This is akin to calling a magazine a clip. Yeah, everyone will know what you mean, but to those in the know, you sound like a maroon when you misuse "grain." We are the gun people, so lets sound like it.

The grain is a measure of weight: 1/7000 of a pound. It is like pounds, ounces, or grams. It is related, in the mists of time, to the weight of a grain of wheat, rye, or something.

So a bullet weighs 140 grains.

Many ask a question like this; "What grain bullet should I use for a T-rex?"

That is bad (very bad) grammar. It also shows you don't really understand what a grain is.

It is as wrong as if you went to the butcher's counter at the Piggly Wiggly and the butcher asked you; "What pound steak do you want?" That would sound wrong, and you would, quite rightly, conclude that the butcher was an uneducated lummox who didn't know his business.

Or, like asking; "What gram blow do I need for a party with 3 hookers?"

So ask instead; "What weight bullet should I use for a T-rex?" Or: "How many grains for a bullet used on a T-rex?"

Then you will sound like you know what you are talking about.

(I would not shoot a T-rex with any projectile measured in grains. I would suggest a 2 pounder cannon, or a 20mm Oerlikon gun. And at least 6 grams for 3 hookers.)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jhe888,

quote:

(I would not shoot a T-rex with any projectile with a bullet measured in grains. I would suggest a 2 pounder cannon, or a 20mm Oerlikon gun. And at least 6 grams for 3 hookers.)

You could ask Trump's son what he used on that triceratops.

I'm taking this with a grain of salt.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
I'm taking this with a grain of salt.

Ha.

But I did once read of a new reloader who was making up some .38 Special loads with Bullseye. He complained that picking up and getting just three "grains" of Bullseye into a case was a huge pain in the ass. Apparently he thought that meant three flakes of the powder.

I don't know if it is true, but it ought to be.

I hear you! I was recently approached by a neighbor who was carrying a spent 12GA shell.
Conversation:
She: "What caliber is this"?
Me: "12GA"
She: "I thought all guns were measured in caliber"?
Me: "Ok, its .73 caliber"!
She: "When did caliber become gauge"?
Me: "It is just differing ways of measuring bore diameter".
She: "Bore"? "What's that"?
Me: "This discussion".
And she handed me the shell. Thanks!

You should have also confused her more my telling her that with artillery, caliber means the ratio of the length of the barrel to the bore diameter.

Her shotgun shell could be used in a shotgun with a barrel 24.6 to 43.8 calibers long.

Did you explain that 12 is the number of round balls of that bore size in a pound?

But then you would have been a mansplaining SOB.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
I'm taking this with a grain of salt.

Ha.

But I did once read of a new reloader who was making up some .38 Special loads with Bullseye. He complained that picking up and getting just three "grains" of Bullseye into a case was a huge pain in the ass. Apparently he thought that meant three flakes of the powder.

I don't know if it is true, but it ought to be.

Yes, it is true...was asked that question not that long ago

Without another point of reference, a "grain of salt" is often many people's closest exposure to the meaning of the word.

They understand that it is a measurement, but misunderstand that it is a unit of weight

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
I don't know if it is true, but it ought to be.

When I was a child I witnessed a conversation about the same question. So yes, it certainly could be true. A particle of gunpowder looks much more like what most people conceive of as a “grain” than a unit of weight.

OK, smart guys. How do you measure Cordite? Just to see for myself, I once tore apart a .303 surplus round. I use the term tore because it was the only way to pull the bullet. Damn brits glued the stupid bullet in place. What came out was a bunch of worm like critters, all dried up from age. So are strands of Cordite weighed, measured, or just cut to length?

So how many Newton Meters to take down that elephant?

I'll never forget the time I was out camping, some years ago, and a guy was there who "brought his nine" and wanted to shoot it (the brother of a girl who was there). He stated -- "I bought the biggest grain bullet because it's the most powerful ones they had".

Abusing the marvelous English language just goes against the grain, don't you think?

Yes, it's a bore and goes against the grain.

Speaking of shotgun gauges, .410 is not a gauge.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
...

(And at least 6 grams for 3 hookers.)

Cheapskate.

But how many grains was the T-Rex?

quote:

Originally posted by maxwayne:
But how many grains was the T-Rex?

130,200,000 grains.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
"What pound steak do you want?"

Would be understood very well here in an AZ grocery. I have been asked just such a question. No problem.
 
BTW, if you are measuring blow, there are 15.43 grains to the gram. You can use your reloading scale to mete it out.
 

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:
So how many Newton Meters to take down that elephant?

7300 should do it.

Back when ammo was scarce, bullet weight was measured in carats.
Eg: 22 LR, 9.4 carat