I have no intention of ever trying to design one, but I've always wondered if someone has ever done it, or even if it would be possible. What do you guys think--is a cartridge that shoots a mile a second possible? Has anyone done it?

Great dream I would be happy if I could neck a A-Square 338 Excalibur to 6.5 mm and push a 140 or 130 gr bullet over 4000fps. They claim there factory ammo pushes a 200gr bullet to 3600fps.

I don't think so, not with current propellent technology and 'standard' firearms. I recall reading that gas expansion velocities are the limiting factor. I hear various reports here and there about some military projects getting over 6000 fps. Going from memory, so beware.

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I'm curious what is the fastest chambering? I was looking thru an old copy of "Cartridges Of The World" and it looks like several wildcats are clocking 4250 and change. Seems there should be something steamier than that.

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Light (40 grain) .224" bullets in large, overbore cases (like the .223 WSSM) can reach 4500 fps easily enough. They do this with medium-fast burning powders in fairly long (26") barrels. A larger capacity case loaded to the same pressure with a slower burning powder in a crazy barrel length ought to get you there. I don't know who makes barrels that long, you're probably talking an extra foot. Be sure to use a slower rate of twist, or the bullets will vaporize before they reach the chronograph. If course, the bullet will lose a lot of velocity in that first mile, so even with a muzzle velocity of 5280 fps, it won't travel a mile in a second.

Another option would be to use very lightweight larger caliber bullets. The larger base surface area translates to greater acceleration for the same pressure. Light handgun bullets in rifle cartridges. Small diameter bullets in a larger diameter sabot. Bullets made of lighter materials, such as copper jacketed tin.

On the Reloaders Nest home page on the left hand side it has a spot that says Mini Statistics, under that title they have listed a 22-243 Middlestead with a Berger HP MEF 30gr bullet, RL 15- 50grs, Federal 210 primer at a muzzle velocity of 5278 fps. There's also a 22-250 AI, Berger 35gr MEF, Vihtavuori N135 46 grs, at a muzzle velocity of 5130 fps. Both shot 3 shot groups under an inch. They also have the 700 NE with the most ME at 14,412 ft lbs using a 1000gr bullet and 255 grs of powder with a MV of 2547 fps. Personally I wouldn't want to shoot the shoulder dislocater, but the 5200 foot per second gun would be a blast, no pun intended.

That was one of the cartridges I noticed. However in the book it was listed at 4250FPS with a 51.0 load of N204 pushing a 50 grain bullet.

Another mover was 17/.222 Ackley that was shown at 4348FPS with a 18.0 charge of IMR4198 pushing a 20 grain pill.

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Wonder how many shots before a new barrel would be in order???????

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Probably way sooner than I would care for!

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I think that Shawn is right. If I recall properly the fastest rifle was a compressed gas rifle.

NASA says max is around 6500, though I don't know how generalized their numbers are. While it's not a cartridge, their Two-Stage Light Gas gun uses smokeless powder as the initial propellant before changing to hydrogen, but their itty-bitty bullet is screaming at 24,000+ FPS.

Has anybody head of the .22-.378 Eargesplitten Loudenboomer? It was supposed to be very fast as well as a crazy idea.
P.O. Ackley invented it (I think).

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I think the .22E-L only got up to the 4600's IIRC, and I think you're correct on the Ackley part.

Yeah I did some research and it didn't break the world record for velocity. That was the idea. I don't know what cartridge holds the world record.

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Roy Weatherby supposedly designed a cartridge to test high speed bullets for the military that broke 6,000fps. I can't find a link for it right now, though.

Edit: http://www.rifleshootermag.com/2011/...therby_201006/

You could probably get very close to 4,500 fps with a large case and a very small discarding sabot type of a bullet in a rifled barrel.

But you would still get plenty of hot gas errosion. You could eliminate some of the worst erosion on the riflings by building it as a smooth bore and putting canted fins on the sabot.

The 120mm smooth bore tank cannon (the German Rheinmetall) does this and gets 5,200 to 5,700 ft/s on the Leapord 2 and US M-1

Barstooler

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I have a 22/06 in the works,Gerard at GS Custom Bullets did a 22x64 which is practically the same thing.He is getting 4700 from his with his 40gr HV bullet.As soon as mine is done and the barrel seasoned correctly,I will be using his 35 and 40's.I'll post the velocities I get from both.I have a feeling the 35 is going to be really fast.His rifle is a re-chambered 220swift 26" tube.This thing I got in the works is toting a 29" tube.......

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Back in the early 60's I remember reading an article in Guns and Ammo by Bob Hutton on the 22-284. In that project and article he shot bullets ranging in weight from 55 gr. down to 15 grains. The 15 grain bullet was made of sintered and iron pulled from a rimfire round and produced a velocity of slightly over 6500 FPS.

I googled for information on this article as I did not recall all the details and found a post by an individual on: The good ol'days 6000fps .22 who had a copy of that issue of G&A Magazine. In his post he stated that Hutton used a charge of 50 Gr. of IMR 4227 for a velocity of 6585 FPS, that's SMOKING!!!

5280 has been broken already, both lo-tec and hi-tec.

In the late 70's in G&A a fellow lathe turned his own nylon Sabots for the 30 cal, as the proprietary Remington Accelerators weren't sold as components. He loaded them with 55 grain bullets and stuffed them in a 300 Win mag. If memory serves me 5280 was easily attained. However, getting there safely required some special insight for the reloader as powder selection runs to the fast burning side.

The second was a ballistic experimenter and cartridge designer that made a rifle that shoots projectiles at over 10,000 fps with standard propellants. It was designed to operate at pressures that are far above safe "sporting arms" levels. However the only problem is bullet disintegration. Even monolithic bullets melt within feet.

I would quote his name, however, I want to make sure I don't get the wrong fellow. ( confirming who, not that it's been done. )

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Ah, to sleep, perchance to dream! High velocity indeed! Roverboy, that cartridge was on the .50 Browning case, designed to hunt the elusive Nauga. Didn't work out well, a hit left only large chunks of various colored hide hanging out of the trees. GW