Low Velocity - High, High Velocity - Low ???

[Zerstoerer]

I don't understand:
A factory round leaves the barrel at 2650 fps and hits 2 inches low at 100yards.
My handloads leave the barrel at 2500 fps and hit 3 inches high.

Both .303 British, 150 gr. SP Bullets out of an scoped Enfield No.4 Mark II.

What am I missing here - should it not be the other way around with the lower velocity hitting the target lower ?

 

[ChristopherG]

This kind of thing can be perplexing. A slower bullet spends a slightly longer time in the barrel, right? And what's the barrel doing while the bullet is in there? Recoiling, including rising upwards. So a slower bullet stays in the barrel until the muzzle is actually pointing higher before it releases--and the direction the barrrel is pointing at the moment the bullet exits determines its trajectory.

Internal ballistics, it's called--the stuff that happens before the bullet even leaves the barrel.

 

[BluesBear]

Handgun shooters have had to deal with this for years.

When 125gr 38 & .357 loads became all the rage everyone was suddenly finding their old fixed sight revolvers were shooting LOW with the higher velocity ammo.

ChristopherG explained it pretty well.