. I still shoot 14 twist 22 hotrods with 50-55 grain bullets. I shoot 9 and 10 twist medium calibers with medium weight tipped bullets. BUT, I did (till yesterday) own a putt putt 6BR in 8 twist that ruled the groundhog fields at 600-700 yards with 105 amax...when my Swift and 22-250 were running out of gas and performance. SOOO..it is/was dragging me into the new century. EXCEPT for the possibility of bullet skip, the long and sleek are great for longer accurate shooting, wind deflection, making shooting "easier" where it was once a lot of skill and POUNDS of luck. Where once a 550 yard to 650 yard chuck was "jump up and down dang that was awesome, can't believe we did that" now it is "hey, watch this".
Better tooling, good writing, good research (with radar backed info) and gun builders who listen have ushered in a new age of shooting a rifle.
Too bad I can't use these bullets for fear of having one hit dirt, skip and end up stuck in a golfer's ear a mile away....
But for places where it is controlled or safe, this tech is the new "best". and no question, it is better.
So, the truth is, any time you can shoot better, further, it drives the market. Otherwise we would still use spears or an atlatle.
Somehow despite my best efforts and involvement in the industry, I sorta got locked in a time warp about 1990. The standard cup n core was well defined, and arguably "good nuf".
While I slept, old nagging experience with the performance of long for caliber bullets at longer ranges coupled with laser range finders, better optics, experiences building better barrels and improving bullet qualities started coming together to create the "ability" to shoot further accurately. In a sense we are seeing a move from round ball to minnie. Sorta.
Somehow all my stuff has remained "round ball" in the process. I still shoot 14 twist 22 hotrods with 50-55 grain bullets. I shoot 9 and 10 twist medium calibers with medium weight tipped bullets. BUT, I did (till yesterday) own a putt putt 6BR in 8 twist that ruled the groundhog fields at 600-700 yards with 105 amax...when my Swift and 22-250 were running out of gas and performance. SOOO..it is/was dragging me into the new century. EXCEPT for the possibility of bullet skip, the long and sleek are great for longer accurate shooting, wind deflection, making shooting "easier" where it was once a lot of skill and POUNDS of luck. Where once a 550 yard to 650 yard chuck was "jump up and down dang that was awesome, can't believe we did that" now it is "hey, watch this".
Better tooling, good writing, good research (with radar backed info) and gun builders who listen have ushered in a new age of shooting a rifle.
Too bad I can't use these bullets for fear of having one hit dirt, skip and end up stuck in a golfer's ear a mile away....
But for places where it is controlled or safe, this tech is the new "best". and no question, it is better.
So, the truth is, any time you can shoot better, further, it drives the market. Otherwise we would still use spears or an atlatle.
XTR
F-TR obssessed shooting junkie
Long range competition, in the case of the 200gr 308 and the 95 gr 223 F-TR competition. A heavier bullet with a higher BC will arrive at 1000 yds with more retained velocity and less wind drift than a lighter bullet launched at higher velocity. Plug a 155 grain 308 at 3000 fps and a 200 at 2650FPS into JBM and look at the resultant wind drift and retained velocity at 1000 yards. The limitation becomes recoil management on the part of the shooter with a weight limited rifle and no muzzle brakes. In theory a 230 gr 308 launched at lower speed would beat the 200s, but most people can't control the rifle well enough to maintain the precision needed for competition.
And it's good business. I was running the numbers in my head once in the pits at Raton in 2013. In F class probably less than 1% of the 400 or so shooters there were running anything but Berger bullets, at 50¢ a bullet that works out to about $200/shot for record, and close to $12K a day at retail prices. Probably close to $75K in bullets over the course of the week, and that's just one event. (ok, it was the FCNC and the FCWC)
And it's good business. I was running the numbers in my head once in the pits at Raton in 2013. In F class probably less than 1% of the 400 or so shooters there were running anything but Berger bullets, at 50¢ a bullet that works out to about $200/shot for record, and close to $12K a day at retail prices. Probably close to $75K in bullets over the course of the week, and that's just one event. (ok, it was the FCNC and the FCWC)
You will notice the "Tacitcool Rifles""Precision Rifle"/"Long Range" shooting has taken off in popularity somehow. Just look at all the new offerings in the past couple of years with factory rifles with Alum Chassis and other cool stuff.
