a bullets optimum velocity?

[Slash2]

Is there a way to find out what velocities work best for a particular bullet? Given it's BC, SD, weight, length, type, so on and so forth?

[alpha_romeo_XV]

I may depend on what you mean by "works best". Are we talking long range rifle for match accuracy or a pistol load for home defense?
I have a ballistic calibrated scope that requires a specific bullet wt. and vel. to match it.
I keep target loads for pistol subsonic to avoid the muzzle crack.
What calipers are you interested in?

[StraightShooter]

Is there a way to find out what velocities work best for a particular bullet? Given it's BC, SD, weight, length, type, so on and so forth?

Basically the faster the better but there are so may different things that limit you on velocity. Things like pressure, bullet stabilization, case capacity, burn rates vs barrel length, etc. The faster you can get something to go the flatter its trajectory. So there really is no way to put it generally.

[Slash2]

I guess what I'm asking, for each bullet, like a 230 gr. .45 round nose, or a 180 gr .30 boat tail or what ever, is there a velocity range that that particular bullet preforms best ballistically, is the most stable and accurate? And is there anyway of finding out what a bullets "sweet spot" velocity is? Or is faster better no matter what the size and shape?

Does a pistol bullet fly as straight at 1000 fps as it would at 2000 or 3000 fps? There must be a point where it becomes unstable above a certain speed, or is there?

Or is there a general rule of thumb like "A BC of .15 - 700 to 1100 fps, a BC of .25 - 1500 to 2500 fps, a BC of .35 -
1800 to 3800 fps.?

[Fjold]

Generally no, bullets are usually not more accurate at any particular velocities.

A couple of things do come into play, At higher speeds there is less time for external factors like wind to effect the bullets flight and secondly the most unstable speed for a bullet is when it breaks the speed of sound (trans-sonic) either accelerating or decelerating. Since you don't see it accelerating (it's inside the barrel then) the only time you have to worry about it is when it's going trans-sonic as it slows down.

Olympic 22 rimfire shooters shoot subsonic ammunition because it has less recoil and doesn't pass through the trans-sonic region on it's way to the target.