speed is not a major concern to me accuracy always edges out velocity. 90 percent of the time i apply corrections to the scope or use the reticle for hold offs. the big magnums are great for delivering energy to the target at distance but dialing up a couple of minutes more on my 30-338 is not that big of a deal. being able to see the impact is handy.
Hunting rifle velocity?
- Thread starter Guy Miner
- Start date
wildgene
Handloader
- Jul 4, 2011
- 1,597
- 2
...guess I'm just plain greedy...
...I want velocity, accuracy, but most of all, performance. I'll give up some velocity for accuracy, but I won't give up bullet performance for either. 1/4MOA, super-high BC's, & extreme SD's are all great, a bullet that performs perfectly @ 352yds. when it's traveling @ 2700fps is probably real good, too, if your target happens to be standing @ 352yds, & your velocity is 2700fps when it gets there. I'd rather have a bullet that's going to work like it's supposed to over a wide range of velocities/ distances, even if it requires sacrificing some velocity, accuracy, & BC, up to a point...
...I want velocity, accuracy, but most of all, performance. I'll give up some velocity for accuracy, but I won't give up bullet performance for either. 1/4MOA, super-high BC's, & extreme SD's are all great, a bullet that performs perfectly @ 352yds. when it's traveling @ 2700fps is probably real good, too, if your target happens to be standing @ 352yds, & your velocity is 2700fps when it gets there. I'd rather have a bullet that's going to work like it's supposed to over a wide range of velocities/ distances, even if it requires sacrificing some velocity, accuracy, & BC, up to a point...
atmoshpere
Beginner
- Jun 8, 2011
- 196
- 0
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+1 I'd rather be adequately prepared for a variety of situations, than perfectly prepared for just one
wildgene":22l239uh said:
+1 I'd rather be adequately prepared for a variety of situations, than perfectly prepared for just one
cloverleaf
Handloader
- Sep 10, 2006
- 4,439
- 1,141
Not that I want to quote writers from the gun rags.... Barsness (I think thats his name) pretty much says if an adequete bullet for the job will do 2800 at the Muzzle you've got what you need. Of course he likes the 250-Savage, so he's my hero :lol: Worked for me....a time or two.
On a different front, I am not impressed with a 12 Ga slug, period. My barrel (or ME) will not shoot anything decent over 1500 fps, 1800 is a compromise but he better be within 50 yards. Seen way too many deer soak up a 1500 fps slug and get away. Accuracy kills, speed sells but my slugs have neither....CL
On a different front, I am not impressed with a 12 Ga slug, period. My barrel (or ME) will not shoot anything decent over 1500 fps, 1800 is a compromise but he better be within 50 yards. Seen way too many deer soak up a 1500 fps slug and get away. Accuracy kills, speed sells but my slugs have neither....CL
Desert Fox
Handloader
- Aug 14, 2006
- 1,965
- 3
My ideal big game hunting rifle velocity is between 2800 to 3000 fps. For varmint hunting however, the sky is the limit as long as the accuracy remain. I've hunted a lot with my 280 Remington and 300 Win Mag. The 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip for my 280 and the 180 grain Hornady BTSP Interlock for the 300 both clocked at around 2875fps. I've killed deer with both at over 600 yards, and at that velocity both cartridges carry enough energy to drop deer size game with authority. My 6.5-284 Norma just joined the 600 club with Berger 140 grain Hunting VLD at 2975 fps.
My two premier varmint rifle that get use a lot are my 6MM Remington loaded with 87 grain V-max at 3300 fps and my 222 Remmy Magnum 40X loaded with either 40 grain V-max or Nosler BT at 3600 fps. Longest kill with the 6MM was 598 yards. The unfortunate crow exploded in tiny pieces when it collided with 87 V-Max. The 40 grain V-Max in my 222 Remington mag is deadly on ground squirrels beyond 500 yards.
My two premier varmint rifle that get use a lot are my 6MM Remington loaded with 87 grain V-max at 3300 fps and my 222 Remmy Magnum 40X loaded with either 40 grain V-max or Nosler BT at 3600 fps. Longest kill with the 6MM was 598 yards. The unfortunate crow exploded in tiny pieces when it collided with 87 V-Max. The 40 grain V-Max in my 222 Remington mag is deadly on ground squirrels beyond 500 yards.
filmjunkie4ever
Handloader
- May 4, 2011
- 2,015
- 1,543
I think everyone has to go through the speed freak stage at least once in their handloading/shooting/hunting career but I too have taken a more conservative position on this particular point than I did 10 years ago when I started handloading.
My 30-06 shoots the deadliest with a 165 grain bullet at 2820-2875 fps which isn't pushing the envelope. I hear of guys getting 2950-3000fps with this same bullet just because they can. But I guarantee that they will be replacing barrels while I still have the first one. I also love the plain old vanilla load of a 180 grain bullet at 2700 fps as it will shoot very accurate as well. I have taken several deer and elk, not to mention coyotes and the like with both loads.
