Heavier bullets = lighter loads?

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JPB

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When someone says to use lighter loads, does this typically translate into a heavier bullet? From what I can tell, it seems that the higher grain bullets tend to have a lower muzzle velocity. I'm no expert on physics, but this would seem to make sense being that a heavier object would require more force to move it forward at the same speed as a lighter object. It's often recommended to practice with lighter loads when needing to reduce recoil, but I was just wondering if lighter really means heavier. Or am I way off base here?
 

Spiff

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Heavier bullets usually have more felt recoil than lighter bullets, when loaded to 'equivalent' levels. It's a conservation of momentum thing...momentum = mass*velocity, so going up in bullet weight usually has more impact on momentum than going down in velocity.

Light loads mean less velocity, usually.

.45 ACP in a 1911 is kind of weird though...the really competitive guys recommend 230gr rather than lighter bullets for competition loads because they 'feel' lighter.
 

ssgrock3

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not sure if I am miss reading the above or what, but in for example a .40, the lighter bullets (135-155gr) have more "snap" or felt recoil than a 180gr round. I find heavier loads are easier to shoot. Now in big bore rifles, the extreme heavy loads will have more felt recoil. Ex: 400+ gr .45-70 will definately have more recoil than a lighter load. Guess it is all relative and depends on how You load the ammo, but this is my experience with factory ammo. I have loaded some 147gr 9mm that would drop at your feet when it extracted.
 

technetium-99m

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For some of the gun games you are only trying to make "power factor" with your loads. In 45 the 230gr loads are softer shooting because you are only trying to make the bullet go 717 (I think) fps. That's not near full velocity for a 230gr bullet load.

If you want a really light recoiling load try a light to medium wt bullet with the lowest powder charge you can find data for.
 

ssgrock3

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When someone says to use lighter loads, does this typically translate into a heavier bullet? From what I can tell, it seems that the higher grain bullets tend to have a lower muzzle velocity. I'm no expert on physics, but this would seem to make sense being that a heavier object would require more force to move it forward at the same speed as a lighter object. It's often recommended to practice with lighter loads when needing to reduce recoil, but I was just wondering if lighter really means heavier. Or am I way off base here?

guess it depends on what you are shooting. shotgun lighter loads are softer recoiling. A full house .357 mag, has a bit more felt recoil than a target load, same with most. but if you reload, you can make most of them do whatever it is you want to do. the context of your post would seem that you might need some milder shooting ammo? light in that case might be some low velocity of whatever caliber you are shooting. as stated above, I have loaded some 147gr 9mm's that land at your feet and feel like a pillow when being shot. can't do that with a 115gr bullet. .38's you can also download to minimums and are very pleasant to shoot. some autos won't cycle far downloaded ammo, but that wasn't your question. depending on caliber the idea of a heavier bullet = less velocity, is usually true, but not necessarily less felt recoil. I hope I have not muddied the waters too much, but it just depneds on what you are shooting.
 

JPB

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I actually had a .38 in mind in regards to my question. I've read that to reduce felt recoil, shoot a lighter load. In reading data on bullets, it seems like the higher the grain, the less velocity, which lead to me wondering if when someone says lighter load, it translates into a bullet with a higher grain. Let's take Blazer Brass and American Eagle as an example. The BB I shot I believe was 125 gr, and the American Eagle was 180 gr. The BB has a higher velocity than the American Eagle, so in this case it seems that the American Eagle is actually the lighter load. Is this a true statement?
 

ssgrock3

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I think what thww person meant was some "lighter" meaning more like a target round, than a hot self defense rd. I don't think is cover all rule for bullet weight equals felt recoil, however you will find higher velocity equals more snap or felt recoil. in a .38 some nice lead semi wad cutter or wad cutter in 148 or 158gr woild be very gentle. you can download a .38 to the 650-700 fps range and not feel much at all, especially in a 4" or greater barrel. very nice to shoot, then if need be you can get or load some stouter ones...like a 125gr hp or fmj upto around 1050 or so.
 

criticalbass

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In pursuit of lighter recoil and/or savings on powder, people sometimes make up loads lighter than published minimums in reloading books.

This can be very dangerous because of something called "detonation." Look it up. It should be addressed in any reloading text, and the internet has a bunch of sites that talk about it. CB
 

sabot_round

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In pursuit of lighter recoil and/or savings on powder, people sometimes make up loads lighter than published minimums in reloading books.

This can be very dangerous because of something called "detonation." Look it up. It should be addressed in any reloading text, and the internet has a bunch of sites that talk about it. CB

+1
Be careful with light loads, you might get them lighter that you want them to be.
 

Stephen Cue

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In my loading experience recoil = amount of powder charge.

When I reloaded for my 7mm, I found the best loads for me accuracy wise was heavier bullet, less powder. I recieved less recoil and less muzzle rise.

So when you see lighter bullets with higher powder charges, this is meant for longer distance shooting with a high muzzle velocity.

A higher muzzle velocity = more felt recoil

This is a very interesting topic which can lead to many different nuances of thought here depending on what one is loading for: plinking, high precision target, competition, hunting (big-small game), etc.

I read somewhere "online" (dont ask for a link, cant find it) that Jerry Miculek uses a less than recommended powder charge or the heaviest bullet possible for the lightest possible load.

In other words, the minimum amount of powder to have safe and successful expulsion of the bullet from the bore.

Say you have two .38 special cartridges one is a +P. So say both are 158 grain bullets and your using Hodgdon HP-38. One has 3.1 grains of powder and the other is a +P load with 4.6 grains of powder. Obviously the +P will have more recoil.

Now say you have one round that is still 158 grain bullet with 3.1 grains of HP-38 and that other is 125 grain bullet with 5.3 grains of HP-38. Which will have more recoil & muzzle rise?: the lighter bullet with a heavier powder charge.

In most cases, a heavier bullet will have less muzzle velocity = less recoil

+2 on what others say about being careful with low powder charges. If the charge is too low for the bullet to successfully exit the barrel, you follow it with another round, BOOM!!!



~Stephen
 

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