Smaller bullet more powder

[billbmcleod]

The other day a friend asked about loading up some light recoil 300WSM's and I pointed out that in most cases you increase powder charge when you reduce bullet weight so I wasn't sure that you could get what he wanted. For years I have just accepted this as fact from manuals so I suspected it had something to do with case volume or something like that and never thought any more about it. My view is that if you shoot a magnum then expect more recoil! You can reduce the effect with muzzle brakes and recoil pads but it will still be there in some form.
So my question of the day is why do you increase powder charge when you reduce bullet weight?

 

[Superbrad]

The other day a friend asked about loading up some light recoil 300WSM's and I pointed out that in most cases you increase powder charge when you reduce bullet weight so I wasn't sure that you could get what he wanted. For years I have just accepted this as fact from manuals so I suspected it had something to do with case volume or something like that and never thought any more about it. My view is that if you shoot a magnum then expect more recoil! You can reduce the effect with muzzle brakes and recoil pads but it will still be there in some form.
So my question of the day is why do you increase powder charge when you reduce bullet weight?

It has nothing to do with recoil...... You increase powder because the bullet is lighter and therefore will create less pressure at ignition.......

Your friend should buy a .308.....

 

[stubblejumper]

But if you wish to reduce recoil to the minimum, load up light bullets with minimum powder charges, and you will feel a significant difference in recoil.

 

[hometownhero]

If H4895 is used in any loads for that caliber get that and use the 60% rule from hodgdon

 

[Dogleg]

If your friend drops from a 180 to say a 150 he will notice a drop in recoil. Sometimes there are more than one factor, and they can pull in opposite directions. As individual factors with no other changes heavier velocity kicks more, higher powder charges kick more, and higher bullet weights kick more. Stir them together and some factors will exert themselves on balance.

Sometimes extreme examples illustrate a point better. For instance the .264, .338 and .458 all use the same case and close to the same powder charges with wildly differing bullet weights and velocities. Pretty hard to change the order in recoil though.