Bullets what is grain

For the most part, terminal ballistics cannot be mathematically calculated because there just is no way of determining exactly what a bullet will do when hitting something. The qualitative information about terminal ballistics usually relates to the type of bullet you are using, such as full metal jacket versus hollow point. If you own a gun primarily for self defense or hunting, then grain and ballistics might not matter to you.

What is important is the type of caliber you use and the projectile or bullet design. However, at Ammoplanet, we believe in providing our customers with a choice. We take a no-limits approach when it comes to ammo variety and want to make sure we put the right rounds in your hands. If you want to learn more about us and what makes us the right source for all your ammunition needs, check out our story. If you have an account with us, log in to track your orders and manage your personal information.

Why Is Bullet Grain Important? But for competition-style precision shooting, bullet grain matters. A lot. What Is Ballistics? What To Look For When Buying Ammunition If you own a gun primarily for self defense or hunting, then grain and ballistics might not matter to you.

Some gr loads shoot at fps and fps, delivering and ft lbs. Whereas, a lot of the gr 9mm ammo shoots at a MV of fps, producing ft. So, the point here is that the 9mm varies enough to make a fairly big impact on the kick you experience, depending on exactly type of round you are shooting, especially since you have a light gun!

So, look more closely at the ammo you are shooting. Ken W — you are partially correct as the bullet gets heavier with the same power in the cartridge, the overall force goes up. In general, that means so does the kick. But the real story here is that a discussion just about the bullet and its weight measured in grains without discussing what the power charge is, is quite misleading. With most ammo manufacturers, especially in the handgun department, the more powerful rounds are either the heaviest grain bullets, or the second heaviest.

This is because they load these cartridges with a powerful amount of powder. They are often looking for and offering power and knock down ability. Also, in most calibers and with most ammo manufacturers, the lighter grain bullets are aligned with mush less powerful cartridge loads. Of course, there are exceptions to this, but in general, this is the real world situation — the most powerful rounds per caliber with the most kick, most accurate, most power are with the heavier bullets.

I shoot. After looking at my extensive ballistics file, some of the exceptions I mentioned above the higher power with lighter bullets are with the small case calibers, like the 9MM and the.

Speed is far more important when calculating power than weight, so this works for these types of calibers. But when the casing size goes up. So, if you can get the smaller bullets to move really fast, then there is less kick, and more accuracy, but only up to a point accuracy wise, because the smaller grain bullets are impacted a lot more by the wind. Other things that can reduce kick are the weight of the gun, and the barrel length, where longer is less kick.

This reduction in kick is true for any size bullet. And accuracy is a bit misleading as well. For instance, the heavier bullets will drop more simply due to gravity. So, when shooting at a long distance, this amount of drop needs to be known either mathematically, or by trial and error empirical proof. One of the longest sniper shots was with a 50 cal shooting grain bullets a distance of about 2 miles! He had to know how much this very heavy bullet would drop in that distance. So, accuracy then becomes how small a groping will the gun do time after time at any given distance.

Hence, the length of the barrel has a direct impact on this, as well as the type and make of the gun. Some guns have greater distances between the cylinder and barrel, and some have less rifling. At the moment, my only handgun is a Kel Tec PF It has a very slim profile and no padding or ergonomic benefit in the grip. I find that grain is the most comfortable bullet to shoot with it consistently.

The grain shells were not an option, because the barrel flip was too strong for me hit a soda can that was only 7 yards or so away. I look forward to getting another handgun that has a bit more weight to it and a more comfortable grip so that I can use a higher grain for self-defense and improve the chances of me hitting my target.

How about that! Your email address will not be published. My name is Mike and my goal is to provide you with all types of information for your everyday carry needs. Growing up the son of a Marine, I was raised to be prepared and adaptable to overcome life's challenges. So, whether it's setting up and maintaining your EDC bag, laws on concealed carry, or refining your medical kit we tackle the hard questions.

I am a concealed permit holder for over a decade , a lifetime NRA member, certified firearms instructor, and a firearm enthusiast. Many of my friends and family are former or active duty military, and I have consulted with them on many of the topics I cover in this blog over the years. This site EverydayCarryConcealed.

Table of Contents. Is Higher Grain Ammo Better? Powder charge for a gr 9mm bullet before loading. There are people who swear by a heavier bullet weight in their self defense rounds and it is true that certain brands and product lines have better track records than others.

You may find a lighter bullet has performed consistently better than a heavy bullet in a ballistic testing or vice versa ; because of all the factors involved, relying solely on bullet weight is unrealistic. Features such as the no-clog hollow point bullet and a design and powder load specifically for use in a full size handgun contributed to the decision as well as consistent performance in testing.

Ultimately, find a cartridge that performs well under testing or real world applications and most importantly, one that functions well in your gun. Hunting- Picking out a round for hunting follows the same line of thinking as picking out a round for self defense — you want to stop in this case, kill your living target.

Again, you need a round powerful enough to penetrate the vital organs of your target. Considerations that need to be taken include the size and anatomy of the game, the terrain, the distance at which you are shooting, and the laws and regulations where you are hunting.

Selecting a caliber that is adequate for the game and conditions you are hunting in will be more important than any particular bullet weight. There are specialty rounds available specifically for the game you will be hunting, such as the Winchester Super-X. Precision Shooting- When shooting rifles at longer distances, bullet weight becomes more important. Your barrel length and twist rate will play a part in your ammo selection, with heavier bullets requiring a faster twist rate.

The science behind long range rifle shooting is vast and confusing, but there are many precision shooters out there who can offer guidance and education on the topic. Competition- Depending on what competition venue and division you are competing in, power factor will probably be important to you and you will need to be sure your ammo is meeting the set requirements. Competition shooters want minimal recoil and the current trend shows shooters that compete with lighter polymer guns lean towards heavier bullets, while those shooting heavy race guns favor lighter bullets.

There are many ammo options on the market, and bullet weight is just one of many considerations to make when picking out the right rounds for you. All of this is good and fine in theory, but what does that mean to you practically? For most plinking at the range, not a whole lot. If your rounds consistently hit the target higher or lower than you want, then you have two options.

One is to put a new front or rear sight on your gun, if one is available.