I started shooting F-Class in 2007 i think it was. Back then around here locally there wasn't that big of a support or showing at the matches, By the time i got a new job in 2010 and couldn't attend the matches it had started to take off like a wild fire.
Even a couple new places showed up with 600 and 1000 yard firing lines so its easier to get folks in the sport too.
I started shooting F-Class in 2007 i think it was. Back then around here locally there wasn't that big of a support or showing at the matches, By the time i got a new job in 2010 and couldn't attend the matches it had started to take off like a wild fire.
Even a couple new places showed up with 600 and 1000 yard firing lines so its easier to get folks in the sport too.
I agree with snert. Have nothing against the heavier bullets other then the fact the manufacturers have been very slow to introduce barrels for the heavy bullets.
My Winchester FW in .243 only came with a 1:10 twist as well as others in various calibers.
But the biggest problem as snert brought up is living in an area that is fairly well populated. I can't take a chance on bullets going a mile where I hunt so I'm stuck with the older technology.
My Winchester FW in .243 only came with a 1:10 twist as well as others in various calibers.
But the biggest problem as snert brought up is living in an area that is fairly well populated. I can't take a chance on bullets going a mile where I hunt so I'm stuck with the older technology.
All the above is fact. Heavier bullets generally do better in wind IF the ballistic coefficient is equally high. There's more to it than just heavier bullets. Today's bullets are being designed and made slipperier than ever. Look at the DTAC 115 and it's .585 advertised bc. Sierra just posted their 110 with a .600 bc. Noslers 140 rdf has a published bc of .658. Higher than any 140 previously. These numbers are also legit based on some shooting data by other members. With the newest 143,147,150 and 155 bullets in the 6.5 diameter, these numbers are getting so high that faster barrels are necessary to stabilize them. Keeps barrel makers happy too. It's one thing that makes us all as shooters, pretty excited for new plans and projects.
muleman69
USMC -1st marine Div. RVN
Very enjoyable post (made my day)
slm9s
Gold $$ Contributor
I agree with everything that has been said.
I would like to add one thing - Call of Duty and other video games. Kids are outside less and play video games WAY more. Sniping in call of duty instills the long range shooting bug at an early age. Look at what's the most popular - AR15s and long range tactical rifles. Exactly what you use in video games. Everyone is about 'what's the heaviest bullet I can shoot in xxx caliber - wow its supersonic to 1800 yards!'
I would like to add one thing - Call of Duty and other video games. Kids are outside less and play video games WAY more. Sniping in call of duty instills the long range shooting bug at an early age. Look at what's the most popular - AR15s and long range tactical rifles. Exactly what you use in video games. Everyone is about 'what's the heaviest bullet I can shoot in xxx caliber - wow its supersonic to 1800 yards!'
nmkid
Gold $$ Contributor
You are not alone friend!!
urbanrifleman
Site $$ Sponsor
I know the barrel makers must be going "YAYYYY" as shooters throw out all their old barrels and replace them with faster twist barrels, and the endless fiddling as they try all the new configs, poders, reamers, wildcats, then eventually abandoning 90 percent of it all the while getting beat by the guys shooting proven rigs... haha
XTR
F-TR obssessed shooting junkie
Maybe, but competition shooters tend to wear them out every couple of yrs anyway.
Admittedly I have a couple of barrels with overlapping applications at this point, but that is mostly due to being at the point in my shooting development (i.e. spent enough $$)that I've gotten a couple of custom actions and trying to get what's going to do what sorted.
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