I hope Ive put this question in the right place,anyway here I go.
Does any one know how much energy ft.lbs is needed to push over the rams in Handgun mettallic Silhouette.

Thanks for your help.

Hutzpah

Welcome to the forum. It's been a long time since I shot IHMSA ,I left after it was taken over by the bolt action ,rifle cartridge guns.We used 44 mag revolvers. Some tried the 265 gr bullets but found that while it helped knock down the ram the extra recoil meant fewer hits !! So it's a compromise ,knockdown vs recoil. In the long run you really need to find the most accurate load and practice so you can hit the targets !! BTW perhaps momentum would be a better measure than energy.

Momentum is the way to go. In the .44, the 240 gr would be minimum. The .357 max with 180 gr bullets is good. With the smaller bore single shots, velocity makes up for bullet weight and the 7mm with 150 gr bullets works well.
I have watched guys with the regular .357 leave targets. I was at a shoot at Quantico years ago and there was a Marine shooting offhand with a .45 ACP. He was a fantasic shot and was hitting almost all of the steel. None would fall and he had four for the shoot if I remember. I believe they were all chickens.
So you must not only have a good heavy bullet, but it has to be fast enough too.
Energy won't tell much because you could take a hot centerfire .22 with gobs of energy and the rams will laugh.

quote:

Originally posted by Hutzpah-:
I hope Ive put this question in the right place,anyway here I go.
Does any one know how much energy ft.lbs is needed to push over the rams in Handgun mettallic Silhouette.

Thanks for your help.

Hutzpah

Depends on the event. In "Field Pistol" at 100 meters with smaller targets, a .22 WMR does pretty good.....

At 200 meters in "Big Bore", I use a 250 gr Keith at 1450+ fps from my 10" barreled Blackhawk. You didn't say if you shot a wheelgun, not that it matters, but it would be nice to know that someone else is shooting something besides a T/C! LOL

Dennis

Thanks very much for the feed back.

I think Im getting the picture you need bullet weight as well as speed.
I have just jointed a club and am presently doing some load develoment.
Im starting at Field Pistol shooting a 80gr hardcast bullets through a
.30 carbine revolver.
Im thinking 1400 fps should be alright?
I tryed AR2207 powder but velocity was way down,I think the powder is to slow so will try A2400 next.

Hutzpah