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Old July 28, 2007, 02:12 PM   #6
JohnKSa
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Join Date: February 12, 2001
Location: DFW Area
Posts: 24,910
Quote:
At speeds above the speed of sound the nose shape has a greater effect than that of the base on retarding drag.
Sounds right.
Quote:
The boattail does not take effect till the bullet speed falls below the speed of sound.
But this doesn't.

The reduced drag is "in effect" from the time that the bullet leaves the barrel. The effect may be GREATER at subsonic velocities, but it's not as if it "switches on" when the bullet transitions from super- to sub-sonic. In fact, one of the main criteria for caliber selection in the extreme range shooting sports is making sure you pick a caliber that remains super-sonic to the target. And yet these folks invariably use boat-tails in spite of the fact that their bullets will never be subsonic before hitting the target.

That said, I can't imagine why flat-base bullets would be more effective than boat-tail bullets on game. ...unless the boat-tail bullets are match bullets and the flat-base bullets are game bullets.
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