Welcome guest, is this your first visit? Create Account now to join.
  • Login:

Welcome to the NZ Hunting and Shooting Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.

Terminator Night Vision NZ


User Tag List

+ Reply to Thread
Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 16 to 24 of 24
Like Tree15Likes

Thread: Short barrel calibres?

  1. #16
    Almost literate. veitnamcam's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Nelson
    Posts
    25,008
    Start reloading.
    "Hunting and fishing" fucking over licenced firearms owners since ages ago.

    308Win One chambering to rule them all.

  2. #17
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Waikato
    Posts
    2,109
    Quote Originally Posted by gundoc View Post
    Most small to medium capacity cartridges in the .223 - .308 range will be acceptable in shorter barrels within reason. Velocities can be kept up by the correct use of faster powders and light to medium bullet weights. While large capacity cartridges can be used, they are not efficient in short barrels and will produce a ball of flame at the muzzle when fired in fading light. Powder is too expensive to use to raise global warming!
    Hi @gundoc
    What is correct use of faster powders ?
    Wouldnt the same loads still be better than traditional ones in standard length barrels ?
    Can you avoid the ball of flame with a different powder or is it just the amount of powder ?

    Indeed are short barrel optimised loads dangerous in standard length barrels ?

  3. #18
    Member
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Far North
    Posts
    4,882
    powders are on a spectrum of speed of burn

    shorter barrel velocity can improve with a faster burn where as with a longer barrel velocity/case pressures are often better with a slow push of a slower powder

    slow powders in short barrels spit flames

  4. #19
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Central Otago
    Posts
    2,278
    The correct load data is in the books. The powders shown for a specific bullet weight are ranked fastest at the top to slowest at the bottom. Faster powders burn within the barrel while slower powders require full barrel length to burn completely, hence the ball of flame in short barrels. Faster powder loads that are safe in short barrels are perfectly safe in long barrels. The difference in velocity between short (18") and long (24") barrels is usually about 200-250 feet per second which really doesn't matter much inside of 300 metres. 16" barrels will lose another 100 fps, and barrels longer than 24" are for heavier bullets with a slow powder to develop good speed for long range shooting. Barrel length has no effect on accuracy subject to finding a good performing load.

  5. #20
    Gone but not forgotten
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Hamilton
    Posts
    4,129
    Quote Originally Posted by Bagheera View Post
    Indeed are short barrel optimised loads dangerous in standard length barrels ?
    Not related to barrel length, but if you are firing the load in a longer barrel you are obviously using a different rifle, so yes, the load could potentially be dangerous

  6. #21
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Waikato
    Posts
    2,109
    Thanks for that gundoc.
    So for a short barrel you want a fast powder ?
    That would limit you to light for calibre bullets wouldnt it ?
    I suppose that to get enough lead a bigger calibre is better ? Eg a 120gr 308 rather than a 120gr 260 ?

    Now, is a short case just as good as a long case ? Eg comparing 30-30 308 and3006. Would the extra powder in the 3006 all be wasted in flame or would the ‘06 pig have a worthwhile edge over the 30-30 ?

  7. #22
    Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    Whangarei
    Posts
    1,212
    I think what GUNDOC means is this.

    your load data dose not change with a short or long barrel.
    However a short barrel with a heavy(for calibre) bullet will loose a lot more performance than a light bullet with a faster powder.

    The heavy bullet will still be accelerating all the way down the longer barrel so a short barrel here will give a big flash of burning powder and larger loss of velocity.
    a Light bullet with a faster powder will accelerate quicker and will have a much more complete powder burn in the short barrel so less loss of velocity with barrel length.

    Also a lighter faster bullet will shoot flatter and generally give better terminal performance. (at Shorter ranges)
    Z
    Bagheera likes this.

  8. #23
    Numzane Spudattack's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Tauranga
    Posts
    2,990

    Short barrel calibres?

    Quote Originally Posted by ZQLewis View Post
    I think what GUNDOC means is this.

    your load data dose not change with a short or long barrel.
    However a short barrel with a heavy(for calibre) bullet will loose a lot more performance than a light bullet with a faster powder.

    The heavy bullet will still be accelerating all the way down the longer barrel so a short barrel here will give a big flash of burning powder and larger loss of velocity.
    a Light bullet with a faster powder will accelerate quicker and will have a much more complete powder burn in the short barrel so less loss of velocity with barrel length.

    Also a lighter faster bullet will shoot flatter and generally give better terminal performance. (at Shorter ranges)
    Z
    Partially, there is also the powder factor with the same bullet weight.

    Let’s use a 150gr .308 for instance.
    Let’s say you have a load developed for a 24” barrel with a slow powder to maximise burn in the long barrel.
    When used in a 16” barrel you will lose a lot of speed and have a huge muzzle flash as a lot of the powder will be exiting the barrel unburned.

    By switching to a faster powder, with a lower load still within safe specs, you can gain some of that loss back as you will be burning more of it in the barrel.
    Thus you will have the fastest, most efficient load for a 16” barrel, but not a 24”.

    The faster powder will never be as fast as the tailored load in the 24” barrel, but will be faster in the 16” barrel as it is more efficient use of energy in the place that matters, which is in the barrel driving the bullet.

    Hope that makes sense!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by Spudattack; 25-05-2022 at 10:05 PM.
    Bagheera likes this.
    "Here's the deal I'm the best there is. Plain and simple. I wake up in the morning and I piss excellence."

  9. #24
    Huk
    Huk is offline
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Whangarei
    Posts
    800
    308

 

 

Similar Threads

  1. Short barrel magnum calibres?
    By Nick.m in forum Firearms, Optics and Accessories
    Replies: 59
    Last Post: 31-08-2022, 09:46 AM
  2. How short a barrel is too short for .243?
    By Preacher in forum Firearms, Optics and Accessories
    Replies: 27
    Last Post: 04-08-2021, 10:10 PM
  3. super short vs short barrel?
    By Russian 22. in forum Shotgunning
    Replies: 16
    Last Post: 31-07-2021, 01:25 AM
  4. Short barrel 223
    By Padox in forum Firearms, Optics and Accessories
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 15-11-2020, 04:22 PM
  5. "Short-Pig" ideas - Short barrel 22rf semi-auto??
    By Tentman in forum Firearms, Optics and Accessories
    Replies: 25
    Last Post: 06-06-2017, 06:37 PM

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
Welcome to NZ Hunting and Shooting Forums! We see you're new here, or arn't logged in. Create an account, and Login for full access including our FREE BUY and SELL section Register NOW!!