In my 300 WSM I load a 180 grain Etip or AB at a nominal 2950-3000 fps. It shoots this load way straight and although I have shot some AB loads which reached 3100+fps, my groups opened up considerably. I am looking forward to shooting an elk with this rifle in November. I have no doubt that there will be a bang-flop type of performance.
In my 25-06 I like a 100 grain bullet at 3250 fps or a 120 grain bullet at 2975-3000 fps. Again after much research, these shoot the most consistently and most accurately. I use the 100 grain load more now than the 120 because this rifle is my truck gun. I keep it in there for coyotes and other varmints and the 100 grain shoots a little flatter.
These three rifles cover 90 percent of my hunting and shooting each year and so see little need in changing their already well tested and faithful loads each time a new bullet or powder is hyped to give a little more edge. Maybe that makes me a square but I am from the school of if its not broken don't fix it.
I load with accuracy in mind with speed in second or third place.
All in all, I find that while I have shot 7mm Rem Mags with 140 grainers going 3200 without much effort, 8mm Rem Mags and 338 Win Mags flinging larger pieces of lead (220 and 225 grain respectively) at 2900-2950 fps and 30-30's and 300 Savage's at mild velocity, my favorite rounds are those three I mentioned at the outset. And they all seem to be in the 2700-2950 fps range with their most effective loads. I just like to shoot them for they are pleasant to the shoulder, and they have never let me down.
My 30-06 shoots the deadliest with a 165 grain bullet at 2820-2875 fps which isn't pushing the envelope. I hear of guys getting 2950-3000fps with this same bullet just because they can. But I guarantee that they will be replacing barrels while I still have the first one. I also love the plain old vanilla load of a 180 grain bullet at 2700 fps as it will shoot very accurate as well. I have taken several deer and elk, not to mention coyotes and the like with both loads.
In my 300 WSM I load a 180 grain Etip or AB at a nominal 2950-3000 fps. It shoots this load way straight and although I have shot some AB loads which reached 3100+fps, my groups opened up considerably. I am looking forward to shooting an elk with this rifle in November. I have no doubt that there will be a bang-flop type of performance.
In my 25-06 I like a 100 grain bullet at 3250 fps or a 120 grain bullet at 2975-3000 fps. Again after much research, these shoot the most consistently and most accurately. I use the 100 grain load more now than the 120 because this rifle is my truck gun. I keep it in there for coyotes and other varmints and the 100 grain shoots a little flatter.
These three rifles cover 90 percent of my hunting and shooting each year and so see little need in changing their already well tested and faithful loads each time a new bullet or powder is hyped to give a little more edge. Maybe that makes me a square but I am from the school of if its not broken don't fix it.
I load with accuracy in mind with speed in second or third place.
All in all, I find that while I have shot 7mm Rem Mags with 140 grainers going 3200 without much effort, 8mm Rem Mags and 338 Win Mags flinging larger pieces of lead (220 and 225 grain respectively) at 2900-2950 fps and 30-30's and 300 Savage's at mild velocity, my favorite rounds are those three I mentioned at the outset. And they all seem to be in the 2700-2950 fps range with their most effective loads. I just like to shoot them for they are pleasant to the shoulder, and they have never let me down.
Richracer1
Handloader
- May 12, 2005
- 2,142
- 122
When working up a load, I start with a powder that will potentially give me the best velocities. Now we all know there are no guarrantees, with that said, some of my rifles are a bit slower than one would think it should be, but they are sub-moa. Other rifles surprised me with the accuracy and velocity with a particular load. I don't want to use up a bunch of primers, bullets, powder, and time trying find another load that may only give me 50 -100 fps more - waste of components IMO.
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,554
- 6,665
I want the cartridge to be as efficient and accurate as possible. There is no way I will ever get high velocities out of my .356s, .358 or .375. Yet, all drop game with authority within the limits of their range. I have rifles chambered in cartridges that will produce a little more velocity, but there are faster rifles in the calibre for each one. I'm perfectly will to load the 257 STW for someone else, while I lose for my 257 Bob. I have no problem letting others play with fast 6.5s, so long as I can get my 260 Rem to shoot well and enjoy teaching a grandchild with the rifle. My goal on each rifle I own is accuracy, but I dare say that eighty to ninety percent of the rifles for which I load, I am requested to find the hottest possible load. There is clearly a lot of interest in velocity.
While I am not an ultimate speed freak, I do want the most speed along with decent accuracy a particular rifle will deliver. That is, I expect the highest efficiency an individual rifle will deliver.
Unlike most here though, sub-MOA groups are not necessarily the be all end all. After all, there are no bench rests out in the field. Long ago, I came to the conclusion that a rifle that gave 1.5" groups or better consistantly was the way to go for me. Before the flames start, probably 95 percent of my rifles shoot a lot better than that. However, many years agp I had a pair of 6.5x54 Mannlicher carbines stolen from my vehicle while taking a bathroom break at a gas station.
Got kind of chilly on the way home from that deer hunt. I looked for replacenemts for years and finally gave up. I still miss those rifles to this day and it's been over 40 years.
The Ruger came out with their RSI and after handling one, it was love at first holding.
