Bullets........
- Thread starter kamlooky
- Start date
, just trying to gain some inside expertise.
Boat tail's have a higher ballistic coefficient than the flat base. They'll retain velocity at the longer distances. As far as accuracy, it's debatable. Some swear that the flat base are more accurate within 300 yards, but in the end, every rifle likes something different. And that's the fun of reloading.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
For hunters, not a blind bloody bit of difference. Now if your game is LR/Precision then there are advantages, but over normal hunting distances there is no real practical advantage. Bullet construction is more important than shape when the name of the game is making fatal holes in tasty critters.
the BT improves the BC by a bit but like mentioned already, it wont make a difference unless you are going for long range shooting. 300 yards and up depending on caliber.
buy whatever works best for your needs.
i wouldn't specifically look for BT if im shooting under 300 yards.
buy whatever works best for your needs.
i wouldn't specifically look for BT if im shooting under 300 yards.
At normal; or even moderately long hunting ranges it doesn't make any difference. For long range shooting and long range hunting it makes a lot. I'll define long range as over 600 yards since the target shooters already have.
As a general rule it is easier to get flat based bullets to shoot small groups. Ironically, small groups don't make a heck of a lot of difference at "normal" hunting ranges for big game. I'm sure that will seem like blasphemy to some.
Some cup and core BT hunting bullets are more prone to slip their jackets on expansion. How much difference that makes would depend on what you're hunting. Since 90% of the worlds game is whitetail sized and smaller; chances are its not going to matter much.
As a general rule it is easier to get flat based bullets to shoot small groups. Ironically, small groups don't make a heck of a lot of difference at "normal" hunting ranges for big game. I'm sure that will seem like blasphemy to some.
Some cup and core BT hunting bullets are more prone to slip their jackets on expansion. How much difference that makes would depend on what you're hunting. Since 90% of the worlds game is whitetail sized and smaller; chances are its not going to matter much.
I quit shooting boat tail bullets a long time ago.
As has been well documented here, they are no advantage, whatsoever, at ranges under about 500 yards. Under 500 they will have about the same ballistics as flat base, only will most likely not be as accurate.
What wasn't mentioned is the barrel will be shot out in something like 65 to 75% of firings, as compared to using flat base bullets. The more under bore the case is, the more pronounced will be the effect of the boat tail bullets.
As has been well documented here, they are no advantage, whatsoever, at ranges under about 500 yards. Under 500 they will have about the same ballistics as flat base, only will most likely not be as accurate.
What wasn't mentioned is the barrel will be shot out in something like 65 to 75% of firings, as compared to using flat base bullets. The more under bore the case is, the more pronounced will be the effect of the boat tail bullets.
There are usually only two things to consider.
First, will your rifle shoot them accurately and second are the bullets adequately built to do the intended job.
Some of the boat tail bullets offered are just to frangible for hunting purposes. Same goes for some of the flat base though.
In some rifles the twist rate will limit the ability to stabilize the longer boat tail designs. Most spire points will do well in the average hunting rifle at reasonable ranges, out to 400m.
On the other hand, boat tail bullets are just plain ###y in appearance. Kind of like a tall ###y woman with a lot of bling.
First, will your rifle shoot them accurately and second are the bullets adequately built to do the intended job.
Some of the boat tail bullets offered are just to frangible for hunting purposes. Same goes for some of the flat base though.
In some rifles the twist rate will limit the ability to stabilize the longer boat tail designs. Most spire points will do well in the average hunting rifle at reasonable ranges, out to 400m.
On the other hand, boat tail bullets are just plain ###y in appearance. Kind of like a tall ###y woman with a lot of bling.
I have heard, and this makes sense, that the flat tail will better engage the rifling due to a larger (longer) contact area. This may be more important on light weight bullets which are shorter and may need more 'bite' in order to grab the bore.
Wow Kamlooky, you asked a question that got nearly two pages of answers without an argument or disagreement! Can you broker peace deals in the Middle East too? 
And for the record, and for what it's worth, we all seem to be on the same page here. I've never found it makes a lick of difference in my hunting rifles. I use both, and some rifles like BT, some prefer a particular flat. I don't care either way, so long as my game falls dead and my range days are satisfying.
And for the record, and for what it's worth, we all seem to be on the same page here. I've never found it makes a lick of difference in my hunting rifles. I use both, and some rifles like BT, some prefer a particular flat. I don't care either way, so long as my game falls dead and my range days are satisfying.
Certain rifles do not seem to like Boattail bullets much.
Most will shoot flat base bullets quite well.
As has been said, in the field out to 500 yards at least, the difference is moot.
If I am shooting a boattail bullet at game, I prefer that the core be bonded, rather than C&C, which "slip" easily in the jacket on impact.
Regards, Dave.
Most will shoot flat base bullets quite well.
As has been said, in the field out to 500 yards at least, the difference is moot.
If I am shooting a boattail bullet at game, I prefer that the core be bonded, rather than C&C, which "slip" easily in the jacket on impact.
Regards, Dave.
Wow Kamlooky, you asked a question that got nearly two pages of answers without an argument or disagreement! Can you broker peace deals in the Middle East too?
And for the record, and for what it's worth, we all seem to be on the same page here. I've never found it makes a lick of difference in my hunting rifles. I use both, and some rifles like BT, some prefer a particular flat. I don't care either way, so long as my game falls dead and my range days are satisfying.
I'd use flat butt bullets over yonder.
Most of my arsenal is flat as to me it seems to make more sense.
I buy boat tail when flat butt's aren't available.
Just had a hankering to add some spice to here as I don't recall ever reading up on the topic.
And folks, thanks for keeping it educational.
New Camper
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Lurking in the woods near SFRC.
Flat base bullets are as outdated and antiquated as bronze armour... you'd have to be a ...
I shoot both, but most centerfire I shoot are BT simply because the rifles I shoot most I also intend on reaching on to longer range when I get the opportunities. Instead of developing loads for FB, which will produce different ballistics than with the BT, I concentrate mostly on the latter even though for the time being I don't have many opportunities to shoot beyond 500 yards. I have found that FB bullets are a bit cheaper than BT (17.95 vs. 21.95 per hundred of .224 Hornady SP and VMAX respectively) I still use both, and my 222 rifles (at least with me at the trigger) don't seem to exhibit any preference between the two.
I shoot both, but most centerfire I shoot are BT simply because the rifles I shoot most I also intend on reaching on to longer range when I get the opportunities. Instead of developing loads for FB, which will produce different ballistics than with the BT, I concentrate mostly on the latter even though for the time being I don't have many opportunities to shoot beyond 500 yards. I have found that FB bullets are a bit cheaper than BT (17.95 vs. 21.95 per hundred of .224 Hornady SP and VMAX respectively) I still use both, and my 222 rifles (at least with me at the trigger) don't seem to exhibit any preference between the two.
About 20 year's ago I ran a test with 30-06 case's to see how many reload's I could get out of a batch of 20 brass, neck sizing only and in that test I got to wondering what would happen if you seated bullet's backward's in the case. Nothing. At 100 yd's there was no real differance.
I stopped doing the test after 30 reload's because it was costing me too much money in bullet's!.
I still have those 20 case's, and still use them occasionally.
I stopped doing the test after 30 reload's because it was costing me too much money in bullet's!.
I still have those 20 case's, and still use them occasionally.
Oley chit.........there in lies the mystery to finding flat noze bullets for tubular magazine levers............. boattail and spin'im round........
Zuke, yer a jeanyuss...............whoooooooooooooooot....................
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Zuke, yer a jeanyuss...............whoooooooooooooooot....................
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