Hyper-Stabilized rifle bullets- big step in LR shooting performance?

We rarely see anything genuinely interesting with new bullet designs, everything is more or less invented a century ago already.

This new concept has such a unusual and interesting approach points that we decided to share it. In worst case, release below is still interesting read for all those who are interested about bullet dynamics and less-known behavior related to longer shooting distances.

Basic points are about over-stabilizing bullets by app. factor of 2 to minimize or even eliminate conical pitch/yaw oscillations caused by precession / nutation. This is valid issue especially in very beginning of trajectory, right after bullet exits barrel. At moment of flight before oscillations dampen away and bullet "goes to sleep". If projectile can be in perfectly stable flight mode from very beginning, it is also ballistically more efficient and likely more accurate too, providing longer precise shooting distance. Also possibility to produce bullets with even longer and more streamlined ogive. Longest-nose solid copper ELD bullets are particularly sensitive to instability, this problem too. This concept is primarily related to solids used most commonly in ELR shooting.

Classic problem- probably big risk of this idea too- is that overstabilized bullet tend to fly "nose up": bullet longitudinal axis not matching the arc of trajectory. Extremely aggressive twist rates required for hyper-satabilization are impossible to use with any jacketed lead bullet - 338 requires spin rates around 6000 rounds per second (!), exceeding any lead-core bullet construction limits.

Bullet is designed to align itself perfectly during internal ballistic phase, in point where bullet enters bore trough chamber/barrel throat. Allegedly, optimized structure makes bullet insensitive to this misalignment relatively to bore-line, eventually causing longer instability free-flight time before bullet stabilizes itself in free air. Problem is existing and known, it will be very interesting to see reports about practical improvement as soon as deliveries start. This may take some time as bullet is not commercially available yet, and such twist-rate barrels are not available from shelf either.

Meawhile, we will keep our popcorns close and ready.

See original PDF article by physicist James A. Boatrigh, a bullet designer and author.

Original patent available here