heavy high, light low?

JNG · Post by **JNG** » Mon May 12, 2008 8:15 am

Sorry, but I've forgoten and should not have. With fix sights, do bullets that are lighter shoot high or low.

Thanks

wilko · Post by **wilko** » Mon May 12, 2008 8:21 am

i found the slow and heavy bullet print higher then the faster light bullet in my 45/70 at 50 yards

meanc · Post by **meanc** » Mon May 12, 2008 8:55 am

I think you're referring to pistols. If so, yes the slower & heavier will print higher than the faster/lighter bullets.

KirkD · Post by **KirkD** » Mon May 12, 2008 4:09 pm

wilko wrote:i found the slow and heavy bullet print higher then the faster light bullet in my 45/70 at 50 yards

+1 for both pistols and rifles

Gryphon Black · Post by **Gryphon Black** » Mon May 12, 2008 5:30 pm

So here's an angle on that...
My popcorn loads shoot 200gr at slingshot velocities.
When I built a 250gr powered up deer load, it shot low.
It is substantially heavier, and also lower on the target.
It is a lot faster, though.

So is it the muzzle velocity that makes 'em hit low? And that the heavier slugs tend to travel slower, and thus get flung higher by the rising barrel?

Gryphon

KirkD · Post by **KirkD** » Mon May 12, 2008 6:00 pm

Here's some rules of thumb for cartridges that fire sub-2,000 fps bullets:

1. For the same bullet weight, slower bullets hit higher at intermediate distances (i.e., 100 yards), due to barrel rise during recoil before the bullet has left the barrel

2. For the same muzzle velocity, heavier bullets will hit higher for same reason.

3. If both the bullet weight is different and the muzzle velocity is different, then it is more complicated. For your scenario just mentioned, the heavier bullet is going much faster, so may hit lower than the lighter bullet going much slower.

O.S.O.K. · Post by **O.S.O.K.** » Mon May 12, 2008 6:01 pm

With rifles, the higher the velocity, the higher the bullet should print. Rifles recoil almost straight back.

Handguns recoil up and slower bullets spend more time in the barrel before exiting and therefor print higher than faster moving bullets.

If you have a rifle with a stock that has a lot of drop and recoils up, then at the slower (handgun speed) velocities, then the handgun rule would apply to them as well.

KirkD · Post by **KirkD** » Mon May 12, 2008 6:07 pm

I can't speak for modern, high velocity cartridges, but most of my shooting is done with old Winchesters in a variety of old cartridge calibers, usually between 1,200 and 1,500 fps. For that range of velocities, the rules of thumb I posted above hold.

Leverdude · Post by **Leverdude** » Mon May 12, 2008 6:10 pm

Even a rifle that recoils straight back will rise.
If a mans shooting it anyway.
A mans feet are planted on the ground. Shove him on the shoulder & his upper body moves back but his feet stay put so the rifle goes up. Not as much as a rifle with a big drop but it still goes up.

My experience mirrors Kirks.