Vertify This Is True

n/a

Any bullet of the same weight traveling at the same speed with have the same available energy upon impact with the target regardless of distance.


Sage 1

Tailgunner1954

While they will have the same muzzle energy, the shape of the bullet effects the down range velocity which will effect the "on target" energy. The greater the distance, the larger the difference.

Find any of the balistics calculactors and simply play with the "BC" number, leaving all other numbers the same.

MIKE WISKEY

like tailgunner said the "bc" is the important number. bullets with the same 'bc' and started with the same velocity will arive on target with the same velocity. bullet weight makes no differenc if the 'bc' is the same.

Bert H.

quote:Originally posted by Sage1
Any bullet of the same weight traveling at the same speed with will have the same available energy upon impact with the target regardless of distance.


Sage 1


True statement (as corrected). As the other fellows have mentioned, the exact ballistic coefficient (BC) of each specific bullet type will affect the downrange velocity.

nunn

Seems to me that statement would be true only in a vacuum, and in the absence of gravity.

Regardless of distance? Suppose you have two bullets, same caliber, same weight, same design, fired at the same muzzle velocity. Fire them into a medium that will stop the bullets and absorb all their energy. Stop one at 25 yards, and stop the other at 250 yards, and you will find a big difference in their velocity and energy.

hslaterpryce

As I understand your EXACT question - same weight bullet AT THE SAME VELOCITY will have the same potential energy. That would be true. Now figuring in what the experts above have mentioned about BC that is true also, however, I did not read that into your question. ghs

bobski

whats vertify mean?

im going to have to say false.

take a bthp and a rn and hit something at say 200 yds. the energy of the bthp will go into pearcing thru and continuing on; but, the rn's energy will go into mushrooming and knocking down the target.
even though the energy might be the same, the goal of the energy is expended differently.

11b6r

Two points- Ballistics and effect. As the guys have said- the ballistic coefficent (BC) is how well the bullet moves thru the air. A round ball has a LOT more drag than a boat tailed spitzer. The round ball will lose more speed (and energy) while traveling the same distance. Second point is how well the bullet will transfer energy to the target on impact. a full metal jacketed bullet will tend to drill thru the target- any energy that pushes the bullet BEYOND the target is irrelevant- 1000 ft lbs, but only 100 get transferred- and 900 ft lbs push the bullet another mile- it is a 100 ft lb bullet. This is why civilian hunting ammo tends to be soft point or hollow point- in the hope of transmitting more energy on impact. A 9mm FMJ and a .45 FMJ- the .45 can transfer a greater percentage of its energy than the 9 just because it has a bigger cross section. A 9mm Hollow Point can open up to larger than 9mm on impact- transferring a higher percent of its energy. I tend to ramble- Make any sense?

He Dog

Sage1, provided both have the same bc and both travel the same distance, then in a perfect world where all tolerances are exact, it will be true.

sandwarrior

Sage 1,

They way I read your question I would say yes to the first part but the second statement leaves it open. For instance if you have a 7mm 168 gr. bullet and a 7.62mm 168 gr. bullet and they both arrive at 500 yds doing 2000 fps then yes. The energy will be exactly the same.
But, if you fire a 168 gr. bullet in both 7.62 and 7mm at 2600 fps and the BC for the 7.62mm is .505 and the BC for the 7mm is .649 then the 7mm is going to deliver more energy at 500 yds because it will lose less power throughout the distance of it's flight. Energy is simply weight x velocity. More weight or more velocity then the energy goes up. But in this case where the 7.62 bleeds down faster then NO...you don't have the exact same energy. The energy will only be exactly the same when the velocity and the weight is the same.

elmer schwingen

The kinetic energy will be the same (mass x velocity); however penetration can and will very based on shape. A "pointed" projectile will disapate it's energy as it penetrates whereas a flat projectile will disapate it's energy on impact with obviously far less penetration. Note in passing, that a projectile fired over a level surface parallel to the surface will strike the ground at the same time as the same projectile droped from the muzzel. Just a thought..