Cartridge Survey Question/Opinion

[GrampaMike]

Don’t know where to post this, but I know there are a lot of knowledgeable hunters and shooters on this forum.

I have been trying to organize all my personal loads from all my notebooks over the years into one spreadsheet.  Looking at the data got me to thinking.  It is easy enough to come up with the numbers, but how do I interpret the values?  For instance, right now I have 4 categories.

1. Energy/Power (whatever you want to call it, important in hunting but not so much in target shooting).

2. Recoil (important to some but not so much to others).

3. Accuracy/Shot Placement (very important).

4. Cartridge Efficiency (maybe not so important, I really don’t know, tied to the other 3).

Right now I just weigh each group equally (25% each).  I would like to compare all the H&R/NEF cartridges to each other to see how they shake out.  Asking to have your ideas/opinions for other factors and percents to assign each.  I know this is NOT an easy question.  Thanks, Mike

[aulrich]

I think your missing one more question in the evaluation process, context. 

Going on the idea that guns are tools what job does the gun need to do , you not going to use a finishing hammer to drive a 6" spike or a 20lb sledge to drive a finishing nail.

[stimpylu32]

Mike

What you may want to do is rank them on a scale of 1 to 10 , also i like the idea that aulrick had , say the 223 for example - as a hunting round would be a 10 on P-dogs but maybe only a 3 or 4 as a Deer getter .

While the 270 would be a 1 or 2 on P-dogs ( too much recoil ) but a 9 or 10 for Deer . Base all them on a total scale of 40 or something along these lines .

stimpy

[dave hall]

I have never based buying any rifle on hunting.I base it on what I want to shoot all year on tagets,cinder blocks,things of ice.I only hunt deer and I know my rifles are all over power for anything in PA,but I have never waisted a deer.Always lung shoots they run about 30-40yds. Like a 300 Mag,350 Rem Mag,450 Marlin beefed-up 45-70,45-90 and this year coming 45-110 in my Handi w/ Barnes 300 TSX.Always try to make a clean kill no matter what you shoot at an animal.Dave

[Scibaer]

Stimpy has it right, make a chart and set one field to the factors you value, i.e. recoil, accuracy etc. then set the other field up for rating the factors, 1 thru 10.
then you can plot your input on the chart and you will get a graduated bell curve. this will show you the collected data. you can use this to review, collect and interpret future data.
it would be most useful if you were looking for a pattern or trend. not so much for recording past load receipt's. a simple spreadsheet, like form Microsofts Works/Word would work better for that, a simple click the box and input the numbers/values in a rows and columns layout would be more efficient  and easier to read.
other factors: cost per round to reload, consumer availablity of ammo, long or short range efficiency, muzzle blast.. you could fill a sheet with them, you have to find what matters most or what you are looking to record/find out about the specific caliber/ammo. ( we do this all the time in sociology when researching a group or culture )
glenn

[mcwoodduck]

Taylor came up with his formula and it works to a point.  But it counts more on caliber than anything else.  I think it would be perfect to pick a brush round and gun based on a standard soft point bullet.  Lets say 15 + for deer, 17 + for Black bear, 19.5 + for elk, and 25 + for brown bear.
You may add columns to his formula to include ballistic coefficient (BC) and sectional density (SD) as well as use the group size subtracted from 10 to give an accuracy value (AV).  1" group would be worth 9.0.  A .75" group would be 9.25 as a value.
Taylor formula is Bullet diameter X weight X speed in FPS / 7000
a 30-06 150 grain bullet  leaving the muzzle at 2900 fps (.308 X 150 X 2900/7000=19.14)  7000 is the number of grains in a pound.
Your formula could be  (diam X weight X FPS X BC X SD X AV) / 7000
You could even go further to include bullet construction.  1 to 10 based on performance. 
In expansion from FMJ or a Monolith Solid to Varmint bullets that have extreme expansion.  I don't know how you want to quantify it as a plus or a minus.  But a 45 grain HP in 223 should not be equal to a 60 grain Nosler partition in the category of deer hunting or varmint hunting even though they will come out very similar in the Taylor formula.  I guess BC and SD will take care of bullet construction.
There is the old rule of thumb that you need 1,000 foot pounds of energy at the killing range to be effective deer hunting and 2,000 at the given range to be effective at elk or moose hunting.

[Mac11700]

Don’t know where to post this, but I know there are a lot of knowledgeable hunters and shooters on this forum.

I have been trying to organize all my personal loads from all my notebooks over the years into one spreadsheet.  Looking at the data got me to thinking.  It is easy enough to come up with the numbers, but how do I interpret the values?  For instance, right now I have 4 categories.

1. Energy/Power (whatever you want to call it, important in hunting but not so much in target shooting).

2. Recoil (important to some but not so much to others).

3. Accuracy/Shot Placement (very important).

4. Cartridge Efficiency (maybe not so important, I really don’t know, tied to the other 3).

Right now I just weigh each group equally (25% each).  I would like to compare all the H&R/NEF cartridges to each other to see how they shake out.  Asking to have your ideas/opinions for other factors and percents to assign each.  I know this is NOT an easy question.  Thanks, Mike

It is easy enough to come up with the numbers, but how do I interpret the values?

Exactly why are you trying to assign a value to your data...? What exactly are you trying to interpret...What type of data? Take it for what it is and place each on their own page in the spreadsheet...Condense your data into a concise journal and reference your data in the spread sheet it as to what page and load..If you want to add an foot note to which animal you shot and with which load..that would be fine...To me...just assigning values or categories to your loads & data in a spread sheet...other than varmint loads..accurate loads..inaccurate loads...ect...ect...won't really tell the picture other than for that particular rifle on that particular day with that particular lot of factory ammo or powder/primers/bullets/cases...but your journal should fill in the gaps on that..and also things like how you were feeling that day...what the weather was like..things like that...To me...1 compliments the other...BUT...if you are trying how to figure all of the various Handi calibers fits in for your 4 fields..Good Luck..No 2 people are alike..and while many will feel generally the same about 1 topic...many others won't..You would do best doing it for yourself first...and see if you like the results..Each cartridge should stands on it's own merit...

Mac

[Datil]

 Grandpa Mike, No comments on how to It, But Good luck,
 Hope it works out without to many headaches,

 Marv.

[Ditchdigger]

Grampa Mike,you should be thinking of 1 thing only,the PD shoot for 2008,so get those guns shooting good.  Digger

[kennyd]

I have tried to be too scientific at times.  In actuality around here (Colorado), my Ruger 1 in 7mm. would be the only gun I need for my shooting "needs".  But, I like my .30-30 Win. Handi's, old bolts, and my other odd stuff.  So part of how I choose is what I feel like at the time.  As for brush guns, my feeling is that the Handi is one of the best because of the short overall length no matter what caliber.  The 'ol 94 fits the bill except for the slightly underpowered cartridge for elk.