I've always heard that a boat tail bullet shoots flatter than a flat base bullet but this weekend I shot both out of the same rifle with the same load and the flat base shot 1.5" higher ( sierra 50 grain blitz vs. nosler 50 grain ballistic tip) They ran 3408 fps with the BT and 3433 with the flat base, there's not enough velocity difference to justify the 1.5" drop. A friend of mine talked to Walt Berger years ago and Mr. Berger said boat tails were B.S. anybody got an idea on what's happening?
boat tail vs flat based bullets
- Thread starter TOM64
- Start date
You have changed the barrel whip and lanched the bullet in a different part of the signWave that the barrel is in while firing thus a different impact point. Has to do with o=point of impact rather than flatness of a given bullet. For accuracy in the 100-500 yards or so the FB bullet has it. Beyond there somewhere the Boat tail takes over a bit. and as you go supsonic the boat tail fairs better.
Walt is correct for short range benchrest work but you will never see a long range shooter using anything but a boat-tailed match bullet!
Also, very seldom do you see the same load with different bullets shoot same point of impact. It happens but not very often. Did you shoot 5-shot groups with each bullet or was this just a single one fired with each?
Also, very seldom do you see the same load with different bullets shoot same point of impact. It happens but not very often. Did you shoot 5-shot groups with each bullet or was this just a single one fired with each?
Cal Sibley
New member
I always thought the general rule was flat based bullets for 100yd, and boattails for the longer distances. Possibly, due to design that is no longer true. It's interesting though. Best wishes.
Cal - Montreal
Cal - Montreal
That is interesting. I would have to say that what you are seeing has more to do with the difference in the load the rifles were sighted in for than flat shooting capabilities. 100 yds. is not enough distance to tell.
Were the rifles sighted in for any one load? Flatbase or BT.
Were the rifles sighted in for any one load? Flatbase or BT.
Steve and Jack can jump on me, but I never zero below 100 yds. Bullets lie. It takes a certain distance for any bullet to go to "sleep" after it leaves the bore. This is especially true with a boat-tail. What do I see at my local range? People sighting-in heavy barrels on the 25 and 50 yd ranges, one or two on the 100 yd range, and no waiting on the 200 yd range. Go figure?
As with my past posts, I have grown particularly fond of boat-tails. My groundhog buddies all praise their flat-based bullets. I have always contended that each rifle will tell the shooter what "it" wants to eat. For me, my rifles tell me to keep the boat-tails.
As with my past posts, I have grown particularly fond of boat-tails. My groundhog buddies all praise their flat-based bullets. I have always contended that each rifle will tell the shooter what "it" wants to eat. For me, my rifles tell me to keep the boat-tails.
Accuracy can be a factor with boat tail bullets.
Manufacturing a flat based bullet with a square juncture at it's base is easier than doing so with a boat tail slug.
The speed difference gains the boat tail only at extended ranges.
It all comes down to what ranges and targets you are working.
Mark
Manufacturing a flat based bullet with a square juncture at it's base is easier than doing so with a boat tail slug.
The speed difference gains the boat tail only at extended ranges.
It all comes down to what ranges and targets you are working.
Mark
Jack Roberts
Moderator - Deceased
Iron Mike
Not likely I will jump on you. I have not seen it make much difference with the usual bullets. However with the VLD bullets, I feel shooting them at less than 300 yards does not mean much. They can take quite a ways to "go to sleep."
I know many have a hard time believing that a tighter(moa) group is possible at longer range. It is counter-intuitive. But it is a proven fact, many times over. It is explainable if you really look at exterior ballistics. It did take people actually doing it on targets to get the ballisticians to explain it.
Jack
Not likely I will jump on you. I have not seen it make much difference with the usual bullets. However with the VLD bullets, I feel shooting them at less than 300 yards does not mean much. They can take quite a ways to "go to sleep."
I know many have a hard time believing that a tighter(moa) group is possible at longer range. It is counter-intuitive. But it is a proven fact, many times over. It is explainable if you really look at exterior ballistics. It did take people actually doing it on targets to get the ballisticians to explain it.
Jack
For those who hunt critters bigger than coyotes terminal performance might be a consideration. My understanding is that the flat based bullets are stouter while the BTs provide greater expansion. However, this rule of thumb was coined before bonded bullets were available. Now with bullets like scirrocos you can have BTs that hold together very well. I have to second Iron Mike's post. Only way to know how a rifle shoots at 200 yards is to shoot at 200 yards.
Guy's both loads printed under .5" it was very windy that day and I was more concerned with the chronograph reading than accuracy but when I went downrange thats when I noticed the sierra blitz flat base bullet was an inch higher than the ballistic tips I fired and the gun was sighted in for ballistic tips. My buddy found the same thing with his CZ and the same 2 loads which were: Win brass, 26.5 gr Benchmark and 50 gr bullets, WSR primers: If anyone else would try this I'd like to hear about your findings and when I get the chance I'm going to shoot at 200 yards then I'll report back.
Tom,
Sight the same loads in for the Sierra bullets and then shoot the BT load and see what happens?
You are right about bullets goin to sleep, Mike. Some boat-tail match bullets just don't settle at 100. It is just 100 is the old standby everyone talks about. I would be more in line to what Jack said about 300 for some of them.
Sight the same loads in for the Sierra bullets and then shoot the BT load and see what happens?
You are right about bullets goin to sleep, Mike. Some boat-tail match bullets just don't settle at 100. It is just 100 is the old standby everyone talks about. I would be more in line to what Jack said about 300 for some of them.