how much difference in weight or loading makes how much difference in trajectory

[kennisondan]

I understand that a faster bullet drops less and a lighter bullet can go faster... say with my 475L : if I push a 325 grain bullet fast versus a 420 fast what is the difference in drop at say a hundred or one hudnred fifty yards...
how about a fast 325 versus a slow 325 ? reasonable examples please...
I am just wondering how much difference it could make : once I am shooting fast bullets again, how much less will bullets drop at up to 150 yards than really slow bullets that are still effective...
is there that much trajectory gain to be realized ?
hope this question makes sense.. in other words, when folks say they are loading their 300 grainers really hot for shooting further with less holdover, how much are we talking about ?

thanks
dk

[IronAir]

Dan,

Try going to this site http://www.handloads.com/calc/ and play with the numbers.  Once you have the bullet data in there, you can adjust the velocity up and down and see what happens.  There is a considerable difference in trajectory from say 900 FPS to 1600, especially with big handgun bullets that have such a low ballistic coefficient.  At long range they really start to drop off fast.

[MePlat]

To be kind you could use a ballistic program like the JBM ballistic program to answer your questions better than asking people on here to figure out your hypothetical questions.  Just look up the bullets  B.C. and plug it in and your proposed velocities and walla your will see in a printable version you can keep for future reference if the need arises.
You can change sight in distances,  temp., altitude, humidity, target speed, wind speed, point blank distances and the like.

It is also FREE.

[MarkH]

There is no substitute for just shooting the darn things from field positions ... tables are fine, but they don't tell you how you will hang onto the gun in recoil.

Lighter bullets moving faster will generally flatten out the trajectory and, all other things being equal, extend your effective range.  What might be 150 yards with a 325 gr bullet might become 200 yards with a 260 gr bullet, for instance ... I haven't personally found that to be the case.  I zero my hunting handguns at 100 yards and am competent with them to 150 yards, regardless of bullet weight.  Lighter bullets may shoot flatter past that range, but it makes no difference to me as I won't generally hunt with a handgun past that range.  I like to put my hunting bullets exactly where I intended and not speculate.  Others can shoot past 150 without speculating, but not me ...

[MePlat]

Mark:  What I've found is that if someone isn't going to take the time to look up BC's and look for a Ballistic program sitting at home they are not very likely to spend the time to shoot in order to find out for real.  Of course prices nowdays and time can be a very real contributing factor too instead of lack energy and desire.

[kennisondan]

time and the ability to shoot the really hottest loads is the limiting factor for me right now... looking up the stuff is easy enough, but I was just looking for comments from those willing to share their practical experience... I am never lazy when it comes to shooting... I do like to talk and listen about it a lot though, and may ask a question that I could ponder out alone... but then I would miss the variety of responses and resources... I only have a couple of ballistic programs bookmarked, and always want more.. some times I do not have the BC of a bullet I have bought.. I never have the exact speed no chrony yet... I just wanted to know what you guys think... before I get time and physical ability to shoot the hotter stuff again.. I will probably get stuck shooting what I have sighted in with at all yardages for practice, but could maybe steal time if I formed the opinion that in the real world it would not pay for me to shoot to 120 or so with a 900 or 1000 fps load in any blunt nosed handgun load... that until I hit 1350 or more it is moot...
what got my attention is my 405 gr. 45 70 at 25 yards and at 125 yards.. used the intersection under the crosshair at 125 and over the crosshair at 25.... what a looping trajectory.. remington factory loads are really slow...and drop like a rock...
I have not gotten to shoot my new guns out to 100 yet... and cannot shoot heavy  loads rite now at all... with the 44 and full power 240 factoiries last year I could hold kill zone at 120 with my smith... but it was not a really slow load... it was as good as the 45 70 from my two rifles......
just got me thinking for some short cuts formed on the opinions of others...
don't want to give the wrong impression of my self.. I will see for my self and could do it alone... I relly only on my own self.. I just like a jump start and the knowlege of others gives me that ..
sorry if I seem to ask what I should not... this is a great part of my enjoyment... reading what others think and do ...
dk

[MarkH]

Personally, I do not pay a whole lot of attention to ballistic coefficients and ballistics tables.  Too many variables; how the darn things shoot is the best test and getting too many numbers in my head just confuses me.

