Another One of Wolfie's wacky Ideas.

[Wolfwood]

So i was thinking, again, lighter bullets go faster than heavier bullets, given the same amount of powder.... So i was thinking what is the lightest stuff to make bullets out of? If ya did that, you'd be on your way to havin the fastest bullet.

But if the bullet is to light, you are going to have problems with wind blowing your round way off course, and it seems to me like it would have less inertia and slow down quicker.

My first thought was Polymer Bullets. A nice light polymer bullet. it wouldnt hae much in the way of expansion, and would likely squirt right through a meat target if it was made pointy-like. a semi-wadcutter perhaps? seems to me that this would slow down way to fast becasue of increased friction from air. but it would stop in your target most likely...

Now i think i might be onto something with this next one - Aluminum Bullets... probably not as light as you could make a polymer bullet, but you could get some expansion in a hollow point design or insane speed in a whatever-a-pointy-bullet-is-called design (ballistic?)

Now how about copper jacketed polymer ballistic bullets with an aluminum core?

do i need sleep or are these some freaking awesome ideas?

 

[TexasRedneck]

Take a golf ball an' a ping-pong ball (both about the same size, but different weights) an' toss 'em. Then tell us what ya think. The lower weight is gonna result in a much lower mass - equating much lower impact results.

 

[TexMex247]

Stick to your day job wolfie. A lighter weight bullet would also produce less terminal power making it utterly useless. That is, if it could make it down the barrel without blowing itself to pieces from the pressure behind it.

 

[Dawico]

SLAP ammo for the 50 BMG and 7.62 NATO use that concept, but since the round is still somewhat heavy, they only increase velocity by 1000-1500 fps. Going any lighter reduces the effective range too much, and gains nothing.

 

[Texas42]

I think I remeber hearing about using aluminum bullets with the intention of shooting a single person in a crowd, but no one was under the impression that they would be more effective, just less penetration.

 

[Stumpy]

do i need sleep or are these some freaking awesome ideas?

you need to quit drinking.

 

[mkillebrew]

they make this cool stuff called 6mm caseless, I think it's right up your alley.

 

[zembonez]

If people didn't sit around thinking up stuff like this.... how would we ever get new and improved products?

 

[TexasRedneck]

If people didn't sit around thinking up stuff like this.... how would we ever get new and improved products?

Ya mean like presidents named Obama?

 

[308nato]

Ya mean like presidents named Obama?[/QUOTE

I don't even think he was thought about in the heat of the moment.

 

[zembonez]

ya mean like presidents named obama?

uh

no.

 

[lalonguecarabine]

I think you should team up with Wile E. Coyote! That would be epic, dude!

 

[MR Redneck]

 

[Wolfwood]

thanks for the few helpful remarks.

so what i'm gathering is, this theory is already being applied in some ammo - and in my orginal thought i was taking it way to far.

still, it would be fun to experament with some of this stuff.

say, a aluminum round, with a lead filled core, with small steel bars, (like hardened roll pins you find holding trigger groups together) embedded ina circular manner in the aluminum to add stability along with a polymer ballistic tip.

that would give you more weight to ensure accuracy, stability of the round, and still reduce weight increasing speed, not to mention, when that lead expands inside the thick aluminum jacket, and the round rips apart, those steel bars ar gonna go bananas in there as well, creating a complex wound channel.

once again, just throwing ideas around no need for obama references.
even if i am kinda going down the path of "if it aint broke fix it till it is" hehe.

 

[TexasRedneck]

Back away from the booze, dood....

 

[cuate]

We have advanced from round, soft lead balls to aerodynamic bullets of jacketed varieties engineered by trial and error....I'll stick with what we have as long as I can afford them. I do have minie ball moulds for .58 caliber when in the seldom times I shoot black powder.

 

[JADB]

If people didn't sit around thinking up stuff like this.... how would we ever get new and improved products?

+1

 

[TxDad]

...say, a aluminum round, with a lead filled core, with small steel bars, (like hardened roll pins you find holding trigger groups together) embedded ina circular manner in the aluminum to add stability along with a polymer ballistic tip.

The image im getting from this could and prob is way off, but wouldnt the steel bars you speak of on the outside of the bullet cause spinning/twisting probelms with the rifling of the barrels?

 

[IXLR8]

They made a sabot round a few years ago, but I don't know if the still do. The one I tried was a .308 cartridge with a .22 slug. If I remember right it was 4100 fps. I shot one at 200 yards, and it hit the target in a hurry. It did not have enough recoil to chamber the next round in my HK-91.

Example in a 30.06

 

[M. Sage]

That's a 7.62x51mm SLAP. The bullet is tungsten IIRC. They can cut through armor like noboby's business. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saboted_light_armor_penetrator

On to the subject:

Wolfwood, why do you want a lighter, faster bullet? For what it's worth, heavier at the expense of slower is generally better overall. Less wind drift for long range shots. Better terminal effects overall, too.

Look at overall weight and how it relates to sectional density, and how sectional density has generally positive effects on both external and terminal ballistics.