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How important is velocity
- Thread starter Dre_sa
- Start date
Sure Shot Mc Gee
New member
I'm not to much of a paper target shooter. Nor do I have a angst to own a chronograph. I am old school.
I just home-reload my cartridges to a velocity where it and smallest grouping are at there pinnacle at the further-est distance I intend to aim too.
Having a couple years experience in reloading I learned early on best pay attention to a brass's base and general over-all appearance inside & out when reloading to near or above Max published loadings. Fast is Flat. Fast increases Energy. So_ I believe to be.
Quite different from other relaoders I rely on seamless tempered barrels of modern metals having chamber & bore proof tested before my purchasing. If it wasn't? My reloads would be appropriate for damascus shooting.
I just home-reload my cartridges to a velocity where it and smallest grouping are at there pinnacle at the further-est distance I intend to aim too.
Having a couple years experience in reloading I learned early on best pay attention to a brass's base and general over-all appearance inside & out when reloading to near or above Max published loadings. Fast is Flat. Fast increases Energy. So_ I believe to be.
Quite different from other relaoders I rely on seamless tempered barrels of modern metals having chamber & bore proof tested before my purchasing. If it wasn't? My reloads would be appropriate for damascus shooting.
As expected -- more nonsense, and spewed as if it were fact.Not to mention they're written by a programmer who likely have never seen a real firearm.
The gentleman who wrote the ballistic software that I use is active on this site, in these forums.
Are you hunting animals, or paper targets?
If you are hunting paper, velocities are probably irrelevant - somewhere between minimum and maximum is the most accurate load, which can be found by experiment.
Others are correct that for other cartridges and other purposes, it is important to KNOW your velocities - for power factor in IPSC and similar, and to try to stay supersonic at distance for very long range precision target work. The stuff OP is shooting is probably already subsonic within the 100 yards they have available, but that's not meant as an insult - it's just the nature of the beast.
If you are hunting paper, velocities are probably irrelevant - somewhere between minimum and maximum is the most accurate load, which can be found by experiment.
Others are correct that for other cartridges and other purposes, it is important to KNOW your velocities - for power factor in IPSC and similar, and to try to stay supersonic at distance for very long range precision target work. The stuff OP is shooting is probably already subsonic within the 100 yards they have available, but that's not meant as an insult - it's just the nature of the beast.
Jim Watson
New member
Do short range (100-300 yd) benchrest shooters rely on chronographs?
I bet the 1000 yard shooters do, I know I did for F class. BPCR, too.
If I were loading .577/.450 and 11mm Mauser for 100 yards with black, I wouldn't bother. If I were working on nitro for black loads, I definitely would Chrono. Probably for cast .308s, too.
I bet the 1000 yard shooters do, I know I did for F class. BPCR, too.
If I were loading .577/.450 and 11mm Mauser for 100 yards with black, I wouldn't bother. If I were working on nitro for black loads, I definitely would Chrono. Probably for cast .308s, too.
RaySendero
New member
Dre_sa asked:
When hand loading, how important is it to keep track of the exact velocities of your loads?
Does one really need to know the extreme spread, standard deviation, averages and all such mathematical bothering?
Yes and Yes!
Ballistics computers and programs are just that. Computer programs that cannot consider every single variation that's possible. Not to mention they're written by a programmer who likely have never seen a real firearm. Just like computer 1st person shooting games.
Cannot consider every variation? Like velocity, ballistic coefficient, bullet weight, ambient temperature, relative humity, distance, side wind, angle of said side wind, what direction relative to the poles you’re shooting from, spin drift, angle of the shot, scopes zero, etc etc etc. The fact that average Joes are using these ballistic programs to make shots well past 1000 yards and take game at distances that only the most elite of shooters could consider 20 years ago proves your ignorance.
To the O.P. Good question. The answer starts with another question though, but you are already on track. What are you trying to accomplish? Shooting cans at 15 yards? Nah, load em up and shoot em. Trying to take big game with a pistol at 90 yards? Probably need a good ball park idea of velocity and how close each shot it shoot compaired to the next to a point. Shooting your 6.5 to 1200 yards and would like to do it on the first shot? You absolutely need to know what your velocity is and know that your SD And ES are.
Last edited:
9MMand223only
New member
I think one can answer "how important is consistent velocity" question by stating that, generally, the farther you shoot, the more it matters.
I will just state that having a spread of velocity from say 1050 to 1090, which is below average by far for good reloads, are not a problem AT ALL "For shooting pistols at normal ranges...7 feet to 25 yards.
Having an extreme spread of 40 for a rifle that shoots 2540 FPS and some shoot 2500 FPS, that is definitely an issue if you are shooting long range, the farther it goes the more its off.
I will just state that having a spread of velocity from say 1050 to 1090, which is below average by far for good reloads, are not a problem AT ALL "For shooting pistols at normal ranges...7 feet to 25 yards.
Having an extreme spread of 40 for a rifle that shoots 2540 FPS and some shoot 2500 FPS, that is definitely an issue if you are shooting long range, the farther it goes the more its off.