another quick question about ballistics
11-17-2006, 06:29 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Hurley, NY
Posts: 864
another quick question about ballistics
last night I was only able to squeeze in a few shots at a 25 yard target. I had my scope taken off of my gun and then bore sighted it. I shot about 15 rounds at the 25 yd target with my 300 win mag using the 165 grain hornady's before I got a nice 4 shot group in the bulls eye.I ran out of daylight to get any kind of shots at the 100 yard target. My question is if I am hitting the bull at 25 where can I expect to be at say 50, 100 then 200? Any help is appreciated. I am no specialist when it comes to this stuff.
11-17-2006, 08:02 AM
#2
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Missouri
Posts: 1,429
RE: another quick question about ballistics
Its hard to say. It should be higher at each of those distances. The bullet will still be on the upward portion of the arc. Now keep in mind that even a slight out of alignment is magnified 4 fold at 100.
11-17-2006, 08:45 AM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,572
RE: another quick question about ballistics
ORIGINAL: ShatoDavis
Its hard to say. It should be higher at each of those distances. The bullet will still be on the upward portion of the arc.
Its hard to say. It should be higher at each of those distances. The bullet will still be on the upward portion of the arc.
Bullets don't leave the barrel and then go upward. Gravity acts upon the bullet the instant it leaves the barrel. The reason it appears to hit high is because the point of impact is above your line of sight at 25 yards becuase your sights and/or scope sits above the line of the bore.
Your line of sight is actually at a very slight downward angle in relation to the barrel causing it to cross the bullets path at the zero range be it 100, 200 yards etc. The bullet isn't on an upward arc, it hasn't dropped to your line of sight yet.
So you can think of it more as we are "lobbing" the bullets at longer ranges. We just increase the angle so that they land at range. There is nothing short of rocket power that can cause a bullet to actually arc up after it leaves teh barrel.
I don't blame you it's not an easy concept to get your mind around. Heck, I had to explain it to my gunsmith.
Maybe this will help:http://www.chuckhawks.com/bullet_trajectory.htm
11-17-2006, 08:53 AM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,572
RE: another quick question about ballistics
ORIGINAL: salty
last night I was only able to squeeze in a few shots at a 25 yard target. I had my scope taken off of my gun and then bore sighted it. I shot about 15 rounds at the 25 yd target with my 300 win mag using the 165 grain hornady's before I got a nice 4 shot group in the bulls eye.I ran out of daylight to get any kind of shots at the 100 yard target. My question is if I am hitting the bull at 25 where can I expect to be at say 50, 100 then 200? Any help is appreciated. I am no specialist when it comes to this stuff.
last night I was only able to squeeze in a few shots at a 25 yard target. I had my scope taken off of my gun and then bore sighted it. I shot about 15 rounds at the 25 yd target with my 300 win mag using the 165 grain hornady's before I got a nice 4 shot group in the bulls eye.I ran out of daylight to get any kind of shots at the 100 yard target. My question is if I am hitting the bull at 25 where can I expect to be at say 50, 100 then 200? Any help is appreciated. I am no specialist when it comes to this stuff.
11-17-2006, 08:54 AM
#5
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wall SD USA & Jamestown ND
Posts: 11,474
RE: another quick question about ballistics
It is hard to tell. I have sighted in some rifles at 25 yards that were pretty close at 100 yards. On the other hand, some guns that were zeroed at 25 yards were up to nine inches high at 100.
11-17-2006, 09:22 AM
#7
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,345
RE: another quick question about ballistics
Like BA, I put used some very generic numbers for 300wm in a nifty little computer program. Try sighting in about 3/4" or 1" low at 25 yards. That should keep you on paper out to 200. With a zero at 25 yards you gonna be high at 200
11-17-2006, 11:28 AM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,572
RE: another quick question about ballistics
ORIGINAL: Ridge Runner
Oh and brutal, we know a bullet doesn't arc, unless you have the rifle barrel at an angle which it always is, thats what a scope does. clamp your rifle in a vise and turn the up knob, watch the crosshairs move down in the field of view, now youv'e moved the crosshairs downso you raise the rifle, therefore angleing the barrel so the bullet path is higher.
Oh and brutal, we know a bullet doesn't arc, unless you have the rifle barrel at an angle which it always is, thats what a scope does. clamp your rifle in a vise and turn the up knob, watch the crosshairs move down in the field of view, now youv'e moved the crosshairs downso you raise the rifle, therefore angleing the barrel so the bullet path is higher.
11-17-2006, 01:12 PM
#9
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,345
RE: another quick question about ballistics
But to somebody who's never given it any thought it can be quite mind bending. I spent nearly half an hour trying to explain to my buddy that the disadvantage of using see-thru rings is that the scope is mounted higher which then increase the angle between crosshairs and bullet path...leading to more hold over. Drew pictures and everything! LOL
BTW, I don't think they're really is that much difference unless you got a long range setup. For practical woods use I would like them if they didn't introduce the other problem about getting a good cheek-weld. (for me at least)
BTW, I don't think they're really is that much difference unless you got a long range setup. For practical woods use I would like them if they didn't introduce the other problem about getting a good cheek-weld. (for me at least)
11-17-2006, 01:13 PM
#10
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NW Arkansas
Posts: 1,673
RE: another quick question about ballistics
At the range where I work on the weekends, I had a fellow who had the same problem with his .300 Win Mag, you should sight in at 100 yards unless your range restricts you to 25. There is really no way to tell, seen guys get pretty good 3 or 5 shot groups in the X ring at 25 yards, only to be 3-4" high at 100 yards. You just have to shoot and see.