Why so heavy?

[rtracy2001]

OK, so looking around here there seems to be a real penchant for heavy boolets. 195gr 30 cal and 200gr for the 40 S&W in the group buy section, etc. My manuals all seem to say that a 200 gr projectile in the 40 S&W is a big no-go (200 gr is left to the 10mm exclusively). 195 gr in the '06 is OK, but for something like my 300 Savage, that seems a bit big.

Whats the deal? Is it just the fact that with cast, you can't get the same high velocities as jacketed, so the heavier boolit moving slower is OK, or am I missing something?

P.S. I did try to search this, but if it is there I didn't have the right keyword.

[MtGun44]

The issue in many cases is to get long range performance or killing power with low
velocity. Some of the heavier designs are just what is known to work well in certain
calibers. The 215 .30 cal Lyman is well known as a really accurate boolit in .30-06, but
there are also 150 and 174 gr boolits that work well in it.

For the heavy caliber pistols, it seems that heavy boolits for penetration is the current
rage. I normally use a 240-260 gr in .44 mag, but many are going up to 300 or 320 gr
for that caliber now. Same idea for .45 Colt, lots of folks want to use 320 or heavier.

Some is for hunting penetration, I suspect a lot is just 'it is the current fashion'. Costs
more in recoil and uses up your lead supply faster. You can shoot thru a deer at any
angle with a Keith 250 gr at 1000 fps, so why do you need a 320? I don't see it myself,
but it is still permitted (I think Obama may have a boolit czar looking into it, tho) so whatever
some folks like. Fine with me.

[HangFireW8]

Whats the deal? Is it just the fact that with cast, you can't get the same high velocities as jacketed, so the heavier boolit moving slower is OK, or am I missing something?


Lead alloys will do any velocity that 40S&W will do. I'm not sure what the heavy boolit load fascination is for that cartridge.

Lead has less engraving resistance than copper, so yes, you can (generally) shoot heavier cast boolits than jacketed.

In rifles, yes, since it gets more and more challenging above 2200 fps, the obvious thing to do is shoot a heavier, longer bullet. Better sectional density and better ballistic coefficient than light boolits, trajectories come close to matching similar weights in jacketed but with smaller amounts of faster powder, making for more economical loads.

-HF

[sargenv]

In most cases the 200 grainer in the 40 at standard OAL is leaving little room for powder. You need to use a slow dense powder to make the 200 do anything. However, if you have a 1911 pattern handgun either single or double stack in 40 cal, you can load those 200's very long (can't fit em in a Sig or Glock) and that gives you more internal room for powder, ergo, pressures will go down with the same charge of powder that you'd use in the 1.135" load. In most cases, you can load a truncated cone 200 to about 1.190"-1.200" and a more tapered elongated HP or RN all the way out to 1.250"-1.260" which is the OAL for the 10 mm and still have enough space in the case (40 S&W that is) for more slow burning powder to get that 200 or even 220 gr bullet up to a respectable speed.

If you shoot a 610 like I do, you can load them equally as long since the cylinder is made for 10 mm and you headspace with moon clips.. If you want to load the heavyweights, you need a gun that has either the magazine length or a cylinder that can take longer bullets.. Pressure is your enemy in the 40 S&W so any way you can relieve it, via slower powders or more internal capacity, the better.

[Buckshot]

.............A heavy slug is a fair equalizer in having maybe 600 - 800fps lopped off the highest possible jacketed velocity, when using cast. Weight also means momentum. I've seen many times people hitting the 200 meter plate at the range with various cartridges. The difference between a 150gr started at 2900 fps and a lead 200gr boolit started at 1800 fps is very similar, and a 45 caliber 405gr cast slug at 1400 fps is noticeable with the naked eye.

...............Buckshot