westernrover
Member
- Joined
- May 4, 2018
- Messages
- 1,613
I have run lots of loads in Quickload while looking at muzzle pressure. It also shows another parameter (propellant burn %) that probably has a big impact on perceived muzzle blast. The combination of high muzzle pressure along with powder continuing to burn after the bullet leaves the muzzle is a double whammy.
When helping people trying to select a round to get a very low report from a long gun, I have found that one parameter that reduces muzzle pressure is reducing the air space in the round.
You'll notice that deeper bullet seating causes the pressure to rise earlier or with less bullet travel. It has a similar effect in the pressure/time curve as using a faster-burning powder. So whether you use a faster powder, or seat the bullet deeper and reduce the initial size of the combustion chamber, the pressure rises faster and earlier. This means the pressure will also fall off quicker and sooner. So long as we're limited in the maximum pressure achieved, this will also mean that the muzzle pressure will be lower because it will have fallen off quicker and begun the pressure drop sooner from whatever limit we've specified.
I think of it like a Bruce Lee 1" punch vs. the shot put. They can both deliver a tremendous force, but the 1" punch will be over much quicker and by the time the bullet gets to the muzzle, most of the drama behind it will be finished. With the shot put, the bullet can be a long way from its starting point and still have a lot of drama going on behind it. Once that drama exits the muzzle, it hits our ears at Mach 1.