Long Range Shooting Secrets Bullets Tips

The twist rate of the barrel determines the best bullet weight for your gun and is the single, most important factor for rifle accuracy (see included twist rate chart). The manufacturer cuts the rifling to a twist rate that will stabilize the bullet designed and tested for that cartridge. The smaller the bore diameter, the more difficult it is to stabilize a bullet. Hea ! bullets cannot be dri en to the same elocities as lighter bullets in the same barrel, so the! are also not spinning as fast lea ing the muzzle and ma! not stabilize down range. Bullet spin is a product of twist rate and velocity. " sure sign of a bullet not spinning fast enough is a target with o al or #e!hole hits. $sing a light bullet in a fast twist rate barrel ma! cause the bullet to s#ip across the rifling and literall! file itself, thus larger groups. %&cess copper residue in the barrel is a clue. Tr! to duplicate factor! loads. The! ha e been e&tensi el! tested for best results. Matching the bullet weight to the twist rate and velocity is essential for accuracy. 'f !ou need a hea ier bullet than !our twist rate will handle, !ou are probabl! using the wrong rifle. Bullet parameters: Besides weight, there are fi e measurements that should be considered when selecting a bullet. Sectional Density( " weight to length ratio measurement. The longer and hea ier the bullet, the higher the sectional densit! thus the deeper it will penetrate. This parameter is not important for target and armint loads but is er! important for game hunting loads. Ballistic Coefficient (B))( The higher the B), the more aerod!namic the bullet, thus it will drop less at long ranges and will be less affected b! cross winds. *ue to air densit!, small diameter bullets such as a .++,t!picall! ha e poor B)s. .mm bullets and larger start getting higher B)s. " B) of .,// is considered er! good, .0// and higher is e&cellent. Balance: "ll rifle bullets are hea ier in the rear than the front and therefore are naturall! unstable. The more balanced, the more stable it will be. Bore Surface is the length of the bullet that actuall! touches the bore. The longer the bore surface, the more it dampens effects from bullet 1ump shoc# and the more stable the bullet will be going down the barrel. This parameter is er! important for accurac!. give is the point on the nose where the bullet first measures full diameter. This important parameter will dictate bullet seating depth, bullet 1ump and cartridge o erall length. "ll bullets must be seated at optimum depth for best accurac!. This usuall! occurs where the ogi e is ./2/- from the rifled bore. Conclusion( "nal!ze before loading. "lwa!s sta! within the bullet weight intended for !our twist rate. Tr! to select a bullet with the longest bore surface, best balanced, shortest ogi e to tip measurement, highest ballistic coefficient, and best sectional densit!, in that order. " good place to start is a boat tail with a blunt nose or hollow point. 3ost reloading manuals list B), sectional densit!, and ha e pictures of bullets so !ou can compare important parameters. *on4t s#imp on bullets5 bu! the best 6ualit! !ou can find. 3ost bullets sold in bul# pac#s are not uniform weight. Sta! with bo&es of 2//. $se a Bullet Depth !auge to determine proper bullet seating depth. Bullet Depth !auges are a ailable from Cactus Tactical in all cartridges with .++,, 7mm, and .8/9 diameter bullets. These tools are er! eas! to use and come with simple instructions. $nfortunatel!, the! are onl! a ailable for guns with direct in:line chamber access such as a bolt action, single shot, "R:20, etc. "e#t in Series: $ong %ange Shooting Secrets: &owder Tips.

%ifle Twist %ates

Caliber
.27+ .+++ Rim ;ire .++, < 0.0.mm

Twist %ate
2(2/ 2(2. 2(2. 2(20 2(2, 2(2+ 2(> 2(9 2(20 2(2, 2(28 2(2+ 2(2/ 2(2, 2(28 2(2+ 2(2/ 2(> 2(> 2(9 2(2/ 2(22 2(2/ 2(>.0 2(20 2(2, 2(2+ 2(2/ 2(9 2(2/ 2(2. 2(2/ 2(2/ 2(2+ 2(2+ 2(2+ 2(2, 2(2, 2(89 2(+/ 2(2,

Bullet 'eight
all weights all weights, lead bullets up to 00 grains, ,8// fps or more up to 00 grains, ,2// = ,8// fps up to 00 grains, less than ,2// fps 00 = .8 grains .8 = 7/ grains 7/ grains or more up to 7/ grains 7/ : 70 grains 70 = 90 grains 90 = 2// grains 2// grains or more up to 7/ grains 7/ = 9/ grains 9/ = >/ grains >/ = 2// grains 2// grains or more up to 28/ grains 28/ grains or more all weights up to 2,/ grains 3agnum elocities 2,/ grains or more up to 20/ grains 20/ = 2.9 grains 2.9 = 27/ grains 27/ = ++/ grains ++/ grains or more all weights all weights all weights all weights all weights all weights all weights all weights all weights all weights all weights up to +/// fps all weights abo e +/// fps

.+,8 < .mm

.+07

.+., < ..0 mm .+7/ .+9, < 7mm .8/9 < 7..+mm

.822 < 7..0 mm .8+2 .8+8 < 9mm .889 .8,9 .809 .870 .,22 .,2. .,+> .,09