Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Ways to increase Velocity or playing with fire?

Mechanics are taught to select the proper tool for the job. If one applies the "logic" of many campfire members to the trades, builders would frame houses using sledge hammers.

If we load old timey cartridges like the 30-06, 250 Savage or 225 Win using propellants and bullets developed since 1965 for example, we would have improved downrange performance. Throw in a better understanding of rifle construction, proper rifling twists, vastly better optics and modern synthetic stocks and you catapult cartridge performance to previously unknown levels.(no pun intended)

Some have already discovered what can be done with better bullets and improved propellants shot from pipsqueaks like the 223.

But if you didn't use copper or bonded bullets, and stuck with old fashioned cup and core ones, ask yourself how could hunters in the dim times have taken so many deer, moose, buffalo, etc. with inferior cartridges like the 30-30, 25-35 or 303 Savage, 7x57, 303 British, etc?

But something is missing. The original question was,

I've been meaning to post this theme for a while and get your feedback as to what is real-world velocity increase due to some efficiencies (better case, powder, bullet, throating etc.) vs what is "no free lunch" and not worth the hassle.

Muzzle velocity is the least important variable when hunting. Proper shot placement is the thing, with a bullet that will function properly at the velocity it's travelling at the time of impact.

You can play around with different powders or bullets for more velocity, but your own limitations will make more of a difference. When I experiment with different powders and bullets I only consider accuracy and the velocity necessary at the expected range of bullet impact.

People talk about the latest bullets, powders, rifles and optics, but rarely speak about shooting. Not BR type shooting, but simply practising with their favourite load, designed to get the job done. I would spend less time trying to figure out how to squeeze an extra few fps from a bullet, and more time shooting .

Shoot more and put the bullet where it needs to go. Technology will not buy performance.

Even calling in an air strike doesn't always produce the desired result.