[Unclenick]

The heavier bullets recoil more, but go slower, for any given powder charge. They spend more time in the barrel while it is recoiling upward. Thus, they exit at higher angles of barrel elevation than lighter weight bullets over the same powder charge. Increased powder charge also causes more recoil, but it also speeds the bullet up, so it exits the barrel sooner. The net result is that the angle of barrel elevation elevation at bullet exit is changed relatively modestly by the charge increase. That's why bullet weight, rather than charge, affects short range (up to 25 yards or so) pistol point of impact (POI) most. Rifles don't always follow this rule because barrel whipping can sometimes overwhelm recoil elevation in them. But for the shorter barrels in most pistols, this rule seems to hold.

How much effect there is on POI depends on both range and that final angle of barrel elevation. A light gun or a gun with a barrel line high above the grip frame will elevate more in recoil than a heavier gun or than a gun with a lower barrel line. It's just the vector physics of the recoil direction and the mass inertia involved.

A friend of mine got a Ruger Alaskan in the .454 Casull cartridge. That cartridge elevated the muzzle of that 2.5" gun so much that the rear sight could not be set low enough to avoid a high POI with 300 grain bullets. The frame and rear sight want a longer, heavier barrel. I think we were about a foot high 10 yards. A bit too much for best comfort, so a taller front sight insert was needed.

Where this POI issue could make a difference in SD shooting would be in employing the Mozambique drill or other emergency head shot practice. For center of mass hits, it shouldn't be a problem at the usual distances. I've often set or filed sights to be close to spot on with a somewhat light bullet, then used a 6:00 hold on a paper bullseye with heavier bullets. 200 and 240 grain bullets in .44 Special in my 3" Bulldog, for example. Just as long as I know where the bullet hits, I'm OK.

Despite the short distances normal for SD, Gunsite taught us that you keep the range as long as you possibly can in a gunfight because you are the better trained shot. No point in spotting the BG an equalizing factor if you don't have to. There's not a lot to choose at mugging range, but in clearing your house after hearing a bump in the night, you have some choice in the vantage point you look into a room from. I find accuracy capability beyond what is required also offers a psychological advantage. Excessive precision may not help, but it doesn't hurt anything. The reverse isn't always true.