Flat based bullets vers boat tail

Mountainman2 said:

Are flat based bullets more accurate than boat tail ones?

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Not to be flippant, but it depends.

Generally within a few hundred yards - yes, as you will see many benchrest shooters using them at the shorter distances. But as already posted ... sometimes it depends.

For short range benchrest, there are advantages where flat based bullets COULD shoot smaller than boattails. Flat based, short ogive bullets will typically have longer bearing surfaces, more uniform pressure on the base leaving the case, more uniform release from the muzzle, and higher stability as their center of gravity is not moved so far from the center of pressure. For long range competition, the increased BC benefit from boattails helps bullets cut through wind faster, farther, so unilaterally these are better for LR games.

In saying all of that, however, the bases are not the dominating aspect of precision - a junk flat based bullet with imbalanced jacket or core won't shoot better than a better quality boattail just because it had a flat base... A cheap Hornady Varmint bullet isn't going to outshoot a Berger Hybrid just because the Hornady has a flat base.

In a worn bore, throat, muzzle, generous freebore, generally yes. In an oversized bore, generally yes.

I like them in some vintage rifles for any or all of these reasons in concert as they do shoot significantly better than boat tails. I also believe they are easier to find good loads for without extensive workup, especially in regards to OAL/freebore.

There is a lot less to go wrong with flat base bullets. The more you shape things the more variations are possible. The technology just keeps getting better so the previous divide is getting smaller. Flat base are ideal when trying to maximize weight in a slow twist barrel. Most rifles are now fast twist 1:7 ish, where older guns weren't.

I surely can't shoot the difference. But I use boattails anyway, just because I have been for years.

Last year I shot a 69gr BT 223in our competition while this year I shot a 60gr FB VMAX. This year I shot better and total score higher. So did I get better or did the bullet make a difference? Maybe both.

When I first got into shooting my AR15 223R (1:9 and 1:10 twist) I tried both SMK in BT (52gr) & FB (53gr). Worked up a load for each and the BT gave me better accuracy from 100-300 yrds.

I could be wrong on this (and if I feel free to correct me) but short range bench is an island unto itself and preference for flat based bullets is just a small part of it.

For instance, the 30BR shoots light for caliber flat based bullets (~110gn) in a very slow twist barrel (~1:16). Therefore, to say that flat based bullets are more accurate wouldn’t be a generally true statement unless you had equipment designed to optimize them.

All my best 30-06 loads are BTs. FBs are ok.

Chief TC said:

All my best 30-06 loads are BTs. FBs are ok.

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Hmm. Oppisite for me. Different rifles and loads ya know.