PRB -VS- Conical Point of Impact Differences

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Oct 13, 2013
Messages
1,107
Reaction score
2,785
Location
Federal Way Washington
Before we get started, I get it, "every gun is diffent" and "it depends on the load". Okay, but generally speaking and based on your experience, if your rifle is sighted for a PRB would you expect a conical to shoot higher or lower. As an example, in my suppository handguns, heavier bullet tend to shoot higher.
 
Me thinks the point of impact will change.

To know exactly how much requires range time.

Heavier projectile means more recoil.

More recoil means the muzzle will rise a bit more.
 
Try it and find out. I would suspect the conical to hit lower if both are made of the same material and have the same charge. Heavier weight and longer bearing surface creating drag on the trip down the bore. Depending on any lube applied it may be reduced but I'd still expect the PRB to exit faster. As well, the patch may well provide a lower friction due to it being a different material.
In my mind the best apples to apples is an unpatched ball that it the same diameter and composition as the conical. Same lube or no lube on each.

However, once clear of the barrel the conical should handle conditions such as wind and remain truer in flight. Better ballistic shape and heavier weight.

In your example, if the heavier projectile is hitting higher, it may be because the greater mass is "bucking the wind/air" better. Assuming the same profile and muzzle velocity.

I recently saw a video where one of the Apollo missions dropped a feather and a weight on the moon once. They both hit at the same time.
 
Heavier bullets generally impact higher if the sights aren't changed. Lower velocity coupled with recoil means the muzzle is rising more before the bullet exits the barrel. It's a well known phenomenon.
 
I did not allow for the instability of the firearm during the act of firing.

I've fired the same rifle with a normal hold and so well braced that I would describe it as forbidding recoil. The much more tightly held firing produced better results and was actually more pleasant to shoot. I don't know if it was ever more than a concept, I saw a diagram where the muzzle swell on a cannon was encase within a fortress wall in order to eliminate recoil. Must have been a bugger to load and lay. Pretty sure it would have been hard on the gun and wall as well.
I've fired a heavier caliber that had better results than a smaller one.
I've fired the same caliber out of two different rifles and had pretty different experiences.

I think you'll pretty much have to control and minimize variables to get a definitive answer. Maybe someone is in a position to make a project out of it?

Allowing for the shooter's ability to handle lower recoil better, yes I see your point.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top