At the time, making house payments and paying on a new truck it was just a bit more than I could handle. One day, while looking though my local paper, I spotted one for sale that was at least half the price of a new one, so gave the guy a call. It was quite clean and in very good shape. The price included a scope, several boxes of ammo, about 5 boxes of brass, bullets and the dies to load it. All that for $250. :shock: :shock: I had to ask, "Why so cheap?" The guy was honest. He said, "It's the most inaccurate rifle I've ever shot." Well, I like to tinker and i liked the feel of the gun so I just bit the bulet and bought it anyway. I have to admit, he was right. The gun did not shoot worth spit. I tries about 6 or 7 different factory loads aand groups never did get much smaller that 4 to 5 inches. Time to try reloads. I won't bore you with the roughly two years it took to find a load, or how many 30 minute long strings of 4 letter words, not to mention a fewI made up on my own, but rather will just state that I found one load using W760, Winchester brass and the 165 gr. Speer Hot-Core. A standard WLR primer served the ignition task. Velocity is a whole rip snorting 2550 FPS that will put 3 shots into 1.5". And it does this time and time again, consistantly. That rifle has accounted for a deer every time I've taken it out. Shots have ranged from about 30 feet to 250 yards, all one shot kills. It may not be the tightest shooting or the fastest shooting rifle I own but I'll guarantee you one thing. It's one of the very last rifles I'll ever sell. I liked it so much that I've bought two more both in .308 and "the load" works just fine in all three rifles. All three sold cheep for the same reason I got the first one.
One day, while in a tinkering mood, I pulled that metal nose cap off one of the rifles and carefully removed a very small amount of metal where it made contact with the barrel. I then took the rifle to the range and groups were now in the 1.25" range. I did the other two and groups improved with those as well.
I just might have to try other bullets and powder charges now, just to see if these rifles will shoot other bullets. The Speer bullet works as mentioned but when I tried the 165 gr. Siera Game King HP bullet, the gun didn't like it. maybe I should try again.
Paul B.
Unlike most here though, sub-MOA groups are not necessarily the be all end all. After all, there are no bench rests out in the field. Long ago, I came to the conclusion that a rifle that gave 1.5" groups or better consistantly was the way to go for me. Before the flames start, probably 95 percent of my rifles shoot a lot better than that. However, many years agp I had a pair of 6.5x54 Mannlicher carbines stolen from my vehicle while taking a bathroom break at a gas station.
Got kind of chilly on the way home from that deer hunt. I looked for replacenemts for years and finally gave up. I still miss those rifles to this day and it's been over 40 years.
The Ruger came out with their RSI and after handling one, it was love at first holding.
At the time, making house payments and paying on a new truck it was just a bit more than I could handle. One day, while looking though my local paper, I spotted one for sale that was at least half the price of a new one, so gave the guy a call. It was quite clean and in very good shape. The price included a scope, several boxes of ammo, about 5 boxes of brass, bullets and the dies to load it. All that for $250. :shock: :shock: I had to ask, "Why so cheap?" The guy was honest. He said, "It's the most inaccurate rifle I've ever shot." Well, I like to tinker and i liked the feel of the gun so I just bit the bulet and bought it anyway. I have to admit, he was right. The gun did not shoot worth spit. I tries about 6 or 7 different factory loads aand groups never did get much smaller that 4 to 5 inches. Time to try reloads. I won't bore you with the roughly two years it took to find a load, or how many 30 minute long strings of 4 letter words, not to mention a fewI made up on my own, but rather will just state that I found one load using W760, Winchester brass and the 165 gr. Speer Hot-Core. A standard WLR primer served the ignition task. Velocity is a whole rip snorting 2550 FPS that will put 3 shots into 1.5". And it does this time and time again, consistantly. That rifle has accounted for a deer every time I've taken it out. Shots have ranged from about 30 feet to 250 yards, all one shot kills. It may not be the tightest shooting or the fastest shooting rifle I own but I'll guarantee you one thing. It's one of the very last rifles I'll ever sell. I liked it so much that I've bought two more both in .308 and "the load" works just fine in all three rifles. All three sold cheep for the same reason I got the first one.One day, while in a tinkering mood, I pulled that metal nose cap off one of the rifles and carefully removed a very small amount of metal where it made contact with the barrel. I then took the rifle to the range and groups were now in the 1.25" range. I did the other two and groups improved with those as well.
I just might have to try other bullets and powder charges now, just to see if these rifles will shoot other bullets. The Speer bullet works as mentioned but when I tried the 165 gr. Siera Game King HP bullet, the gun didn't like it. maybe I should try again.
Paul B.
I basically load towards the top end of the spectrum for my rifles as well. I don't try to run the TOP or max, but instead run where things are nice and consistent. I really just look for the cartridge to be consistent and near the 90% of what the cartridge is capable of. I bought them for a reason and I want to run them where they should be. Scotty
OU812
Handloader
- Apr 18, 2006
- 2,099
- 2
beretzs":3c0wls43 said:
I'm right there with ya Scotty.
Bill
