In Long Range Shooting: Ballistics Terms Part 1, we talked about some general ballistics terminology. But, that's only part of what we'll need to talk ballistics. Most of what we'll need to understand about ballistics for long range shooting falls under external ballistics. Here are some of the most common, and important, terms we'll use. Muzzle: the projectile exit end … [Read more...]
We started off this long range shooting series with an introduction to some important terminology. Now we're ready to apply those terms. Let's start with an introduction on a key external ballistics concept that directly relates to long range shooting: bullet trajectory. From the moment it leaves the muzzle, a bullet starts to follow a descending parabolic trajectory. Which … [Read more...]
As you likely already know, bullets spin during flight, due to the rifling of the barrel. But, you may have asked yourself: why do they need to spin? The answer has something to do with bullet shape. In this article, I'll show you the reason behind bullet spin with regard to bullet shape. Understanding this concept is useful to understand other bullet flight behavior that … [Read more...]
Let's look at the specifics of the actual loads, starting with the selection of projectiles. I’m going to focus on projectile selection for handguns as the process of selecting projectiles for rifle loads is a complex issue involving long range ballistics including topics such as supersonic, transonic and sub-sonic aerodynamics, not to mention the specific nature of the … [Read more...]
by Nick Irving A negative lead is typically used when engaging a stagnant target while the shooter is moving. A negative lead can also be used on a moving target. Negative leads are typically seen in high-wind velocities, when the target speed is relatively slow. Let’s use the following as an example: A 175-grain .308 HPBT bullet Bullet velocity of … [Read more...]
In previous long range shooting articles, I've talked about the effect of light and the error derived from shooting uphill/downhill—both aiming and perspective related errors. In this article, however, I'll talk about another aiming-related error: shooting with the rifle not perpendicular to the ground. When shooting with a canted rifle, the round won't land where you are … [Read more...]
