I've heard it said a few times...There's a window of optimum MV/fps to ACCURACY for all cartridges.

Is that true?

The way I'm understanding this...

If bullet "X" shoots well in your rifle then running it at a certain velocity would PROBABLY give you best accuracy in most situations.

Is there a reference chart out there of sorts for cartridges/bullet weights?

I'm curious

Well I can say for example my 223 will shoot 55 grain bullets in one hole at 3000+ fps,and it will also do the same with reduced blue dot loads at 2000 fps. in my opinion I would vote false.

nope

not so much, no

quote:

There's a window of optimum MV/fps to ACCURACY for all cartridges.

Is that true?

I seriously doubt there's any proof for this.....

I say false!

Thanks gang...didn't think so

From what I've seen, it is all about locating the best Harmonic Node. There is no reality to the Optimum Charge Weight(OCW) fiasco for all rifles.

The Velocity, Accuracy and the Harmonic Nodes are different from rifle to rifle, with the same barrel length, same contour, made in a sequential series.

That said, it is amazing to me just how well some Factory Ammo is able to shoot in a lot of different rifles. I realize this seems to be in confict with my thoughts on the OCW fiasco.

There's certainly an optimum window of impact velocity for bullet performance but that varies from bullet to bullet. Could that be what you are thinking of?

LWD

Hey LB

Let's see if we can redifine this a little more.

If you are asking if you take a certain bullet, let's say a 200 gr Accubond in 30 caliber, and that bullet will shoot best in all 300 win mags at a certain velocity, say 2900 fps, then that is not true. It is more dependent upon barrel length, barrel exit timing, seating depths, case prep, etc. etc. etc. Same would apply for all 30-06's, 300WSMs, et.al.

IOW I think it is more specific to the rifle than the caliber.

However, that being said, I reload for 9 different 300 win mags and have noticed that in all that I have tested I have found acceptable accuracy in the 2875 fps to 2900 fps range and that in none of them has the accuracy been acceptable to me when velocity gets over 2925 fps or so. But it may be that at 2925 fps I am approaching max load.

It's all a crap shoot. However, there are certain velocities that I shoot for in each caliber and can generally find accuracy within a range that is acceptable to me.

quote:

Originally posted by LWD:
There's certainly an optimum window of impact velocity for bullet performance but that varies from bullet to bullet. Could that be what you are thinking of?

LWD

LWD, thanks but it was not about IMPACT velocity...thanks for trying to sort me out!

quote:

Originally posted by woods:

It's all a crap shoot. However, there are certain velocities that I shoot for in each caliber and can generally find accuracy within a range that is acceptable to me.

Hey Woods


I guess that's more in line with what I've heard...you've phrased it much better than I did

Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Core:
From what I've seen, it is all about locating the best Harmonic Node. There is no reality to the Optimum Charge Weight(OCW) fiasco for all rifles.

The Velocity, Accuracy and the Harmonic Nodes are different from rifle to rifle, with the same barrel length, same contour, made in a sequential series.

That said, it is amazing to me just how well some Factory Ammo is able to shoot in a lot of different rifles. I realize this seems to be in confict with my thoughts on the OCW fiasco.

And therein lies why I thought I should ask this question...As factory ammo often shoots well in MANY rifles as well

I have had a lot of success in the accuracy department with muzzle velocity of 2660 FPS in a number of cartridges, 223, 30-06, 375 H&H. My 220 Swift always liked 3650 FPS.

I did not try to use 2660, but it always ended up being the most accurate.

airgun,

Thanks for sharing

BUT what I thought I was hearing ... is that EACH ""cartridge/bullet weight"" has a MV/fps window of accuracy...that's what I was actually questioning...

As a hunter I want the best accuracy for a hunting load as well as good average MV/fps for the cartridge I'm loading.

I think it's like 'woods' said...It's still a crap shoot, but wanted to know others experience since I'm quite new at reloading.

I guess I should just load'em up and see like everyone else....

A grain or two from published max loads should be PRIMO for me, ...if my rifle doesn't tell me sooner pressure-wise

quote:

Originally posted by Late-Bloomer:

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Core:
From what I've seen, it is all about locating the best Harmonic Node. There is no reality to the Optimum Charge Weight(OCW) fiasco for all rifles.

The Velocity, Accuracy and the Harmonic Nodes are different from rifle to rifle, with the same barrel length, same contour, made in a sequential series.

That said, it is amazing to me just how well some Factory Ammo is able to shoot in a lot of different rifles. I realize this seems to be in confict with my thoughts on the OCW fiasco.

And therein lies why I thought I should ask this question...As factory ammo often shoots well in MANY rifles as well

I think you'll find that most hand loads loaded to 85-95 % of MAX will also shoot quite well in most rifles.....( I'll let you define what "quite well" means!)

If the rifle is in good "rig" it'll shoot a surprising number of loads reasonably well....

Tuning handloads is mainly for the shooter that wants to gain that last 100 FPS and/or the very best accuracy.....less than MOA in many cases.

Thanks vapodog

quote:

It's all a crap shoot. However, there are certain velocities that I shoot for in each caliber and can generally find accuracy within a range that is acceptable to me.

I totally agree !. I have several AR's with that said ,I'm fortunate enough to own two of a particular

make with consecutive serial #'s . Identical specs . One of which digest nearly anything with superior

accuracy ,the other is a bit more finicky and does not like identical loads !. Personally I've found accuracy

tends to either fall off above a certain M/V or below it . I believe ALL Rifles ,Pistols have a particular

load they prefer. Barrel harmonics exit timing, length , position off the lands ? , as Woods says Etc. Etc. .

Reloading is part math science and a great deal of some say luck, I prefer the term EXPERIMENTATION !!!.

Something I've always adhered to ; Just because you own a magnum and it's capable of "X" M/V and M/E

doesn't mean you must " Proof Load " every round !.

quote:

I've heard it said a few times...There's a window of optimum MV/fps to ACCURACY for all cartridges. Is that true?

One thing you can know for sure, anyone professing to know a lot about reloading but makes such flat statements about accuracy doesn't know Jac...

Doc204/375-

Yep, I'm all good with EXPERIMENTATION