Optimum Round Ball Caliber

[Rat]

if you fired a .40", .45", .50", .52", .56", .58", and .62" ball at the same velocity, would they not have the same trajectory? But they do not have the same ballistic coefficient. They have different sectional densities. The ballistic sectional density is different from sectional density as used in physics. In physics sectional density is the mass divided by the cross-sectional area and has units of mass/dimension squared. In ballistics, sectional density is weight in pounds divided by diameter in inches squared. They differ by a factor of Pi if resolved to common units. Volume and mass/weight of a round ball is a function of diameter cubed. Cross-sectional area is a function of diameter squared. Ballistic sectional density is a function of diameter. Ballistic coefficient is section density divided by form coefficient. Form coefficient for a sphere is independent of size. The Lyman BP Handbook has BC's for a variety of calibres. Those BC's correspond directly to (ballistic) sectional density divided by a coefficient of form of 1.52 for round balls.
All else being equal, the higher the sectional density, the less the loss of speed in flight, the less the loss of energy in flight, and the less the drop in trajectory. A ballistics trajectory calculation shows that for equal initial velocities, smaller calibre round balls will have greater drop than larger calibre round balls when measured at the same distance.

Thank you.

 

[BlackHillsBob]

if you put any cal. of rifle in a vice and by a level make them perfectly flat to the earth. load them as you want and at the perfect time of firing drop the same round ball or any round ball to the ground, they will both hit the ground at the same time. so this is what we learn from this. the faster the ball goes the more out in the range it will hit. they will always hit the ground at the same time. again, the faster the ball is going the more distance will be achieved but they always hit the ground at the same time. you desk jockey math experts let errrrr rip. i have a degree in math before i went into medicine, what i just wrote to pure science. let the nay sayers cut loose.

 

[mlshooter]

Here is a web-based round ball ballistics calculator which might answer some of these questions:
http://ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/rbballistics/web_apps/rb_ballistics.html

Here is a little more information about it:
http://ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/rbballistics/rbballistics.html

 

[nkbj]

if you put any cal. of rifle in a vice and by a level make them perfectly flat to the earth. load them as you want and at the perfect time of firing drop the same round ball or any round ball to the ground, they will both hit the ground at the same time. so this is what we learn from this. the faster the ball goes the more out in the range it will hit. they will always hit the ground at the same time. again, the faster the ball is going the more distance will be achieved but they always hit the ground at the same time. you desk jockey math experts let errrrr rip. i have a degree in math before i went into medicine, what i just wrote to pure science. let the nay sayers cut loose.

In a vacuum there would be no difference.