What are some ridiculous shooting myths/tales you've heard?

[Browning]

Distances shot in the field are surely the biggest myth out there... Funny how some 300m shots turn out to be no more than 150.....

[duncan61]

Life is full of little mysteries like the world is not round but slightly oval because its liquid and spinning.If a satellite has a low orbit a compensation has to be made when it flies over the equator if its 40,000 kms out it does not matter.If the polar seas melt the water will go down 33 ft.We are heading for another ice age man is holding it off with global warming.The Amazon rainforest is bigger now than in the 70s that stuff grows hard.For some reason people get hold of things that are not true without checking it out for themselves.I believe what I believe because I research it till I am satisfied.The spin imparted on a high speed projectile makes it dip on leaving the barrel then rise before dipping again.Old stuff like 45/70 may not do this and on my .222 Its hardly measurable as I run 2208 which is very slow for a 50gr PSP but I have a lot of it and it gives me 2800fps with 22.2 gr which is perfect for head shooting roos and foxes

[duncan61]

I am assuming all rifling goes clockwise.Has anyone heard of rifling going anticlockwise

[happyhunter]

Its the spin imparted by the rifling that causes the projectile to go down when leaving the barrel then rise up past the line of sight then start to drop at about 100 cos of gravity.Remember this little pill is pissbolting along its not a lawn dart.From memory the SLR in7.62 was .5 inch low at 26 yards 1.5 inch high at 100 yards spot on at 200 yards and 1.5 low at 300 yards as you are shooting man size targets it really doesnt matter
My 168gr sierra target bullets shoot higher at 100m than my 100 grain hunting bullets possibly because they are nearly twice as long and have more purchase on the rifling and spin more plus the meplat and ogive would come into play and they are going a lot slower at 2800fps compared to the 100gr at 3300fps.I have never shot the 100gr at 900m but doubt they would make it.I am nearly maxed on the scope with the target bullets that fly like bigass spears

You can plug the numbers into the Delta III, including spin and at no point does it show values above the bore line. The maths doesn't lie.

[bladeracer]

I am assuming all rifling goes clockwise.Has anyone heard of rifling going anticlockwise

Old European stuff was "left hand" twist.
I don't think there's any rule either way, it just comes down to not having to make two sets of dies for the different directions.

[brett1868]

Life is full of little mysteries like the world is not round but slightly oval because its liquid and spinning.If a satellite has a low orbit a compensation has to be made when it flies over the equator if its 40,000 kms out it does not matter.If the polar seas melt the water will go down 33 ft.We are heading for another ice age man is holding it off with global warming.The Amazon rainforest is bigger now than in the 70s that stuff grows hard.For some reason people get hold of things that are not true without checking it out for themselves.I believe what I believe because I research it till I am satisfied.The spin imparted on a high speed projectile makes it dip on leaving the barrel then rise before dipping again.Old stuff like 45/70 may not do this and on my .222 Its hardly measurable as I run 2208 which is very slow for a 50gr PSP but I have a lot of it and it gives me 2800fps with 22.2 gr which is perfect for head shooting roos and foxes

That effect of the projectile is known as the Magnus effect but deemed so insignificant that few if any ballistics programs allow for it. External Ballistics is fairly well covered in Bryan Litz's book "Applied Ballistics for long range shooting", Not a bad read if you have the time.

[bladeracer]

Its the spin imparted by the rifling that causes the projectile to go down when leaving the barrel then rise up past the line of sight then start to drop at about 100 cos of gravity.Remember this little pill is pissbolting along its not a lawn dart.From memory the SLR in7.62 was .5 inch low at 26 yards 1.5 inch high at 100 yards spot on at 200 yards and 1.5 low at 300 yards as you are shooting man size targets it really doesnt matter
My 168gr sierra target bullets shoot higher at 100m than my 100 grain hunting bullets possibly because they are nearly twice as long and have more purchase on the rifling and spin more plus the meplat and ogive would come into play and they are going a lot slower at 2800fps compared to the 100gr at 3300fps.I have never shot the 100gr at 900m but doubt they would make it.I am nearly maxed on the scope with the target bullets that fly like bigass spears

This is not correct at all.
What makes the bullet cross the line of sight is simply the angle between the scope and the bore. If you mount the scope so the line of sight is parallel with the bore the bullet will not cross the line of sight at all.

[duncan61]

I am thinking you are correct that the projectile does not go above the bore line.Its the sighting adjustment that gives that illusion.I am still certain that there is an amount of downforce as the bullet exits the muzzle due to the twist rate of the rifling then it goes on to its normal trajectory.I was taught this in the Aust army in the 80s but facts and truth are not always the military way

[<<Genesis93>>]

Now...

