My question is every one is very concerned about the bullet is it going out at 3500 or 4000 , I have 6 factory guns all but two shoot in the 2s some times in the 1s, the other in the 3s I don't shoot Rifle in competion there is none where I live , I shoot to better what I have already done I play around with 10 or 12 powders , and a half a dozzen bullets ,I work for as close to pefection as posible. so why should I be concerned ?
Its not a smart ass question , but my thinking is that the bottom line is if I can make a 50 grain bullet , 27 grains of BL-C[2] in a 223 shoot a .15 isn't that what its all about. or am I missing a big part of the sport. The speed of the bullet has nothing to do with accuracy.
Thanks I appreciate your answers
Bill Like I say I am like off by myself no helpers.

quote:

Originally posted by bill r:
My question is every one is very concerned about the bullet is it going out at 3500 or 4000 , I have 6 factory guns all but two shoot in the 2s some times in the 1s, the other in the 3s I don't shoot Rifle in competion there is none where I live , I shoot to better what I have already done I play around with 10 or 12 powders , and a half a dozzen bullets ,I work for as close to pefection as posible. so why should I be concerned ?

Hey Bill, For the vast majority of folks(which generally includes me now days), it doesn't matter much - at the closer distances we shoot.

quote:

...if I can make a 50 grain bullet , 27 grains of BL-C[2] in a 223 shoot a .15 isn't that what its all about. or am I missing a big part of the sport. The speed of the bullet has nothing to do with accuracy...

If at some point you decide to shoot at longer distances, you will find that higher Velocity "has the potential" to help your accuracy due to a reduced Flight Time. But it must be balanced against Recoil, Noise, Bullet Construction, and Portability of the firearm.

Best of luck to you.

It makes no difference at all if you only shoot papaer and the occaisional tin can. There is a visible difference on game from prairie dogs to coyotes and while I can't prove it, I think a big difference on bigger game up to deer. Impacts inside 200 yds from bullets starting at or over 4000 are just devastating. Ask the Iraqi tankers.

Bill, it sounds to me like you have some very accurate rifles and you are a very astute reloader. I only wish I had rifle that would shoot groups like that.

High velocity is not necessary for accuracy. I shoot pistol silhouette competition and we routinely shoot targets at 200 meters with handguns that are not getting very impressive velocities compared to rifles. We shoot revolvers that are going maybe 1400 to 1500 fps and single shot pistols that are running from 1700 to maybe 2200 fps. We do some darned fine shooting at 200 meters. For specialty matches we run the velocities up a little, but we manage to hit the ram shaped targets at 500 meters on a regular basis.

One of my Remington XP-100 pistols chambered for 7BR routinely shoots 130 Sierra Matchkings into groups of less than 0.4 inches at 100 yards. (this at a velocity of about 2150 fps)

Having said that, the guys that shoot for the very best groups (the benchrest guys) shoot pretty hot loads. I think they do it go get good load densities and a little less wind deflection.

If you are getting the kinds of groups you are mentioning, I would not worry about it.

On the other hand, if you want to shoot prairie dogs at 1000 yards, you may want a little more speed.

bill r,

If all you shoot is 150 to 250 yds then It really doesn't matter how fast the bullet is going. If you want to hit targets at 1K you need to know velocity to work your ups.
It also matters what you are shooting.
I threw together a load to do a barrel break in on a Savage package gun that I intend to play with.
The 30 shots formed a nice 3/4" wide by 1 3/8" high hole at 100 yds.
My thought was that this might make a good deer load.
If I were working with my comp gun I would be cussing a blue streak.

Thanks you cleared it up a bunch , I thank you guy's
Bill

I load for accuracy first, speed second. I only push 3550 chrono'ed fps with 52 gr bullets from my 22-250, but that rifle has held it's average 3/8 MOA out to 650 yds. What kind of factory rifles are you shooting that are so accurate? Has any accuracy work been done to them?

small center fires including Remington 700s 6 MM and 22-250 just gave my grand son a mod 12 Savage in 223 , so he could compeate where he lives it was in the 20s. also have a couple of C Zs that are beyond discription on accuracy unbelivable 22 Hornet, 204 and a mod 700- 17 a couple of the 700s were the hardest to make shoot.
retiered with nothing else to do, killed to many animals already and shooting paper and ground squirrels is just fine.
I have bedded all of them with mostly very large increases in accuracy , Trigger work on two 700, this winter I plan to pillar bed all of them if I can find a sourse of hard aluminum in the corect dia.
pretty lucky to have guns that shoot.
where I live all that they shoot in comp. is hand guns.
Bill