Maybe.
Recoil works differently from what 'common sense' would lead folks to believe. I also originally believed that higher velocity would always result in a higher POI; but that was not the case, and there is strong physics to support it.
Velocity isn't the only force at work here. There is also recoil.
We adjust sights to put the POA and observed POI together. But as the rifle recoils, muzzle flip initiates, and the actual relationship between the POA and the bore line changes upward while the bullet transits the bore. So the pointing direction of the bore is not the same when the bullet emerges as it was when the sear released.
The key point here is that a shorter transit time associated with higher velocity means that the bullet emerges sooner than it would at the original velocity at which the sights were regulated. So the barrel flip is reduced, the bore is actually pointing lower, and the POI shifts that way.
One might believe that the recoil would cause more flip, raising the bore line; and that is true. But the transit time wins the race because of the vagueries of how the human body responds to recoil, and the net effect of both changes results in the lower POI.
This phenomenon was first observed in the 1800's by revolver shooters, whose sights did not adjust and some means needed to be found to regulate elevation without the capacity to change sight settings. As 'common sense' dictated, they increased their powder charge to find a higher POI, and Whoa Nellie, the danged things shot lower. Puzzled, they added more powder, and now the danged thing shot lower still.
It was the bore transit time at work.
So some intrepid soul tried lower powder charges, and Voila, the desired POI raise followed very effectively.
It's certainly counterintuitive, but once the entire process is understood, it all makes perfect sense.
In an application where the rifle is rigidly supported/mounted, recoil cannot generate muzzle flip, and the 'common sense' explanation becomes the norm. Where rigid support is lacking, recoil causes muzzle flip, and it's transit time, not charge weight, that has the more effective consequence.
Somewhere in the midst of all this, sight height is a factor. But it's not the crucial one.
To further explain, and perhaps complicate, this issue, I refer you to
this earlier post. The way this relates most is to emphasize the relationship between recoil, the human body's response to it, and the effects that bear upon where the bore is pointing.
This is another reason why dispersion could vary between different shooters firing the same rifle; and a possible explanation of why BR shooters shoot so much better. It's not just about the equipment.
Now could also be a good moment to review LL's excellent explanation about why his prone position may well be better than many of ours. Listen to The Man, he knows from which he speaks.
Greg
