Ammo - Velocity, Energy and Ballistic Coefficient

[Rifleman1 32]

I'd like to ask if anyone knows where to find the ballistic coefficient (BC) data for popular commercially available ammunition of various calibers. I would think it is more prevalent to find this information for rifle rounds since they tend to be used for longer distance shooting but it may be available for handgun cartridges.

 

As I understand it, a bullet with a high BC will travel farther than one with a low BC since it will retain more of its initial velocity as it flies downrange from the muzzle, will resist the wind better, and will have a flatter trajectory.

 

A higher BC results in a flatter trajectory for a given distance, which in turn reduces the effect of errors in estimating the distance to the target. This difference in trajectories becomes more critical at longer ranges.

[lunker 274]

Reloading manuals generally have the ballistic coefficient of common bullet weight/profiles.

[East Brunswick Sportsman 4]

You should be able to find the BC for any commercial load that posts the actual bullet that they use, like when federal advertises a 168gn Sierra Match King BTHP in their 308 Gold Medal Match round.

[Rifleman1 32]

You should be able to find the BC for any commercial load that posts the actual bullet that they use, like when federal advertises a 168gn Sierra Match King BTHP in their 308 Gold Medal Match round.

 

I'm initially interested in finding the ballistic coefficient for 5.56 and .223 ammunition as I buy ammo for various shooting distances.

[East Brunswick Sportsman 4]

BC isnt specific to the load, Its specific to the bullet. Unless you can find the actual bullet specs, or can pull one and compare its dimensions to those of a common profile, you might be out of luck.

[lunker 274]

If you are looking for optimal distance and accuracy, the boat tail hollow point (like the Sierra Match Kings mentioned by EBS above) are a good choice. They are definitely pricier than other bullets though.

[Parker 213]

B.C. is important for determining how well a bullet "flies," but S.D. (sectional density) is also important when it comes to determining how well a bullet will penetrate. Sectional density is defined as "a bullet's weight in pounds divided by the square of its diameter in inches." The higher the SD number, the better the penetration. Not an issue when it comes to punching paper, but critical in other situations.

 

Most bullet manufacturers list BC as well as the SD values for their bullets.