Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters True muzzle velocity of factory ammo?

Those are solid numbers !

Don't know for sure. The guy showed up while I was chronoing a .25-06 load. He just used factory ammo. Actually got rid of the rifle after season. Fine looking piece to.

I know that its theoretical, but having an understanding of true MV allows for more accuracy when calculating ballistic tables. It’s a new rifle and load for me and with my shots regularly ranging from anywhere between 40 yards (two days ago on a Kudu bull) to over 300 yards, it will help me to understand my equipment a bit quicker. I am hoping that the load averages over 2,800 fps from my rifle, in which case I am happy to use it for everything. I wouldn’t be happy if it was closer to 2700 fps as I am then not maximising the ability of the caliber, reloading aside.

Apparently there's no way for you to chronograph the loads in your rifle. But hunters used to get by just fine out to 300+ yards before chronographs became cheap enough for the average guy, by actually shooting at 300-400 yards to determine the drops.

You can just look at the posted velocity and use it as a starting point for predicting your actual trajectory. Then go out and actually shoot out to your maximum range to get your actual drop chart. I would suggest shooting at 200, 300, 350 and 400 yards. That will give you real world numbers. Too many variables to trust a ballistic table without actually shooting.

And even if the muzzle velocity is 100 or even 150 fps different than listed, there will be zero practical difference in the field out to 400.

I don't trust any calculation any farther than I could throw the sheet of paper its printed on.

To do ANYTHING other than fire your load from your gun up to the max distances to get actual confirmed drops is a dis service to you and your intended target.

There can be more than a few variations beyond MV that can affect how the bullets impact.

The ONLY thing I use calcs for is to have an idea where to start on paper. I don't recall any of my JBM calcs not having to be corrected for actual drops ever. Maybe not at 300 yards but certainly further out.

I intend to put the hours in, I’m just trying to make a head start. I will ask a friend if he will join me at the range with his chronograph. I know that the ammo is good and groups well from my rifle (used it successfully on a hunt this past weekend) and now understand that there is no magical database that I can refer to. Thanks to all who shared their views and for their input.

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

After you have developed a drop chart you can use soft ware to "back"
into a table by playing with the vel and bc in the soft ware but since most folk use the soft ware to generate the drop chart what is the point?
Pavementends

Thankfully someone said it....

I recall pre phonograph days...Wyoming bull elk and 30/06 with 150 Power Point factory ammo. Paced off at about 350 yards after the fact. First shot a hair far back and the second through the slats. Dead bull.

Oh...scope was a 3X.

I bet that ammo was no better than 2850 fps. We obsess way too much.