mid velocity WFN

[wonderer]

Hello.  I don't know if this is well plowed ground, but, I have heard bad things about using WFN (as opposed to WLN) bullets at modest velocities.  I'm looking at getting a .430" 250 WFN for 44 special and 44 Mag at no more than 1000 FPS.  I've had good luck with Keith bullets at this speed but I wanted a better game bullet and like the LBT WFN plain base.  Will I have any problem with this bullet at my moderate speed?  I won't take a shot at game at over 50 yards but I do enjoy shooting steel at longer ranges and I don't want the bullet to loose become destabilized.  What do you think about my the 250 grain WFN at 1000 FPS?


Thanks, Brent

[Veral]

First off, the great minds that told you WLN's are superior to WFN's at low velocity were completely wrong, because their long heavy nose demands a heavy bullet to even get accuracy, and the weights required to make an accurate WLN are too heavy to stabilize at low velocity.  I won't make 44 WLN's lighter than 320 gr.  The WFN in 280 gr will stabilize very well at speeds down to 900 fps or so, and a 260, 250 or 240 at speeds down to 800 fps.    In fact, I don't believe there is any other bullet design as accurate as the WFN when bullet weight is under 280 gr.  It will print an inch at 100 yards quite consistently from a GOOD revolver, properly set up. with a good shooter steadying the gun on a bench.  Most will require a scope to get that accuracy, and good cylinder alignment is mandatory with all 6 to get that accuracy.   On the other hand, if a gun has some cylinder missalignment, a WFN will forgive it better than any other design.  All this due to super strong bearing relitive to the unsupported nose weight.

[wonderer]

Thanks.  Your comment on velocity makes me wonder.  If I have a .430 WFN 250 grain bullet at 1000 FPS muzzle velocity, should I expect accuracy to deteriorate at distance when velocity falls off to say 600-700 FPS? 

[Veral]

  The lighter the bullet, the more velocity will  fall off at longer ranges, but stability will not change with range if the bullet fits your gun properly and the gun is set up the way I recommend them to be. 

  When I developed the LBT styles I tested all the revolver bullets at 350 yards to be sure they would be stable at any range.  When I make a recommendation, you can count on the bullets to be acurate for the use and velocity range you have asked about.

  When ever I devlope loads for a revolver I always do the first testing at ranges of at least 100 yards, and prefer 250 yards or more.  An arched trajectory can be expected of coarse, especially with low starting velocities, but if ALL the bullets don't drop into the same spot like a lazer I consider the load no good.  This isn't a target chasing endeavor, but just aiming at a relitively small  rock on a mountain and watching POI.   If they all land in a a 12 inch area or less, that load will punch a ragged hole at 25 yards, and the load is proven with the first cylinderfull.  I do this whether the load is starting at 800 fps or full magnum loads.  The same precision is mandatory.

  With heavier weight bullets, like 300 gr plus in 44 magnum, relitively high velocity up to maximum loads is sometimes required to get them stable, depending on twist rate of the gun of interest.  Lighter bullets stabalize at far lower speeds.

  One cannot be sure on long range stability by shooting groups at 25 yards, as instability isn't always showing enough to be visable at that range.  A tiny wobble which one has to use a magnifier to see in the bullet holes, though they are printing a nice group,  can go crazy out at longer ranges, often flying so wild and scattered that it's hard to spot impact on the side of a mountain.