Yesterday I was at the range and was shooting a .500 NE. I shot two different loads. Both loads used the same powder charge, primer, wad, brass, the only difference was the bullet. One load used Woodleigh solids, the other used Hornady DGS. Both bullets weighed 570 grains. The DGS rounds shot almost 50 fps slower than the Woodleighs, i.e., 2050 fps versus 2100 fps. I expected some difference in accuracy given the two different bullet shapes, but had not expected much difference in velocity. I was surprised the velocity difference was so great. What would cause that, the Hornady's being slightly undersized to the Woodleighs, other? They are both lead core, steel jacketed solids. Just curious. Thoughts?

At a guess, the pressures for the two loads differs. The Hornady bullet has a much thicker coating of copper over the steel jacket, thick enough to take the engraving from the lands when fired (as we found out not too long ago when we took a new Hornady bullet and attacked it with some sanding paper). The Woodleigh solids have only enough copper to prevent rust on the steel jacket, thus the pressure will be higher as the lands have to cut into the steel.

In both my .404 and .458, there is a marked difference between the two bullets, with the Hornady bullet giving significantly lower pressure. I can only put it down to bullet construction as the loads are identical.

Just my 2c's worth.

quote:

with the Hornady bullet giving significantly lower pressure.

You draw this conclusion from them having significantly lower velocity?

I think the tech guys at the two companies

would have valuable words here.

quote:

Originally posted by jvw375:
At a guess, the pressures for the two loads differs. The Hornady bullet has a much thicker coating of copper over the steel jacket, thick enough to take the engraving from the lands when fired (as we found out not too long ago when we took a new Hornady bullet and attacked it with some sanding paper). The Woodleigh solids have only enough copper to prevent rust on the steel jacket, thus the pressure will be higher as the lands have to cut into the steel.

In both my .404 and .458, there is a marked difference between the two bullets, with the Hornady bullet giving significantly lower pressure. I can only put it down to bullet construction as the loads are identical.

Just my 2c's worth.

Woodleigh solids are very very slightly undersize and they are tapered
anyway so they are only close to .510 at the base and taper in front of that.

I do not find 50fps difference between 2 different bullets out of line at all.

perhaps the Hornady has a bit longer bearing surface?

Rich
DRSS

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
I do not find 50fps difference between 2 different bullets out of line at all.

You can get 50 fps difference between barrels, let alone guns.

I think you'd get 50 fps or at least 25 fps between guns
as a norm. Only need a very slight variation in barrels
to get that.

The ogive on the bullets are different. in other words, the contact from one to the other is most likely different. Woodleighs have been patterned after the bullets used by Kynoch to duplicate them as close as possible. If the contact area is greater, then the bullet with the most contact area will be some what slower.