Is 5,000 FPS possible?

I actually like the overkill explinations lostsheep, and intended that comment as complement hince the emojI
How much blue bot did it take to get that v max to 4200 Fps?
Could a run of the mill bullet survive 6k fps I imagine it would take a tougher projectile then normal
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The problem with emotijoes is they can be misunderstood or not see.

I too enjoy Unlicks details.

That said, some hears back there was something called the Ear Spliten Louden Boomer (sp if probably way off)

As I recall 375 HH case pushing a 22 pill trying to get the worlds recorded.

Only data was the mfg of the barrel and or the case and they tested it but not at max.

I don't remember what the velocity was.

Hah, found this, FWIW

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.22_Eargesplitten_Loudenboomer
 
I've read about the loudenboomer. Ackley was a brilliant guy, and a boundary pusher. I personally would not have fired those rounds without a long string and a bunker. The muzzle flash and concussion might have scared a grenade!
 
As I remember back in the old days of the .220 swift, some of the bullets were disintegrating in mid-air at about 4,000 fps. So, it would seem, to achieve 5,000 fps, non-traditional bullet composition or construction would need be a consideration so standard cup-and-draw lead based bullets would likely be out.
 
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This was with my 220 swift with a 36gr varmint grenade. Accuracy was poor. I was also getting pressure signs at this velocity so I did not do any more work with that bullet.

My go to load for this rifle is a 40gr vmax at 4500 fps. this load is very accurate from my rifle.

I do believe 5000 would be possible. I believe there is some loads listed on reloaders nest thatt go over 5000 fps with a 22-250 AI and a 22-243.
 
Maadi Griffin had some load data that used .30 caliber sabots in the 50 BMG that would push 180 grain bullets just over 5000 fps.
 
I have only know two bullet makers, one spent a lot of type determining what happened to the bullet meaning he spent a lot of time between the end of the muzzle and target. The other made bullets on a lathe. And then there was this big announcement by Hornady, those that know me know I would not walk across the street to watch an ant eat a bail of hay so by the time Hornady made their big announcement I had already changed channels.

F. Guffey
 
The sabotage is the key to several penetration anti armor rounds. Super dense, super high SD, light for weight rounds regarding the high overbore (kind of) situation, the sabotage allows ultra light (sort of) bullets with massive charge weights capable of running bullets at 25% of the intended weigh. As we try to reach 6k in a normal weapons, a heavy bronze or copper bullet in a sabot will be how it works.

Wonder what a patched BB would do out of a 30-06 case would do?
 
Some years ago I read that the top velocity for a rifle firing a single projectile (no sabots) is likely going to be in the 5,800 to 5,900 fps range, that getting past that is really a pipe dream.
 
Wonder what a patched BB would do out of a 30-06 case would do?
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The Remington "Accelerator" .30-06 round was a saboted (not sabotaged,;)) .224 55gr bullet, reported to attain velocity in the 4,100fps range.
 
"The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza

Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.
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I can see how we went from a lowly prey animal in Africa, stealing leopard kills from trees, and breaking open bone marrow with two rock... to conquering the top of the food chain around the world. We did it with a stick, clothes, and a dog. ... Now to keep that spot we need billions of belongings to battle with other humans.
 
Why not? If reloaders were satisfied with "rational" velocities, there would not be a 22-250 or a 30-378. We'd all be shooting 30-30s at 2,000 fps, good enough for deer..

That's kind like asking why anyone would need a 400 HP car that goes 150 MPH, on the street...:eek:
 
I deem 4k give or take to be "rationa" and sort of useful.

Anything above that, unless it is for research or other really obscure uses is puzzling to me.

Putting together a .244 round at 5k so you can hunt the alps, stand on one peak and smack a yak in his crack, on another peak, just to watch his butt blow up, well, frankly, that means that you have a screw loose and your bearings are out of round.
 
Their are plenty I mean hundreds (Go over to predatormasters forums and check it out) of varmint/predator hunters than run 4,500 fps (give or take) for hunting purposes. Mainly these guys are taking insanely long shots on prarie dogs or groundhogs and coyotes but they have a use for it, I think above 4,000 fps is still rational, but above 5,000fps... well I havn't heard of anyone even doing it often so I can't say if there is a use or not but maybe down the road.

Back in the days of straight wall cases 2,000 fps was doing them just fine now most medium game cases run 3,500+, saying there isn't a use for a cartridge that runs consistently above 4,000 fps is kinda close minded wouldn't you say?
 
I think there are practical speed limits at different levels of bullets:
soft lead
hard lead
hard lead lube band
hard lead many lube bands
hard lead many lube bands with Copper gas check
Copper jacketed
Copper alloy jacketed
Copper alloy jacketed with moly coating

The top end for me is 3400 ~ 3500 fps
Beyond that there is more scrubbing than shooting and the brushes are wearing out fast. I like a brush that measures larger than the groove diameter, and that might only be 25 strokes and it becomes a hand me down to a smaller bore.

And I have seen a few shot out throats from over bore cartridges.
 
Good luck

Good luck keeping up with throat wear in the barrel and working up a new load for it everytime you leave the range.
 
Possible, yes. Several years ago there was a verifiable story of someone who broke 5,000 fps. Not by much, but they broke 5,000 with a 22 cal centerfire. One of the biggest problems is that the shock wave from smokeless powder propagates at just below 6,000 fps from what I have read, and you can only make the bullet go almost as fast as the shock wave. You would need to re-engineer the propellants in order to go faster.
 
That's kind like asking why anyone would need a 400 HP car that goes 150 MPH, on the street...
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Or a T bone when you can live off ramen noodles.

Spend some time with a trajectory calculator and you can see why some look for higher velocitys. They won't do much of anything for you if your sitting at a bench poking holes in paper at 100 yards but go prairie dog hunting without a range finder and the faster rounds can be the difference between a hit and miss.
 
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