For a while, I was using a Leupold VXIII with a Boone and Crockett reticle on a 45-70 ... I don't have much use for the reticle on other calibers, but found it very useful with the 45-70 and its bullet drop - though the reticle is really designed for something that shoots like a 270, as far as I can tell.  The Remington factory 405 gr load is going 1300-1360 fps and is pretty instructive as a heavy handgun bullet will behave much the same.

Anyway - I forget what it is that you are shooting; just shoot enough from field positions that you know your limits and effective range, and don't be guessing when you pull the trigger.  The hardest thing I had to learn with handgun hunting was trigger discipline....not pulling the trigger til I was sure I would make the shot...the rest of it comes with practice.

[kennisondan]

thanks mark et al :
I found the 44 factory loads to be similar to the 45 70 loads and will have to kick it up a notch with my 475L to hit that velocity with the bullet I have been working with a 420 LFN ... I started really slow and nice with 7.8 of unique, then 9.8 unique after getting familiar, and it kicks about like my 44 full house... now I am nursing a torn elbow tendon and not shooting it at all for a few weeks more; but another notch will have to jump for my pistol loads to match the 45 70 trajectory better... the Boone and Crockett reticle is cool for those aiming points on that gun... so far.
I think that trajectory pattern will be easy to master as it is the same just about as my 6 inch smith 44 factory loads printed for my uses at least.... and I used it for many years.. if I can just kick up the 475 to 1350 it will be around the same drop for me... I may have to go to the 325 grain bullets this year for the deer season or just use another gun unless I get better in a hurry... I can push the 45s to that speed in my five shot bisley and the 44 is already there... so perhaps the 325 gr 475L can go to 1300 or so without excessive recoil increase over the 420s at 1000... I will look at it on the charts of course but that in part was why I was asking and then the second part : what I could expect if I got the 300 grains  really cooking... is it worth it...? I will not shoot past 125 or 150.. anyway....
I serously doubt that pushing the 300 really fast will do much for me at 125 -150 yards... trajectory wise.... anyway...
I do think that I will get all my big flat fat bullets going about the same speed as my 45 70.... and I will learn that well and shoot consistently.... with those pistols and 45 70 rifles...
dk
ANY BODY THINK THAT ANOTHER 200 FPS IS A BIG DEAL AT UP TO  150 YARDS ?   OVER 1300 WITH BIG FLAT BULLETS... SO 1500 FPS ? JUST WONDERING WHAT YOU THINK... I CAN READ THE CHARTS OF COURSE... BUT WHATCHA THINK
 

[doghawg]

kennisondan

 This may not be of much help because I'm content to load my big guns to approximately 1200 fps. I sight in an inch or so high at 50 yds for a 75 yd zero and am about 4 to 5 inches low at 100. These numbers are for scoped or reddot guns as I probably wouldn't attempt a 100 yard shot on game with irons. This is all the ballistics I need for deer in a Wisconsin cedar swamp but if an elk trip was on the menu I spose 1400 to 1500 fps might flatten things out some. I haven't done enough hand cannon shooting beyond 100 yds to rattle off any numbers.

 

[kennisondan]

DaWG : thanks for the response.. I will likely not get good enough to shoot further than 70 this season if I don't get better fast physically so I can practice big time... I looked and saw that there is a great difference in really fast and really slow bullets, but at longer ranges than I will likely shoot... I am interested in what every person does, however... I like the response... it makes sense to me... how low or high is your impact at 20 or 25 yards...
?
dk