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Power Factor - at Various Altitudes & Atmospherics


varminter22

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What steps do you take to ensure you make power factor when traveling out of your area? Is there a 'general rule' to follow?

For example, I'm currently shooting a M627 with .38 Short Colt, 142 Montana Gold FMJ, 3.3 gr Tite Group, AOL ~ 1. 082" and making 127 PF at approximately 4000' elevation.

As I understand it, I'll probably lose some velocity in Barry IL due to its lower elevation (730') and perhaps humidity too.

Been planning to increase the charge a bit anyway but now I probably really should if I'm to travel to the Revolver Nationals. Same question would apply if traveling from here to the IRC which is virtually at sea level.

By the way, also have WST (but wasn't happy with the one test I did in the Short Colt), some N320 (haven't tried yet), and Clays (which I don't think is suitable with 142 and 147 gr bullets.)

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My ballistics programs really don't detect much of a difference for air density from the muzzle to the center of the Chrono screens.

TEMPERATURE effects are more commonly the bugaboo for velocity, not altitude or humidity or latitude or Coriolis effect.

Handgun bullets and speeds? Atmospherics can change things a fraction of an inch on POI, and measurable numbers of lower velocity start showing up beyond 25 yards, they might result in a tiny zero shift at 50, and still probably won't throw you out of the A zone at 100.

I still see the long range rifle guys fret about *chrono* readings at different altitudes, but you'd be hard pressed to get more than a 10 fps difference in speed the first 8 feet downrange.

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