Originally Posted by
Hermitage
And lets not forget that a 'shortfat' case also allows each powder charge to burn more uniformly, thus giving more uniform velocities. The best way to make powder burn uniformly is to pack it into a short column. The example has been bench-rest shooters who lessened the body taper of an M43 Russian military case, gave it a sharp 30-degree shoulder, and necked it down to 6mm. These short, fat cases burned their powder charges with great uniformity = accuracy.
But there still persists this MYTH around the 'shortfat' cartridges that:
- the shorter fatter powder column creates higher velocities with less powder and less felt recoil than a long and slender case of the same case capacity.
This idea that a 'shortfat' cartridge has some sort of 'unique length and diametric relationship' which enable propellants to be burned more quickly, thereby producing more muzzle velocity than is possible with long slender cartridges probably originated from:
- the idea that 'shortfats' have more of the propellant in proximity to the initial flame front produced by the primer. That the minimized cartridge length reduces the distance for the flame front to travel to ignite all the propellant. And that the more complete and quicker propellant ignition provided by the cartridge produces a faster pressure rise time. Therefore 'shortfats' are better in shorter barrels.
But as we have seen from this thread that is a MYTH.
If 'shortfat' cases are able to produce more velocity per grain of powder, then in the test above with the 300 WSM vs 300 H&H, the 300 WSM should have been significantly faster with the same powder charge. As it was, the WSM achieved 2918 fps at 82% of case capacity, while the 300 H&H achieved 2914 fps at 81% of case capacity.
It is true that smaller cases are more efficient in terms of fps per grain of power, however, small cases limit velocity potential. But case shape just isn't a factor in velocity. Everything in this thread seems to confirm that in regards to case design, case capacity is the only determiner of velocity not case shape.
There is nothing magical about the 'short n fat' cartridges, they don't render any 'long n slender' cartridges obsolete UNLESS you want a short action, which enables you to own a rifle that offers magnum power (ie 300 WSM), but is shorter, somewhat lighter, and handier than a standard magnum rifle (ie 300 Win Mag).