Sound moderators...

Come on SGB... everyone knows theyre really silencers... turning anyone who possesses one into an underworld longrange sniper hitman criminal...

[<<Genesis93>>]

Wife: another rifle? How much was that one?
Me: on special, only $300

Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong!

The right answer is either
a) Honey, I've owned that rifle since before we were married. Is that how much interest you take in my hobby?
b) I sold another rifle to buy this one.

'On special' only kinda works for shoes and handbags.

Confucius said; never let my wife sell my guns for what I told Her I bought them....

[Wylie27]

Life is full of little mysteries like the world is not round but slightly oval because its liquid and spinning.If a satellite has a low orbit a compensation has to be made when it flies over the equator if its 40,000 kms out it does not matter.If the polar seas melt the water will go down 33 ft.We are heading for another ice age man is holding it off with global warming.The Amazon rainforest is bigger now than in the 70s that stuff grows hard.For some reason people get hold of things that are not true without checking it out for themselves.I believe what I believe because I research it till I am satisfied.The spin imparted on a high speed projectile makes it dip on leaving the barrel then rise before dipping again.Old stuff like 45/70 may not do this and on my .222 Its hardly measurable as I run 2208 which is very slow for a 50gr PSP but I have a lot of it and it gives me 2800fps with 22.2 gr which is perfect for head shooting roos and foxes

That effect of the projectile is known as the Magnus effect but deemed so insignificant that few if any ballistics programs allow for it. External Ballistics is fairly well covered in Bryan Litz's book "Applied Ballistics for long range shooting", Not a bad read if you have the time.

Does that cover 50 metres with my pistol??

[<<Genesis93>>]

Myth - Bullets "Rise" after leaving the barrel.
Fact - They only rise if the barrel is angled up. If the barrel is parallel to the surface, the laws of physics prevent the projectile from rising.

I think this might get interesting.....

I'll have to find the postings re curvature of the earth....

Complicating the matter would be that the earth curves, so the bullet, traveling in a straight line perpendicular to the centre of the earth would actually 'rise' if the bullet 'drop' was less than the curvature of the earth... my head is starting to hurt, but here goes;

Distant - curvature of earth
100m - 1mm
200m - 3mm
500m - 20mm
750m - 44mm
1000m - 79mm
1250m - 123mm
1500m - 177mm
2000m - 314mm

So... 'technically' if your projectile is launched with enough voom... that the drop at 1000m is LESS than 79mm then it would RISE relative to the earth....

But yes.... as soon as any projectile is released, the one primary force acting on it would be gravity, accelerating the mass toward the centre of the earth....

'Rise', other than the above curvature/drop defeating, would be casue by AERODYNAMIC effects, say if the nose is up relative to the direction of travel and the uplift counters the drop, partially......like the wing of a plane, NOT gravity defeating 'magic'...

[duncan61]

Cool I have learned something.Happy days.

[<<Genesis93>>]

pointing the barrel above the horizontal does not cause bullet 'rise'... it causes TRAJECTORY....I suspect are old friend Brett may know a few things about such trivialities

[pomemax]

Myth - Bullets "Rise" after leaving the barrel.
Fact - They only rise if the barrel is angled up. If the barrel is parallel to the surface, the laws of physics prevent the projectile from rising.

I think this might get interesting.....

I'll have to find the postings re curvature of the earth....

Complicating the matter would be that the earth curves, so the bullet, traveling in a straight line perpendicular to the centre of the earth would actually 'rise' if the bullet 'drop' was less than the curvature of the earth... my head is starting to hurt, but here goes;

Distant - curvature of earth
100m - 1mm
200m - 3mm
500m - 20mm
750m - 44mm
1000m - 79mm
1250m - 123mm
1500m - 177mm
2000m - 314mm

So... 'technically' if your projectile is launched with enough voom... that the drop at 1000m is LESS than 79mm then it would RISE relative to the earth....

But yes.... as soon as any projectile is released, the one primary force acting on it would be gravity, accelerating the mass toward the centre of the earth....

'Rise', other than the above curvature/drop defeating, would be casue by AERODYNAMIC effects, say if the nose is up relative to the direction of travel and the uplift counters the drop, partially......like the wing of a plane, NOT gravity defeating 'magic'...

so if your firing north to south or east to west or even west to east it would be different again Coriolis effect. depending what hemisphear your in at the time watch all the heads spin now lol

[sandgroperbill]

Gun goes "bang"
Animal goes "flop"
'Nuf said.

