I sort of like 1200 FPS.

[tj3006]

I am sure there are Flaws in my idea, and I will hear about them from you guy's.
   But in my big bore revolvers, I like a load that does about 1200 FPS. 
    In a 41 mag, I can get there with a 240 grain bullet. I doubt my 4 5/8ths Barreled gun will do that, but my 7.5 inch Redhawk will. And my 6.5 inch Custom OM, and 5.5 SS Bisley get close enough. My two 44 Special's come up a bit short with a 240, but they have 4 5/8th barrels. 
    I can do this with 2400 , in all these guns easy, and with all but the 44 specials I can do it with 296 AA#9 and others.
If I go much beyond that I beat myself up to much, and to soon my Hands are shaking.
    Hard to hit well when the damn front sight won't sit still.
   My recently Acquired 7.5 inch NM 45 LC does it with 4227, and a 255 grain SWC, and when I run low on those bullets I will see how a 270 grain bullet works. 

   Any of these loads with the right bullet is enough for deer or black bear.  And that will do for me.   
     I have beat this old carcus of mine up enough playing football and lumping freight. unless the idiots in this state bring Brown Bears back , my 1200 is enough...tj

[bula]

I've mentioned in the past, coming up with loads to hit velo targets, ranges. I've been politely chided, reminded that accuracy to be the priority. Well,of course, ir accuracy not found , I'd switch bullets, powder, try variations close to same velo wanted. If you have enough gun, you need not play at the ragged edge anyway. I'll admit I had a 44mag SBH that seemed to shoot tighter and tighter as load levels climbed, stopping only for safety. For general use, with the 480's hunting too, prefer closer to 1100fps, sub-sonic. That 270gr 45 bullet , think will do all you want at 1100fps..?

[45MAN]

IF WE ARE TALKING CAST BULLETS AND OPEN SIGHT REVOLVERS WE HOLSTER CARRY ON A BELT HOLSTER, OR A LONGHORN COMPANION, OR A TEXAS SIDEKICK, OR A NICE CHEST OR SHOULDER HOLSTER, IN MY 45 COLT REVOLVERS, AND A 480 CUSTOM 5 SHOT NIMRODesque RUGER BISLEY, FOR THE SAKE OF BULLET INTEGRITY, I PREFER TO KEEP MV AT OR UNDER 1,300 fps, AND DO NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT LOADS THAT END UP AROUND 1,200fps. YOU CAN GET A LOT DONE @ 1,200fps.

[contender]

In general,, 1100-1200 fps with a quality bullet and well placed will do what it's being asked to do if properly matched to the job. But as noted,, accuracy is required for it to do the job.

I work up loads,, carefully,, looking for accuracy. And yes,, in that,, I'm trying all sorts of combinations. Quite often,, the most accurate loads in my big bores do fall into that sweet range of 1100-1200 fps. Others,, well sometimes,, they don't play well there. Some do require more velocity to truly achieve top accuracy, no matter the combo. I often try hard to find a load in that sweet range,, but begrudgingly advance stuff when accuracy fails to suit me.

[oddshooter]

I have a couple of shooters as well that seem to pick up accuracy as I load a little hotter. 1100 - 1200 works well for me.

But I have also found great accuracy at 700fps. Matching powder, weight, bullet, and gun requires experimenting with any velocity.  But velocity is rarely my game.  My goal is accuracy, no matter the load.

A symphony of variables needs to be in-tune and playing the same song for accuracy.


Prescut

[bigbrowndog]

1200-1300 is a good place to live with a proper cast or standard cup and core, especially for handguns. IMO, in order to gain any appreciable advantage over that range you need minimum 200fps and there you get more recoil and sometimes uncontrollable recoil. If you’re using original style mono metal bullets more velocity is better because frontal area on an expanded bullet slows down really fast. New style fragmenting monos probably do not benefit from more velocity.
For most, 1000fps is really all they need at ranges inside 75-80 yards. A proper bullet does a lot of work if pushed at the proper velocity, and delivered properly.

Just my .02 pfennig…….Trapr

[sixshot]

There are times when a bullet "design" has more of a hand in accuracy than velocity does. It doesn't take 1200 fps to take deer, but it does buy you extra distance, but at the same time you are gaining recoil & a bit flatter trajectory. It's never a free lunch, you give & you get! Good bullets & 900-1000 fps will take deer all day long with good placement.

Dick

[bushog]

I’m a 1050 guy

[lar4570]

My Taurus 454 likes 1350 with a 320-350 LFN. Most everything else I like to run around 1250ish

[blackmamba]

I like heavy for caliber bullets at 1100-1150. 240-250 gr. .41s, 265-270 gr. .44s, and 285-300 gr. .45s.
Nothing I've hit has gotten away so far . . .

[Deleted]

I like 1100 in 45 colt. 11.3g Longshot gives me just under 1100 with mp 308k swc bullet. Its my favorite. Not too much for me to have fun and my guns dont rattle loose. I use the 270 saa bullet in my midframe size guns with same Longshot load.

[bearskinner]

I believe 1150-1350FPS speeds kills critters much better than it should. ( big Revolver rounds) It’s just a very effective combination of shock and penetration. A lot nicer to handle than anything at a much higher speed.

[singleaction]

Sept 29, 2023 15:38:09 GMT -5 bushog said:

I’m a 1050 guy

I’m with Bushog here. The ballistic reality is that brick shaped bullets slow down to just under this velocity relatively quickly, and stay in that velocity ballpark through reasonable handgun hunting ranges, and do good work.

[fm027]

I am confidently sitting in the 1200 camp myself as well, and have done some fairly extensive testing with personal 41's & 44's on big boned old grouchy range cattle while drawing conclusions around it.

As already said, 1000fps bullets sail through flesh, rib cages & organs just fine in hunting situations where shot placement is shooters choice, but through thick skinned, grisly muscled big boned animals (especially) where bullets might be called on to break bones to immobilize something big & mean, 1200+ is what you want. An old bull with thick, aged bone will actually stop a 250gr bullet at the back of his skull, shot square between his eyes 15 yards away if 1000fps or less is what you're carrying. It'll kill him, but that bullet will only have the juice to penetrate 3/8's-inch thick leather on his forehead, the muscle its got behind that, and break into the skull to hit the brain. It won't carry the power needed to break a big stout spine beyond that point, let alone ever exit. That's precisely what 1000fps & 250grains is limited to.

The same 250grain bullet at 1200 will shatter the stout underlying spine and still whistle away in the distance behind that big bull. 250+ grain bullet at 1200 will also pass through two shoulders, and the entire cavity of a full grown 1500lb cow out to 20-25yards too, if shot broadside, and break both shoulders along the way. Someplace between 30-35 yards, even the 1200fps 250 will fall short to pass through a big cow or bull. But close range, it can. After many years compiling these tests personally in widely varying different situations, I do very confidently carry 1200fps ammo with 250-260gr bullets in my own 41's & 44's, and trust it completely to do any job I need in the field so far as handguns go. The only difference between applying this all to a big grizzly vs an old bull is that one lives with a forehead strong as a cement block, and had hooves on his feet, while the other grows teeth & claws... but anything a bullet will do to a bull, it will just as surely do to a bear. I rest my own case for 1200 right there.

[harold89]

Can’t say that I’ve cared or thought much about handgun velocity. It’s always been enough. Well, except for that 158 XTP going 1,650 that was too much.