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Sir Bob,

Glad you made it back from vacation and got out another blog entry.
Excellent discussion on bullets and ballistics as usual.
Could not agree more with your take on things.

Your take on Phil's holdover table is same as mine too, after running same assumed numbers.

Here is some trivia for bullet nerds:

Early Federal factory loads with Jack Carter Original TBBC 500-gr./.458 bullets had a BC = 0.342
according to Bob Forker's first edition of AMMO & BALLISTICS (C) 2000.
This may be the bullet Phil Shoemaker used when he whacked the 400-yard, 74" bull moose.
Long before the 2017 6th edition the BC for that bullet became 0.284, as lately specified.
I guess they changed the longer-nosed semispitzer TBBC (so well suited to the .458 WinMag)
to a shorter-nosed, blunt FN/RN/SN that would fit the .458 Lott better.
The .458 Lott with 2.8" brass is nose-challenged in a 3.6" magazine.


Phil's table works very well with a BC of 0.324 also.
2040 fps MV, 1.5" sight height for the 2.5X20mm Leupold, 100-yard zero
59*F, 78% RH, 400 ft altitude, 29.53 In.Hg
(assumes the flat tundra and near surfaces of big Alaskan lakes, and self-servingly same altitude as my home range to boot):
100 yards 0
200 yards -9.02" ~ -1 foot
300 yards -31.34" ~ -3 feet
400 yards -70,49" ~ -6 feet

Consider the 400-gr Woodleigh PPSN which maker claims has a BC of 0.340
2500 fps MV, 1.75" sight height for a 2.5-8X36mm Leupold, 200-yard zero
59*F, 78% RH, 400 ft altitude, 29.53 In.Hg:
100 yards +2.56" ~ 0
200 yards 0
300 yards -11.3" ~ -1 foot
400 yards -33.02" ~ -3 feet
500 yards -68.55" ~ -6 feet

Same drop table just moved it out an extra 100 yards.
Or point and shoot out to 250 yards and only have to use my brain past 250 yards.
It is -4.37" out at 250 yards, OK for a moose vital zone.

Woodleigh recommends impact velocity of 1900 fps to 2500 fps for this bullet.
250-yard velocity is 1908 fps. Poor expansion past that ?
SD = 0.272
Oh well, maybe that tiny FN meplat on the PPSN would help it go straight after impact, if not much expanded.

The Old Jack Carter TBBC with BC = 0.342 would have 400-yard velocity = 1283 fps
SD = 0.341
Expansion and penetration at low MV were outstanding with that bullet,
as was the placement by Phil Shoemaker.

He did not mention windage, must have been the calm before sundown.
TBBC Original 500-grainer at 2040 fps MV zeroed at 100 yards might have 22.07" of drift at 400 yards with a 10-mph crosswind, ~2 feet.
Woodleigh PPSN 400-grainer at 2500 fps MV zeroed at 200 yards might have 11.13" of drift at 400 yards with a 10-mph crosswind, ~1 foot.