Heavy grain bullets in small calibers-Why?

[Jingle]

Like BCB, I like the 22-250 and feel you can load it from 55-60 max on a 1:14 twist and run the smaller weights all the way down to 35. No need for any other .224 caliber.

But I am retiring the 22-250 and 243 in favor of a 6BR.

So for me for coyote- 17 hornet 25gr out to 150 yrds, 6BR 55-60 gr 200/300 and 6.5CM 85gr beyond 300 yrds.

Reason- efficiency

But if I could only have one it would be a 22-250 1:8 twist. Long 75-80 gr down to 35gr covers everything.

[william t. oviatt]

Hey Jim,
My favorite rifles/cartridges would really pop you eyes!
I have done many 6mm small powder capacity cartridges with very fast twists
(all posted here in depth, on Saubier).
You would just have to experience a Fireball, Hornet or TCM case with a larger 6mm bullet spinning from a 1/6-7 twist barrel, to see what it does to vermin!
Just ask the guys here, that have bought from me, the 243 Horny Toads, 6mm Garins, and 6mm-TCMs how they perform!
I still have the Pair of 24 Calhoons (6mm Hornets) that move a 55 grain Nosler at excess of 2700 fps, and tremendous RPM, in relation to say a 12, 14 or 16 twist barrel traditionally usually used on these cartridges. It is impressive...
it's not for high powder capacity cases, Like 22-250, 243 Win, etc. but in powder-capacity cases of 30 grains or less, the increase in RPM is quite a performance enhancer for varmint rifles...

Maybe not for everyone to get into, but it has really put the fireworks into prairie dog, jack rabbit and vermin shooting... literally decorate the sagebrush, like a Christmas Tree!

Bill

[Gabe221]

Here's a read for heavy bullets ..

http://www.accurateshooter.com/guns-...k/gunweek0103/



It's all about long range

[Swift220]

Thank all of you for your feedback. Like I said in the beginning, I was just curious.

I'm very aware of the higher BC bullets having superior wind bucking ability at long distance. High velocity over rides that ability out to a certain distance then the high BC bullet certainly takes over.

My point, for me at least, was in the opening thread. When I need a bigger bullet with a higher BC, be it for distance or wind, I'll change to a larger caliber rifle to get the higher BC and retain my velocity at the same time. I'm sure you can tell from reading this that I like velocity and would rather change guns than to have a fast twist barrel made just to shoot long heavy small caliber bullets and have a loss in velocity.

For an example, instead of shooting a 90gr .224 bullet with a .500 BC that needs a 6-7 twist @ 2400fps, I'll choose my 243 with a 95gr bullet and a .500 BC that I can shoot with my normal 10 twist barrel @ 3100fps. Again, that's just me and I see a lot of guys don't agree. That's fine by me, it's what makes shooting so enjoyable and why they make so many different toys for us guys.

Jim D
SE Texas

[Kevin Gullette]

.....at long range......many shots......ALL day.....

Recoil fella's.......recoil.

Kevin

[Swift220]

That's the exact reason on an "ALL DAY" Pdog shoot, I shoot 55's out of my 12# AR 223 rifle and just deal with the wind, keeping the wind at my back. 90% of our shots are 150 to 300 yards anyhow. Works for me. And with moa hash marks and 60 windage dots spaced at 2 moa apart in my scope, it's really not bad.
.................................................. ............................................
Kevin, I see where you're from and when I do get to go dog shooting, it's in Clarendon, Texas. Just thought I'd mention that.

Jim D
SE Texas

[Gerald D.]

I think it's interesting to see folks experiment with such, around here a long range shot on anything living would be 500 yards, .204 with 39 gr. bullets or the .223 with 62 to 75 hrs. and a .243 with 75-85 gr. bullets take care of those. But out west and in some areas of the east its a different ball game and I can see the attraction.

[JSH]

Once again gents a good read of various thoughts and angles.

I won't say I am a speed freak, nor am I a sub sonic nut. I fooled with subsonic and heavies back before most folks even heard of it. A lesson in frustration, but I did learn some things.

As mentioned above, recoil is not your friend, no matter how macho one may be.
For me at least, I will throw in that muzzle blast runs a close second.

My thoughts and experiences with light and heavy in a nut shell.
A light bullet starts off fast and slows down fast.
A heavy bulletstarts slow, yet continues on at leasurely pace for a long way.
Kind of like the old tortoise and hare race.

I chase accuracy, but I have been known to get hung up on speed at times.

Jeff

[jholp]

I agree with the post! If one is shooting paper at a fixed distance once the zero is established trajectory is no problem. A 69 + grain bullet in a 223 will work okay in this instance.

If you take that same weapon/ammo combination to the prairie dog field in South Dakota you will find you are missing by shooting over or below because the load has a trajectory like a 30-30.

I shoot my 220 Swift with 52/53 grain bullets and up to a reasonable distance it works very well. If I am after deer I break out my 257 Weatherby using 100 grain bullets and leave the 220 Swift back home.

Wind drift, trajectory, knock-down as range is increased is best address by going to a larger cartridge and appropriate bullet.

Sierra just announced a 150 grain 6.5 bullet with a ballistic coefficient of over .700, so build one in 26 Nosler and shoot that bullet at extended distance and you will see my point.


John

[sgtg]

Knock down power man, them pdogs is tough.