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**Bud Helms** · June 26, 2000, 06:54 PM

It isn't just the bullet weight that gives recoil and muzzle flip, bullet velocity is part of the formula too.

If a 200 gr bullet at 830 fps gives a certain recoil (ft lbs), then a lighter bullet going faster or a heavier bullet going slower can be tweaked (velocity) to give the same recoil. Remember a reduction in powder of only .4 grs of the WST, from 4.4 grs in your example, to 4.0 grs, is 9.1%!

If you assume a 9.1% heavier bullet (218 gr) and a slightly higher muzzle velocity of, say 770 fps, with the same 4.0 grs of WST,
you get about the same recoil energy, for the same gun weight. That's a tribute to the consistency of the powder.

I calculated it from the formula in Lyman reloading book, No 47. Try it yourself.

June 26, 2000, 06:54 PM	#3
Bud Helms Senior Member Join Date: December 31, 1999 Location: Middle Georgia, USA Posts: 13,198	It isn't just the bullet weight that gives recoil and muzzle flip, bullet velocity is part of the formula too. If a 200 gr bullet at 830 fps gives a certain recoil (ft lbs), then a lighter bullet going faster or a heavier bullet going slower can be tweaked (velocity) to give the same recoil. Remember a reduction in powder of only .4 grs of the WST, from 4.4 grs in your example, to 4.0 grs, is 9.1%! If you assume a 9.1% heavier bullet (218 gr) and a slightly higher muzzle velocity of, say 770 fps, with the same 4.0 grs of WST, you get about the same recoil energy, for the same gun weight. That's a tribute to the consistency of the powder. I calculated it from the formula in Lyman reloading book, No 47. Try it yourself.