Bullet Weight and Muzzle Flip

[Ron Ankeny]

This has probably been asked and answered a million times and I kinda feel stoopid even bringing it up. Anyhow, I am shooting 200 grain LSWC bullets in my Baer .45 for IPSC and IDPA. The load barely makes minimum for IDPA with a power factor of 166 with 4.4 grains of WST at 830 fps. I have shot thousands of these loads.

Anyway, I came up with a couple of thousand 230 grain round nose lead bullets real cheap so I loaded them with 4.0 grains of WST for a velocity of 750 fps or a power factor of 172.

Common sense tells me the 230 grain bullets will kick more. More power, more pressure, so more recoil, right? Anyhow, I swear the 230 grain bullets have less muzzle flip. OK, so am I nuts or what? Maybe the recoil is just different and I can't put my finger on it. Which load should have the least muzzle flip? As you know, the straighter back a pistol recoils the faster you can shoot it (to a point). Thanks.

[This message has been edited by Ron Ankeny (edited June 25, 2000).]

 

[Archie]

Normally, heavier bullets cause more muzzle flip; and will normally register higher on the target. Normally.

As you have found, it doesn't always happen. Since your velocity has lessened by a 100 f/s, your recoil profile has changed. If your 230 bullets were at the same velocity as the 200's, the recoil would unquestionably be greater.

Also, much of pistol shooting is subjective. A certain circumstance man not be true, but it sure seems that way. If the 230's group well, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. But it is a nice puzzle.

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Archie

 

[Bud Helms]

It isn't just the bullet weight that gives recoil and muzzle flip, bullet velocity is part of the formula too.

If a 200 gr bullet at 830 fps gives a certain recoil (ft lbs), then a lighter bullet going faster or a heavier bullet going slower can be tweaked (velocity) to give the same recoil. Remember a reduction in powder of only .4 grs of the WST, from 4.4 grs in your example, to 4.0 grs, is 9.1%!

If you assume a 9.1% heavier bullet (218 gr) and a slightly higher muzzle velocity of, say 770 fps, with the same 4.0 grs of WST,
you get about the same recoil energy, for the same gun weight. That's a tribute to the consistency of the powder.

I calculated it from the formula in Lyman reloading book, No 47. Try it yourself.