January 2026 copy - Flipbook - Page 25
1000 yards and beyond.
It’s as important as the
cartridge you choose!
Recently there have been
some bullets that just seem
to “outperform” others.
One that comes to mind is
the money bullet.
With its long nose it seems
to have very good B.C. and
holds decently in wind.
Another new(ish)design is
the elliptical. With its nose
being shorter but consisting of circles instead of
straight sides.
There is also a newer design where bullets have
two base diameters (dual
diameter). One diameter
being bore, the other being
昀椀red case (.001 under).
These designs allow the
shooter to seat the bullet
much further out allowing
for more powder. It also
lets the bullet center itself
in the bore of the ri昀氀e near
perfectly before 昀椀ring.
Next, we have grease
grooves. How big? How
many? Traditional or
mini? Round or square?
A typical bullet with four
to 昀椀ve grease grooves of a
traditional size will handle
most situations. If 昀椀lled
with high quality lube
like SPG, you’re de昀椀nitely
headed in the right direction! It might not be perfect, but it’s a journey, not
Issue #1!
a race!
My personal favorite is
paper patch. I started with
groove diameter (.459)
then went to bore diameter
(.451). I’ve since went on
to dual diameter. Just like
the reduced-band grease
groove bullets, it allows us
to seat bullets out further
but still use a 昀椀red case
to put more powder in for
those 1000-yard matches.
One thing that has come
up recently in these designs is a shorter nose
length and a larger nose
diameter at the tip. This
design has been proven
for the past few years at
Lodi, WI winning match
after match at the 1000yard line. It seems to hold
true much better than the
“pointy” bullet designs.
Also, by moving the Ogive
further forward, it gives
the bullet a more nose
heavy design, more like a
dart.
There are some bullet
designs that usually just
stand out for shooters, new
and old alike. The Creedmoor is a very good bullet
to start with! It’s round
enough to not give nose
slump and heavy enough
to carry the bullet nose
昀椀rst well out to a mile. The
money bullet is also good
for new shooters as there
are so many designs of
that bullet to choose from.
It too can be cast from a
harder lead 14-1/16-1 lead
tin and be very accurate
well out to the mile mark.
If one is just trying to bang
steel at 500 meters, the
Creedmoor or Postell designs are absolutely perfect!
To say, the Postell, Creedmoor, money, elliptical,
round nose or any of the
other long-range designs is
better...well that’s for you
to decide in your ri昀氀e!
One thing you should pay
very close attention to is
bullet length. This can play
a HUGE part in accuracy!
For a normal 45 caliber,
.458/9 barrel 1 in 18 twist,
a bullet in the 1.40-1.45
inches long is just about
perfect for long range
work. You can go longer
at shorter ranges and be
昀椀ne, but once you start to
get some distance between
you and the target, it will
fail. Twitchy winds will
also enhance this. Don’t be
too concerned about having the heaviest bullet on
the line, for most, it’s justgoing to mean you’re going
home feeling like you been
in a car wreck. A 510-535
gr bullet will knock down
99.9% of the rams and also
carry well enough to hold
the X ring at 1000-yards.
Lead alloys, there a few
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