Powder type and charge vs felt recoil

Been looking at loading tables and various powders and charge weights per expected velocity with the same such and such bullet and weight.

Some loads give lets say 3000fps with 65gr of XYZ powder.
Another load specs 55gr of ABC powder.

Given the same exact rifle, and other components at same COL and velocity, will the lower powder charge at same pressure recoil less?

Do you think/feel/know that the felt recoil is usually less, more or the same when loading lets say 83gr Ramshot LRT, vs 68gr H1000 at the same pressure ie 63kpsi?

Essentially is powder charge weight the most important component of recoil assuming equal pressures and the same bullet in same rifle?

If yes that the lower charge equals less felt recoil at similar velocity levels than I think I may revaluate my powder selection process.
Try these recoil calculators to help you better understand the factors affecting recoil.

https://shooterscalculator.com/recoil-calculator.php

https://bisonballistics.com/calculators/recoil

https://calculator.academy/rifle-recoil-calculator/

https://robrobinette.com/Gun_Recoil_Calculator.html
 
Competition with a .505 Gibbs?? Large diameter bullet holes will cover more area and might get into the next higher scoring ring where a tiny .30 caliber bullet would not. A ..60 caliber might boost an X count better. Hate to shoot a string of 20, prone with that monster. Any chrony data with various loads??

With my .375-.338 felt recoil is completely dependent on velocity with same bullet as powder capacities only vary 6% and I see no reason why powder gas velocities should have much difference as pressures are similar. The rifle eats up a max of 72.5 grains of H4350 and max of 68.0 grains of IMR 4064 with 270 Speer, can't feel the difference, but with 235 grain bullets and a minimum load of 4064 like 67 grains recoil is much like a .300WM.

The 270 Speer btsp, at 2650 has a trajectory much like a .308W with 168's. I managed to hit a 1/2 gallon size rodent (rockchuck, apex rodent of western USA) with it at 250 yards using a tripod but the effects on the rodent were not as spectacular as the .20 P shooting a 40 grain at 3650.

The calculation provided by academy claims to be momentum, P=M*V, but academy gets into some involved calculation similar to that of kinetic energy. For a 180 grain bullet at 3000 fps from a 10 pound rifle academy comes up with 359.65 ft-pounds, good for a visit to your friendly orthopedic medic. Sounds screwy with a peculiar convoluted method.

Screenshot (997).png


The calculation by shooters calculator for a 10 pound .300WM, comes up with 12.36 fps rifle velocity & 23.73 foot pounds of momentum. My spread sheet came up with 12.543 fps rifle velocity & 24.46 ft pounds of momentum. Recoil impulse is provided in pound seconds, I got to,put that in my spread sheet.

Screenshot (999).png

Bison comes up with 24.6 ft-pounds to my 24.46. Then it gets into a kinetic energy calculation, like 1/2 M*V squared. For a 10 pound rifle, KE = (10/32 * (12.36*12.36))/2 = 23.67 ft-pounds. 10 pounds = .31 slugs, acceleration of gravity 32 fps ps. KE = (.31 * 152.7)/2 = 23.66 ft-pounds. Bison calculator comes up with 24.6 ft-pounds, my spread sheet showed 24.46 ft-pounds of momentum. Bison shows conservation of momentum then gets into kinetic energy like 1/2 M* V squared - this method would come up with 23.67 ft-pounds. Bison puts powder gas velocity at 1.5 times more than bullet velocity, like 3000 * 1.5 = 4500 fps, I used 5300 fps.

Screenshot (998).png

Robinette comes up with 29.78 ft-pounds of recoil , what is "2g" divided into ( gun vel ^2 * gun weight) ?. Gas velocity effects provided but actual gas velocity not provided. Indications of momentum as effects of bullet velocity should rifle be suspended vs slamming into person's body. Powder gas velocity for Robinett is 1.7 times bullet velocity or 1.7*3000 = 5100 fps, I used 5300 fps. Good discussion & great graphs of m brakes.

Screenshot (1000).png

Feel free to copy my spread sheet, it allows multiple same screen comparisons of various combos, simple momentum calculation P=M*V, can be easily run on excel. rifle velocity calculations shown on top of spread sheet.Powder gas velocities can be easily changed.
 
Last edited:
Top