'Gonna try a Birdshead

Yes, bullet dwell time is supposed to influence the POI.
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Howdy Again

I have heard that many times, and I don't believe it.

The difference in the amount of time a 200 grain bullet is in the barrel vs say, a 250 grain bullet, is insignificant. What really matters is how much more recoil the heavier bullet generates before the bullet exits the barrel.

I have tested this bunches of times, mostly with 38s. Everything else being the same, including the powder charge, a 158 grain bullet always prints higher than a 125 grain bullet, because the increased recoil flips the muzzle up higher before the bullet leaves the barrel. Dwell time in the barrel is insignificant.
 
So if I read right, you are saying that the barrel rise rates influence it more than the bullet speeds. So a 158gr loaded with Trail Boss will hit lower than a 125gr loaded with TiteGroup, in a 38.
 
I have heard that many times, and I don't believe it.

The difference in the amount of time a 200 grain bullet is in the barrel vs say, a 250 grain bullet, is insignificant. What really matters is how much more recoil the heavier bullet generates before the bullet exits the barrel.

I have tested this bunches of times, mostly with 38s. Everything else being the same, including the powder charge, a 158 grain bullet always prints higher than a 125 grain bullet, because the increased recoil flips the muzzle up higher before the bullet leaves the barrel. Dwell time in the barrel is insignificant.
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I do believe it, because it's extremely obvious with my gun. I have a 10" barreled .454 Casull, with an additional cylinder in .45 ACP, and have also experimented with loads at all levels of the power spectrum. Slower bullets always hit higher than faster ones, regardless of weight. 230 grainers at 700 fps feel like a popgun. Almost no recoil. But they still hit 2 FEET high at 25 yards. No amount of white knuckling the gun or trying to hold it firm on the sandbags will stop it. 325 grainers at 1500 fps have way more recoil, but shoot dead on. You can load a cylinder full of mixed rounds at various velocities, and clearly watch the effects on target.

Neat side effect, is that those 230 grain light loads are dead on at 225 yards, so it's fun to plink at dirt clods along the field road 20 acres away.
 
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