What is better to use, light bullets or heavy,for long shots

geowood · Rookie Member Joined: Jun 23, 2009 Posts: 3

Interesting subject! Great food for thought from all.

I have been testing ammo for my 300RUM.

I considered all the above, ran the #s through the ballistic PC , then started using Barnes bullets. Bullet design changes everything.

Barnes has taken us to new territory, out of the box, so to speak. With the TTSX using a lighter with greater velocity and flatter trajectory seems to make the most since.

I am running a 130gr TTSX out at 3900 fps and with 100% bullet retention and the inovative wound canal of the bullet design it should work on everything from Goats to Elk.

Not to mention Accuracy. 106.5gr MagPro will get me under 1/2 MOA

This 130 gr bullet out performs every combination that I ran #s on.
I am open to new information or suggestions . I am a student looking for new better ways to accomplish an old subject. Accuracy and a Clean kill.

woods · Member Joined: Oct 15, 2005 Posts: 89

Hey geowood

Most shooters who are loading the 300 RUM prefer the 200 gr Accubond for target and game. The 200 gr bullet can be pushed to 3150 fps in the 300RUM and if you compare ballistics

130 gr Barnes TTSX, ballistic coefficient of .350, 3900 fps

yardage / drop / fpe / wind drift
400 yd / -11.5" / 2179 fpe / 10.56"
500 yd / -23.81" / 1807 fpe / 17.15"
600 yd / -41.68" / 1487 fpe / 25.76"
drops below 2000 fpe at approx 435 yards

200 gr Accubond, ballistic coefficient of .588, 3150 fps

400 yd / -15.94" / 2857 fpe / 7.7"
500 yd / -31.62" / 2548 fpe / 12.27"
600 yd / -53.52" / 2266 fpe / 18.27"
drops below 2000 fpe at approx 800 yards

exceptional accuracy can usually be obtained with almost any bullet with some work

but the heavier bullets fly better and deliver a lot more downrange where it counts.

JMHO, YMMV

fnuser

o.k. if we're going to talk rifles I'll chime in, Woods makes a great graphical illustration that shows the wind drift which I've always found more challenging than range. It also varies over the flight of the bullet and has more effect the further out i.e. the slower the bullet travels, again we have to define "longrange" in woodsy areas this can be 200 yards when the hunter is equipped w\ open sights or low power scopes. I think here I'm getting that we mean 400+?

Handloader

H mmmmm. . .

I, too, find this interesting. Single Shot Lover makes a valid point regarding trajectory specific to point blank. Barnes, however, shows that the lighter the bullet, the flatter the trajectory when sighted at the same distance.

Wind at the muzzle has more effect on drift, not father ranges. Watching the line flags is more critical than those at mid range or at the target.

Knowing precise distances at longer ranges is crucial to shot placement.
I fully agree wind is far more challenging than range.

All of which is good for competition, but, means very little in the field.

Practice, practice.

chambered221

Past 300 yards, Go with the heavy weights !!!

Woods, how about some energy figures to go along with your other data.

woods · Member Joined: Oct 15, 2005 Posts: 89

chambered221 wrote:

Past 300 yards, Go with the heavy weights !!!

Woods, how about some energy figures to go along with your other data.

fpe is the energy figure. The reason I listed the point at which the bullet dropped below 2000 fpe is because I consider 2000 fpe as adequate for big game.

chambered221

Was wondering what that stood for !!!