- #1
skh149
- 6
- 5
I am wondering why heavier bullets have a higher momentum than lighter bullets when using similar powder charges?
At the muzzle, a typical 150 grain bullet fired from a 30-'06 will travel at around 3000 ft/s.
A 200 grain bullet from the same rifle will travel around 2600 ft/s.
(The velocities might vary slightly, but they are fairly typical)
The mass of the heavier bullet is 33.3% greater than the lighter bullet, but the lighter bullet travels only travels 15% faster.
Since momentum is equal to mass multiplied by velocity, the heavier bullet will carry more momentum. That heavier bullets have greater momentum is generally accepted to be true in the shooting community.
Why is it that the lighter bullet doesn't travel 33.3% faster, equalizing the momentum between the two?
Is it a quirk of the rifle system? Is it unreasonable to expect them to have similar momentums? Am I misunderstanding or miscalculations something?
Greater velocities exponential increase kinetic energy, so if lighter projectiles had proportional momentum it would seem crazy not to use the lightest projectile one could...
I can't find any explanation online, and it seems like it might be a bit too physics oriented for most shooting forums, although I will try there next if no one knows the answer. (Also, I'm neither a physicist nor an expert marksman)
Thanks in advance for any replies
At the muzzle, a typical 150 grain bullet fired from a 30-'06 will travel at around 3000 ft/s.
A 200 grain bullet from the same rifle will travel around 2600 ft/s.
(The velocities might vary slightly, but they are fairly typical)
The mass of the heavier bullet is 33.3% greater than the lighter bullet, but the lighter bullet travels only travels 15% faster.
Since momentum is equal to mass multiplied by velocity, the heavier bullet will carry more momentum. That heavier bullets have greater momentum is generally accepted to be true in the shooting community.
Why is it that the lighter bullet doesn't travel 33.3% faster, equalizing the momentum between the two?
Is it a quirk of the rifle system? Is it unreasonable to expect them to have similar momentums? Am I misunderstanding or miscalculations something?
Greater velocities exponential increase kinetic energy, so if lighter projectiles had proportional momentum it would seem crazy not to use the lightest projectile one could...
I can't find any explanation online, and it seems like it might be a bit too physics oriented for most shooting forums, although I will try there next if no one knows the answer. (Also, I'm neither a physicist nor an expert marksman)
Thanks in advance for any replies