[ammopoor]

do you guys get better accuracy from different configurations or bullet styles? 45 for example was initially developed as ball ammo back in 1911 or so, at least thats what I've read. So what works RN,SWC,FN,or is this a question with no true answer? Ive' used mostly RS or RN but this is more for feed issues not accuracy.

[ReloaderFred]

Actually, the .45 acp was invented by John Moses Browning in 1905. The shape of the bullet had more to do with feeding through his 1905 pistol, rather than accuracy.

I'm assuming you're talking primarily about handgun bullets. One of the most accurate bullets in a handgun is the hollow base wadcutter in the .38 Special, which is probably the worst aerodynamic bullet there is. For short range shooting, the bullet shape doesn't seem to really matter that much. The nut behind the trigger really has more to do with accuracy than bullet shape.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[layusn1]

You've got me curious...are you saying the most accurate bullet out of all of the shapes and all of the calibers is a homemade .38 special bullet? I assume you are talking about cast, based on the hollow base, but I really don't know much about commercially available .38 special bullet designs that are jacketed. Not at all trying to call you out or disagree, just wondering if that is personal opinion or a concurrence of several people...thanks.

[cdrt]

The .38 Special with a HBWC is one of the most inherently accurate cartridges out there. Not an opinion; just a fact.

As far as the .45 ACP goes, I can get pretty much the same accuracy out of my wadcutter gun with 185 or 200 grain SWCs as I do out of my hardball gun with 230 FMJs or lead RN bullets.

Both, however, pale in comparison to my Clark .38 Special 1911 converison. The .38 will group at an inch and a half at 50 yards out of a Ransom Rest, whereas the .45s will only do about two and half inches.

[Sunray]

"...with no true answer?..." Exactly. Like any firearm, it depends on the pistol/revolver.

[jfh]

The general consensus among experienced shooters seems to be that

1. "aerodynamics" has no bearing on accuracy at typical handgun shooting distances.

2. "Technology"--action type, quality of assembly, etc. of both the firearm and the cartridge / components has the primary bearing on inherent accuracy, and

3. None of this matters for practical accuracy--i.e., the skill of the shooter in managing the technology.

Bullet shapes evolved historically: in whatever caliber, SWCs showed up when paper-punching was a driving force for shooting. Scorers wanted a clean cut to the target paper, IOW. HPs showed up when a need for better-performing 'tactical' ammunition was needed.

I get better accuracy from my SA 1911 shooting 200-gr LSWCs 'just barely Major' speeds because I set up the pistol that way.

From the factory, my Kimber ST II-10mm seems to do as well with 180-gr FMJ-TFNs as it does with 170-175-gr LSWCs for accuracy.

And, my various (2") j-frames are inherently accurate with typical 38+P PD loads--but for these revolvers, the practical accuracy is limited.

Jim H.

[JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone]

Although there are some barrels that shoot ball ammo very accurately, I think history has proven that the Hensley and Gibbs #68 & #78 FB or BB SWC designs have proven to be the most accurate, won more matches than any other design for .45acp. This bullet was designed for feed reliablility as an accurate SWC and is a bit more 'pointy' than many other SWC shapes/designs for this caliber. I have personally seen a good wad gun that will shoot 1 1/2" groups at 50yds with good lead SWC's that only shoot ~2" groups when loaded with good ball ammo.

Still, when it comes to lead, the metalergy of the alloy could be the most deciding factor. Too soft or too hard can/will affect accuracy in most any barrel.

-Steve

[ReloaderFred]

layusn1,

The hollowbase .38 wadcutter is swaged, not cast, and is usually only available from the factory, either as loaded ammunition, or as a loading component. It has the longest bearing surface of any bullet for the .38 Special, which a lot of experts attribute to it's accuracy. I used to have a target that I shot from a Ransom Rest at 50 yards from my K-38 that had 10 shots in 1 7/8". I lost that target in a divorce, along with just about everything else I owned at the time, but I still have the revolver.... When I was actively shooting PPC matches, I was shooting about 1,500 rounds of HBWC per week for about 4 years. My experience showed that it was inherently accurate out to 50 yards.

As noted by other posters, there are many variables when it comes to absolute accuracy, and bullet shape is just one of them, but the most important is the person actually doing the shooting.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Shooter973]

I cast a 240 gr round nose for my 44's and it is the most accurate one I cast.
I think it's because it make the transition to the barrel easiest of any shape. I haven't tried it in a rifle yet so I don't know how it will work in them. :)

[Ala Dan]

see what works best in each 1911~! :uhoh:

Be forewarned, they may not all be the same. :eek: :D

[Mike 3-4]

I notice my Vaquero likes rnfp bullets better than all others. The only thing I can figure is that the bullets ogive aligns with the chamber and forcing cone just right and will shoot 3/4" at 20 yards with lead bullets. That same Ruger also shoots Speer Gold Dot bullets real well and that bullet shape is similar to me also. I sometimes wonder if the degree of angle on the forcing cone is the key to our question?

[layusn1]

Reloader, CDR, thanks for the info...I haven't really delved into the world of handgun bullets much since I concentrate more on rifles...my shaky hands do much better with a benchrest...lol. Now that I'm officially retired from the Navy maybe I ll have more time to practice.

[Jim Watson]

The original .45 ACP semiwadcutters were designed to keep the same bore bearing length as the 230 hardball bullet but with the nose reduced to the minimum that would guide the round up the feed ramp. This mostly in the interest of reducing bullet weight and recoil; rebalancing the bullet which helped accuracy and the clean cutting shoulder were bonuses.

For a while it was widely publicized that the USMC match load was with a Nosler JHP.
Some years earlier, when a free Englishman might still own a pistol, I had read that a club there had Ransom Rest tested all available bullets and found the Sierra JHC was more accurate than Sierra Matchking or other "match" bullets. This probably because of the flat, square, and smooth edge of the jacketed bullet base versus the open base of FMJs and soft edges of lead.