What is the highest velocity caliber?

[RichardJCross]

What is the highest velocity caliber? Is higher muzzle velocity better?

[Crazymonkey]

220 swift at 4665 .That's screaming fast.

[GreyGhost85]

The fastest cartridge is undoubtedly the 6.5 CM. It must shoot at least 6,000fps. 

[yotebuster]

10 minutes ago, GreyGhost85 said:

The fastest cartridge is undoubtedly the 6.5 CM. It must shoot at least 6,000fps. 

Even faster uphill.  

[Couesdeer]

10 miles per second....  or 52,800FPS.

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/22/science/fastest-gun-on-earth-goals-go-beyond-planet.html

[loboscout]

Weatherby magnums are generally at the highest velocity for each caliber bullet their cartridges for factory stuff. But, they aren’t designed for the high ballistic coefficient bulllets, except the new 6.5/300 or whatever it’s called.

Velocity alone is important out to about 500, after that the ballistic coefficient starts to matter more as the drag on the bullet slows it down. 

A flat base 60 grain .243 bullet will get to 500 yards faster than a 105 grain .243 bullet, but the 105 grain bullet is more aerodynamic so ultimately there is a point at which the 60 grain slows down but the 105 keeps going because of the difference in drag.

For long range, heavier high ballistic coefficient bullets for caliber are better.

Similarly, if you shoot a 140 .308 bullet at the same velocity as a 140 .264 bullet, the .264 bullet has a higher ballistic coefficient because it is longer. The .308 will have higher velocity but it also slows down faster.

If you want to shoot long range, the best cartridges are ones that are designed to shoot a high BC bullet. High BC bullets require a faster twist barrel, typically. So, a .260 REM, though very similar to 6.5 Creedmoor, typically doesn’t have the barrel twist or factory loaded ammo for high BC bullets.

Long Range is what has spawned many newer cartridges that are factory designed for the bullets and improvements in case and powder design. Those are the newer cartridges like 6 creedmoor, 6.5 creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, 300 PRC, the Noslers, 6.8 Western, 280 AI, etc.

 

[trphyhntr]

Thought it was a .204 

[L Cazador]

On 3/27/2022 at 10:35 PM, trphyhntr said:

Thought it was a .204 

Nope! It's a 22/6mm 40 degree improved with a 50 gr. bullet!! Way past the Swift back in 1990. Only got 500 rounds down the barrel. Most of them never made it to the target!! 

[forepaw]

On 3/27/2022 at 8:59 PM, loboscout said:

Weatherby magnums are generally at the highest velocity for each caliber bullet their cartridges for factory stuff. But, they aren’t designed for the high ballistic coefficient bulllets, except the new 6.5/300 or whatever it’s called.

Velocity alone is important out to about 500, after that the ballistic coefficient starts to matter more as the drag on the bullet slows it down. 

A flat base 60 grain .243 bullet will get to 500 yards faster than a 105 grain .243 bullet, but the 105 grain bullet is more aerodynamic so ultimately there is a point at which the 60 grain slows down but the 105 keeps going because of the difference in drag.

For long range, heavier high ballistic coefficient bullets for caliber are better.

Similarly, if you shoot a 140 .308 bullet at the same velocity as a 140 .264 bullet, the .264 bullet has a higher ballistic coefficient because it is longer. The .308 will have higher velocity but it also slows down faster.

If you want to shoot long range, the best cartridges are ones that are designed to shoot a high BC bullet. High BC bullets require a faster twist barrel, typically. So, a .260 REM, though very similar to 6.5 Creedmoor, typically doesn’t have the barrel twist or factory loaded ammo for high BC bullets.

Long Range is what has spawned many newer cartridges that are factory designed for the bullets and improvements in case and powder design. Those are the newer cartridges like 6 creedmoor, 6.5 creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, 300 PRC, the Noslers, 6.8 Western, 280 AI, etc.

 

This is basically true, but only at distances further than most of us could or should shoot at game i.e. past 1000 yds.  The big advantage to high B.C. bullets is their streamlined shape allows them to maintain velocity better,  so gravity doesn't have as much time to pull them back to earth.  Also, since they maintain velocity longer, and don't go subsonic and start to wobble, they get through wind a lot better.  https://appliedballisticsllc.com/  these guys are your friend if you are into long range shooting.

 

 

[HuntHarder]

the 17-50bmg is the fastest I have seen.  17gr. bullet at the speed of light.  

[PRDATR]

12 minutes ago, HuntHarder said:

the 17-50bmg is the fastest I have seen.  17gr. bullet at the speed of light.  

That light you think you see right after the burnt powder melts your retna is the bullet becomming dust.

[yotebuster]

There was a guy on the hammer bullets FB group that broke 5000fps with some kinda .17 cal wildcat with like 20gr copper bullets.  

[cl65driver]

.30-06 accelerator is pretty quick 

[lancetkenyon]

.22 Eargesplitten Loundenboomer.

.378 Wby mag necked to .224.  With today's powders and a solid copper, should easily break 5000fps+.

[loboscout]

On 3/31/2022 at 7:12 PM, forepaw said:

This is basically true, but only at distances further than most of us could or should shoot at game i.e. past 1000 yds.  The big advantage to high B.C. bullets is their streamlined shape allows them to maintain velocity better,  so gravity doesn't have as much time to pull them back to earth.  Also, since they maintain velocity longer, and don't go subsonic and start to wobble, they get through wind a lot better.  https://appliedballisticsllc.com/  these guys are your friend if you are into long range shooting.

 

 

Love the Applied Ballistics books and their solver. 
 

Not sure what you mean exactly, or where you think it is basically true. There are a couple assumptions I made, so maybe that is the thing.
 

Maybe an example would help. Anyhow, here is one that I put together. Consider a 180 VLD at 3050 fps and a 150 VLD at 3250 same caliber, .284.

The 180 has terminal velocity high enough to kill out to 1000 and the 150 only out to 750. Drop out to 1000 is the same but only has enough velocity out to 750 to kill. Time of flight is within a few hundredths of a second.

Wind is the separator.  Wind drift at 750 yards is 6 inches more with the 150 in a 10 mph wind. At 1000, wind drift is 15 inches more.

That’s my opinion on why velocity is king out to 500 but after that BC starts to matter for wind and drop.