What's the deal with grain?

[D-FENS]

Hey guys,

I attempted to search the forums before posting but the whole 20 seconds between searches made me give up. Can someone explain to me about grains? I see that ammo lists the grain they have. I can only presume more grain means more boom. Can someone explain what the deal with grain is? Are there standards? Is some grain more powerful than other grain? Is all grain the same size?

I'm a bit clueless. I just buy standard Winchester White Box cause I know it works on the range and I get hydra-shoks for CC. If someone can school me on this. I would be grateful

[billamj]

Grain references bullet weight. I don't remember exactly what one grain is in reference to ounces but the basic idea is the more grains the heavier the bullet.

[LastManOut]

7000 grains = one pound

[D-FENS]

So grain has nothing to do with power, just bullet weight? Is this the entire bullet or just the lead?

I'm a newb. I'm sure I am not refering to these things in the proper terminology.

Thanks

[billamj]

Just the projectile portion.

The entire thing is a cartridge.
The cartridge is composed of the bullet(projectile), case, primer and powder.
The firing pin of your weapon contacts the primer which then ignites the powder causing a gas build up(or explosion) which propels the bullet from the weapon. The case is used to hold the components together.

Not trying to be smart, just making sure that it is clear.

[LastManOut]

More grains of the same type gunpowder will make a bigger bang of course. Different powders produce different burn-times and other different properties. So 5 grains of one type powder will produce so much energy compared to the same weight of another powder.

Bullet weight in grains are what they are.

[billamj]

Originally Posted by LastManOut

More grains of the same type gunpowder will make a bigger bang of course. Different powders produce different burn-times and other different properties. So 5 grains of one type powder will produce so much energy compared to the same weight of another powder.

Bullet weight in grains are what they are.

Now the guy just admitted to being a total newb to the terminology, lets let him get part one straight before we go to part two and really confuse the heck out of him.

[LastManOut]

Originally Posted by billamj

Now the guy just admitted to being a total newb to the terminology, lets let him get part one straight before we go to part two and really confuse the heck out of him.

Sorry, I didn't mean to confuse a former member of 'educated' branch of the service.

[billamj]

Originally Posted by LastManOut

Sorry, I didn't mean to confuse a former member of 'educated' branch of the service.

Damn right! The only branch where the enlisted are smart enough to point the officers at that bad guys and say "Go get em, sir. I'll have a beer and wait for you to get back." You ground pounders were right up front, no beers in that.

[bloomautomatic]

The grain of the bullet doesn't really say if it's going to be more powerful or not.

Typically, (excluding handloads), the heavier the bullet, the slower it goes. The lighter the bullet, the faster it goes. The powder can only produce so much energy, so it's a trade off between the two.

There are two ways to look at bullet "power" - energy, which is

energy = 1/2 * mass * velocity squared

and momentum

momentum = mass * velocity

Most statistics site the muzzle energy as the defining factor of power, but since the velocity is squared, it favors faster bullets over slower ones. Double the velocity and you quadruple the energy.

So if you have a 100gr bullet doing 1500fps, and a 200gr bullet doing 750 fps, they'd both have the same momentim, but the first one would have more energy.

In factory loads, the only indication of power is if it is rated P, +P or +P+. those loads are loaded to higher pressures than standard, and should only be fired in guns that are designed to handle the extra pressure.

All other factors being equal (accuracy, reliability, etc) i'll take a heavier bullet over a lighter bullet.

It's really all theoretical, because if you're talking about defensive shooting, it all comes down to shot placement. A 12 gauge slug in a non-vital area, won't stop an assailant like a smaller handgun round someplace vital.

The video "deadly effects" has a ton of interesting information on this subject, most of it gleaned from actual documented shootings.

Vince