RE: Bullet Flight
IF the spin rate imparted by the rifling is adequate to stabilize the bullet, and no forces interfere with the bullet after it leaves the muzzle, the bullet rotates on the axis of a line through the center of the bullet's point out through the center of its base.
Whether a bullet rises or falls in relation to the earth is determined by the angle of departure, ie. whether the bore is pointing up, down or parallel with the surface of the earth at the instant the bullet exits the muzzle.
Unless the line of the bore is perfectly parallel to the force of gravity (pointed straight up or straight down), the bulletstartfalling below the line of the bore immediately upon exiting the muzzle - it cannot climb, as unlike an aircraft, bullets have no "lift". So after leaving the muzzle, there are only two aerodymanic forces acting upon the bullet - drag, which slows it, and gravity, which pulls it down.
If you fire a bullet perfectly parallel with the surface of the earth, and drop another bullet from the height of the gun's muzzle at the same instant, both bullets will hit the earth at the same instant-one right under the muzzle, and the fired one some distance downrange. How fardownrange the fired bullet will travel before hitting the earth is determined by its muzzle velocity and its ballistic coefficient (how quickly air resistance makes it lose forward velocity). This is why faster bullets shoot "flatter" than slow ones.
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"Bitte, trinks du das Wasser nicht. Dahin haben die Kuhen gesheissen."
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MV out!
