flat base or boat tail ?

R

rebs

New member
which would be more accurate for 100 to 300 yd target shooting flat base or boat tail ? This would be for 223 loads fired in an AR
 
Depends on the rifle—most of the time in my rifles the BT out groups the FB. However I have 2 rifles that the FB group better by far.
No help—I know.
 
55gr SPBT runs fine through my Ruger American 223. Have shot it to 200 yards, and it is accurate when I do my part.
 
Very much doubt you'd notice much difference at those short ranges. However, most match bullets are BT's. Sierra makes a 53 grain flat based Matchking. Every other Matchking is a BT.
Hornady Match comes in a flat 53 too.
So you'd best try some of the 53's and see if your rifle likes 'em. The rifling twist matters though.
Heavier bullets need a faster twist. Heavier bullets are BT's though. Made for longer range.
 
Theory says the FB will be better at short range.
Reality indicates that you should test a few bullets and see what the rifle likes.

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I load a lot of flat base bullets. They've never complained when I sent some of them to 600, 800, and even 1,000 yards. A BT would be better for the longer ranges, but I shoot the FB stuff because that's what the rifles like and more fitting for the normal uses of the rifles and loads.
 
in theory flat base bullets are more accurate, boat tails have better BC's for long range so 100 - 300 a flat base bullet would be the choice for target shooting

My 1 - 8 AR and 1- 8 bolt guns did not care for 53's so I guess it depends on gun
 
300 and under there's no ballistic advantage for BT bullets. If they happen to be more accurate, so be it.
 
I've found most of my rifles do better with flat base to about 300 yards. I usually try both and pick what works the best.
 
Boat tail bullets make a bigger difference in performance in larger caliber bullets than smaller. For a 223, at only 300 yards my money is on flat base.

In fact at 300 yards I'm betting flat base is more accurate in any caliber. But once you get much past 300 yards boat tails retain bullet speed so much better and have less drop and are better in the wind.
 
That's what you have to do. If you are using good grade bullets for both and one is dramatically better than the other, check that your rifle's muzzle crown is perfectly symmetrical. Also use the stability calculator at the JBM Ballistics site to make sure you aren't right on the edge with one of them. You usually want to land at around 1.5 optimally, but because a same-weight, same-construction boattail is longer than its flat base counterpart, its stability factor is a little lower. Make sure that neither is below 1.4. Numbers like 1.4 to 1.7 are usually considered best for maximum accuracy, but keep in mind the upper number assumes some degree of bullet imperfection and modern bullets often still do quite well at numbers above 2 or even to 3. You just have to test them in your gun to see. And when you do this, do measure your rifling twist and don't just assume the pitch tolerance has favored you.
 
For that range, i'd be loadkng flat based in my wifes 223.

But because we like to shoot further, we use boat tailed.

Just say'n.
 
I like the Sierra 69gr HPBTMK for shooting over 100yards. I shoot very few rounds that is under 62gr. For close on very small game I like the 53gr V Max
 
If all the 100-300 yd competitors in bench rest are important....most use flat base....maybe all do.
Click to expand...

I have yet to find a match grade bullet in flat base (large calibers) maybe 223 has them?

All flat base bullets are hunting bullets (they may even work right)

But the match bullets are also lower cost (less complex construction ?)
 
Look at the Sierra 53 grain .224 and 125-grain .308 MatchKings and 125-grain .308 Tipped MatchKing. Look at the Berger 110 and 150 grain FB Target bullets in .308 and their 6 mm BR Column Target and their 52 and 55 grain FB Target bullets. Custom bullet makers have more in the popular BR calibers.

What makes the lighter weight flat base bullets popular in Benchrest is they are short so they can be stabilized by the very slowest twist, thereby minimizing any drift caused by the eccentric spin of a slightly off-axis center of mass in the bore.
 
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