Does the size of the round effect where it hits the target?

Gunsmithing Ammo | Reloading
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After many days of frustration being unable to hit what I’m aiming at with the large loads on a 500 magnum, I decided to find out why. While i had one little opps with the vise, that was only one time of the dozens of times it was used that day. The results are clear.

https://www.full30.com/video/60e21f892d0244c307d56b55586ebf58

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Not only does the bullet spec make a difference, so does the choice of powder.
In another thread, I talked about turning a so-so pistol into a real shooter with bullet and powder changes.
It’s tedious, but definitely worth the effort once you succeed…

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All about hitting the right velocity, bullet weight, twist rate. I don’t think most people understand how changing any of those effects where the bullet hits. Most people buy what ever ammo is on sale, then wonder why they can’t hit the target from one day to the next. In this video the gun was held in place, no human component. A laser was placed on the exact same place. Each of the three rounds had a different bullet weight, and powder charge. As a comp shooter, that is why I started loading my own rounds. Same weight, same charge, every time.

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Well recoil with the 700 grain Underwood Ammo bullets is extreme, to say the least. I’ve personally seen, let alone shot a .500 Magnum, but I’ve seen in videos even grown men flinch when using this gun. How could you not? 700 grains out of a handgun is insane. I have a small stature so chances are, if I fired a 700 grain out of a handgun, I’d probably break both of my wrists. I’m sorry, but I kind of doubt you weren’t flinching at all. Maybe a lot less than I would, but, come on, it’s a .500 Magnum, what more do I need to say?

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Many folks confuse flinching with recoil control.
Flinching and recoil control are two different problems.
Flinching is a shooting error and can be overcome any number of ways.
Recoil control is a technique that can be learned.

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^ This is a great set of points that deserve to be quoted. :+1:

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old saying: “heavy high, light low”

so, given everything else the same the heavier bullet will hit higher with the same point of aim than the lighter bullet.

this may not include longer distances, but seems pretty accurate for handgun shooting distances.

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I’m no ballistics expert.
I have to think that logically the difference you’re seeing here is just muzzle rise that occurs before the bullet has left the barrel. There’s plenty of gas leaving that gun almost instantly while the bullet has to accelerate and exit the muzzle. It ain’t pointed where it was when you pull the trigger. But I guess that is the bullet weight / charge component. I don’t think twist rate had any affect nor did your trigger control. The vice eliminates that concern for the most part.
Love to see some supper high speed video of this. I’ll bet you see significant rise before you see the bullet.

Great video.

I’d like to see the methods you and others use when reloading to zero in on the right combo for any particular gun / bullet combo. How much of a charge difference does it take to see a certain result? How do you choose one powder over another?

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Here’s a few videos on the relationship of bullet and point of aim.

Deciding on the powder is generally done by trial and error.
Each gun can have very different results with identical components.
It can get quite confusing, requiring an empirical approach.
Reloading data from the powder manufacturers usually yield good results, too.
A good place to begin and maybe without need to go any further.

But does the bullet leave a handgun before or after the recoil begins?

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