[bigpete]

Gun goes "bang"
Animal goes "flop"
'Nuf said.

Truer words were never spoken

[brett1868]

Gun goes "bang"
Animal goes "flop"
'Nuf said.

Are you related to Bigfellascott ? He's the master of practical shooting, same or better results as anyone else with 1/10 the technical BS.

Shooting due east vrs due west will have different drops at 1000m and again different depending on latitude. By the time I've done the math Scott's shot, skinned, cooked and devoured the intended target.

Here's a question for the punters, if I was to drop a feather and a bowling ball in a vacuum which would hit the ground first?

[sandgroperbill]

Remove friction and gravity is the same, all else being equal.

Which weighs more? A tonne of feathers or a tonne of bowling balls.

[BRNO_Bigot]

I am assuming all rifling goes clockwise.Has anyone heard of rifling going anticlockwise

Colt 1911 for one. Just Google "1911 rifling", which is what I did to make absolutely sure I wasn't the only person in the world who had an anti-clockwise barrel.

[BRNO_Bigot]

Remove friction and gravity is the same, all else being equal.

Which weighs more? A tonne of feathers or a tonne of bowling balls.

Just to be different - which weighs more - an ounce of lead or an ounce of gold?

And, yes, Virgina, they are different.

[sandgroperbill]

Different scales, troy...

[Tripod]

I am assuming all rifling goes clockwise.Has anyone heard of rifling going anticlockwise

Colt 1911 for one. Just Google "1911 rifling", which is what I did to make absolutely sure I wasn't the only person in the world who had an anti-clockwise barrel.

Smle's have left hand twist

[Title_II]

9mm is .45 set to stun. And real men don't stun

http://www.michaelzwilliamson.com/polit ... earms.html

^take a quick look at that, if you've never seen it, it is very entertaining and funny

[<<Genesis93>>]

Different scales, troy...

Don't call me Troy......Surely you cant be serious... don't call me Shirley......many people just dont get a lot of the jokes...

Yes. an ounce of gold is 'heavier' than an ounce of lead..as traded on the world markets...in fact about 10% heavier or thereabouts

And yes, a feather and a whatever else, in a vacuum will fall at the same rate, given that the the effects of air resistance/ aero drag are removed....and only gravity remain (which acts equally on all objects)...

[brett1868]

9mm is .45 set to stun. And real men don't stun

http://www.michaelzwilliamson.com/polit ... earms.html

^take a quick look at that, if you've never seen it, it is very entertaining and funny

Right, based on that article I'm declaring myself the manliest of men (at least in my household)
No. 8 I have a Glock
No. 4 I have 2 1911 45ACP's and while not an original Colt 1911A1 one of them is a Colt, the other a Korth PRS
No.1 Not quite a Barrett M82 but I do have a Barrett M95 50BMG, Barrett M99 .416, McMillan Tac50, DTA HTI 50BMG and a monster 50 due back in late January.

[bigfellascott]

Gun goes "bang"
Animal goes "flop"
'Nuf said.

Are you related to Bigfellascott ? He's the master of practical shooting, same or better results as anyone else with 1/10 the technical BS.

Shooting due east vrs due west will have different drops at 1000m and again different depending on latitude. By the time I've done the math Scott's shot, skinned, cooked and devoured the intended target.

Here's a question for the punters, if I was to drop a feather and a bowling ball in a vacuum which would hit the ground first?

I love bang flops - it's the best way to shoot I reckon

[Oldbloke]

My last 4 shots out of the Brno 22 are to shoot out the tacs holding the target at 100 meters.

[tlia7]

Weirdest story ever told to me was back in the 70's but an old timer who has since gone to God. He was on a hunting trip with a bunch of guys and camped out in the evening and one guy started to tell them that if you put your thumb over the barrel of a 22 really tight and pull the trigger the vacuum will stop the bullet. They all said bulls**t but he insisted and began to show them..... I asked What happened? the old timer said the d**khead shot his thumb off.

[Tomek]

Weirdest story ever told to me was back in the 70's but an old timer who has since gone to God. He was on a hunting trip with a bunch of guys and camped out in the evening and one guy started to tell them that if you put your thumb over the barrel of a 22 really tight and pull the trigger the vacuum will stop the bullet. They all said bulls**t but he insisted and began to show them..... I asked What happened? the old timer said the d**khead shot his thumb off.

He obviously didn't cover the hole tight enough!