Maximum possible velocity

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Maximum possible velocity

Post by wictor » 15 Feb 2015, 5:30 pm

One for the guys who are good at maths I guess :D

Just for fun, I'd like to know if anyone knows the maximum velocity a bullet can travel at without coming apart?

I know there are the gag cartridges like necking down a .50BMG to .17 for a rimfire bullet but that they're just fun, and read Weatherby tried to get a 5,000 fps cartridge going for a record but fell a few hundred fps short.

Anyone know how to work out how fast you can throw copper, the maximum velocity before it comes apart?
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Re: Maximum possible velocity

Post by North East » 15 Feb 2015, 5:35 pm

Just get a .204 Ruger. :drinks:
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Re: Maximum possible velocity

Post by deye243 » 15 Feb 2015, 10:49 pm

there was a bloke in Melbourne (i think in the 90s or 80s) well before all the monolithic bullet craze anyway

he was turning pills on his lathe and using them in a 22-250 ai and getting 5500fps the story was in a ssaa

mag 15 or so years ago .

now to answer your 1st question to manny variables to give a max speed as in barrel twist what the pill is

made of if cup & core what jacket thickness .
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Re: Maximum possible velocity

Post by Westy » 16 Feb 2015, 6:58 am

North East wrote:Just get a .204 Ruger. :drinks:

Why :o :shock: :o
just another sub calibre IMHO
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Re: Maximum possible velocity

Post by Gwion » 16 Feb 2015, 4:40 pm

From what i understand (which isn't much), gyroscopic forces are what disintegrates the bullet at high velocity. So, the higher the velocity, the lower the twist rate (one twist in more inches) is needed to stabilise the bullet. And then, of course there is the question of bullet length.

It's one of those questions: "how long is a piece of string?" The correct answer to which is, "from one end to the middle X2".

I'm sure there would be some egg head formula of twist:bulletcorelength:bulletconstruction:case:powder:pressure:chamberstrength:canyoureallybearsedworkingitout.

;)

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Re: Maximum possible velocity

Post by Varmtr » 17 Feb 2015, 7:27 pm

There isnt one.
Depending on bullet - how its made, materials etc.
Depending on the action with metals these days you can make some huge action to take huge pressures and a matching case to suit.

Eg US of A mil are using tungsten penetrators in 30 cal in a sabot loaded into a 50 BMG. Have read of 6500 fps + have been done.
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Re: Maximum possible velocity

Post by Tiiger » 18 Feb 2015, 5:44 pm

Gwion wrote:From what i understand (which isn't much), gyroscopic forces are what disintegrates the bullet at high velocity.


The rifling is damaging the bullet as well and limits the velocity.
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Re: Maximum possible velocity

Post by Aster » 18 Feb 2015, 5:52 pm

The closest actual example of your query would be one of the various railgun projects being done by the various navies and defence contractors.

You can Google for more details I'm sure but the faster one I've read/watch about was reaching projectile speeds of Mach 7.

Putting that into perspective an average .308 cartridge has a muzzle velocity of around 2,800 fps . Mach 7 is around 7,814 fps.

As it stands I believe the limit is imposed by the limitations of the guns, not the projectile.

I don't know what the limit is, but they've reached at least 7,814 fps.
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Re: Maximum possible velocity

Post by Hercl » 18 Feb 2015, 5:52 pm

Tiiger wrote:The rifling is damaging the bullet as well and limits the velocity.


Solved with a sabot in the Railgun projects Aster mentioned :thumbsup:
What is this "too many rifles" you speak of?
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Re: Maximum possible velocity

Post by Turkle » 18 Feb 2015, 8:02 pm

And how's the recoil on one of those things?

Need a brake?

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Re: Maximum possible velocity

Post by handofcod » 18 Feb 2015, 8:42 pm

8,200 fps?

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Re: Maximum possible velocity

Post by brett1868 » 18 Feb 2015, 9:24 pm

The most logical answer to the question is that the max velocity of any given projectile is a fraction of a foot per second less than that required to vaporise it into a small grey cloud out the muzzle. I hot loaded some 22-250 years ago and thought I was missing the target, investigation revealed that the projectile was vaporising a few feet past the muzzle. HP's will puff at lower velocities then FMJ due to pressure within the nose.
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Re: Maximum possible velocity

Post by wictor » 19 Feb 2015, 3:19 pm

brett1868 wrote:The most logical answer to the question is that the max velocity of any given projectile is a fraction of a foot per second less than that required to vaporise it into a small grey cloud out the muzzle.


You worded it better but that's what I'm getting at :)
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Re: Maximum possible velocity

Post by lole » 19 Feb 2015, 3:22 pm

How's the recoil? Might need a brake :lol:
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