Bullet drop question

sipowicz

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One of the stages last weekend at our reserve shoot was to simulate the Wild Bill/Tutt duel where Bill supposedly shot him through the heart at 75 yards...I hit 10 inches low of the x....now that could have been me at that range, especially with an LEM trigger...but I'm curious what the drop would be for a 147 grain 9mm out of a 3 1/ inch barrel...
 
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Wait a minute here, didn't Wild Bill primarily use .36 navys?
 
I just know there will be a bunch of folks soon calling me a moron...or worse...but a round (any round!) fired at point blank range from a gun (any gun!) will hit the ground at the exact same time as one dropped by hand from the height of the gun barrel as the fired bullet exits the barrel.

The only variable is the speed of the bullet that will determine how far down range the bullet is when it hits the ground. Period.

Have won lotsa cash from doubters. :D

Be safe.

Note: Point blank range here means the gun barrel is level when the trigger is pulled.
 
Well Wild Bill certainly was not using an anemic 147 gr 9mm.
Everybody knows you can't kill nothing with a 9mm specially a 147gr.:D
 
I just know there will be a bunch of folks soon calling me a moron...or worse...but a round (any round!) fired at point blank range from a gun (any gun!) will hit the ground at the exact same time as one dropped by hand from the height of the gun barrel as the fired bullet exits the barrel.

The only variable is the speed of the bullet that will determine how far down range the bullet is when it hits the ground. Period.

Have won lotsa cash from doubters. :D

Be safe.


So a round ball (vs conical) that takes a golfer hook towards the stratosphere, in other words straight up into the air...will hit the ground at the same time as a ball dropped straight down?
 
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Thanks Engineer1911 and jlrhiner. I feel much better that at least two members don't think I am, in fact, a moron...at least not in this thread. :cool:

Be safe.
 
I dropped a bullet once, but I found it. See, now I'm the moron. ;-}
Sip, if the ammo is free does that affect the BDC?
 
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The Federal website shows a 5.7 inch drop at 75 yards from a 25 yard zero with the Hydra-Shok JHP. Since the standard test barrel length for 9mm is 4 inches you really shouldn't lose that much velocity from a 3.5 inch.

So, kinda depends upon velocity & the BC of the Winchester load and how much harder you pulled the trigger to make sure the bullet got to 75 yards.

It's been years since I read W.F. Cody's account of the Hickhock/Tutt duel, (over display of a pocket watch held as a pledge on a debt, BTW) but I don't recall specification of the shot placement. Even if there was mention of the location, literary conventions of the time would have made it a heart shot if it'd been a hit in the butt.
 
I just know there will be a bunch of folks soon calling me a moron...or worse...but a round (any round!) fired at point blank range from a gun (any gun!) will hit the ground at the exact same time as one dropped by hand from the height of the gun barrel as the fired bullet exits the barrel.

The only variable is the speed of the bullet that will determine how far down range the bullet is when it hits the ground. Period.

Have won lotsa cash from doubters. :D

Be safe.


So a round ball (vs conical) that takes a golfer hook towards the stratosphere, in other words straight up into the air...will hit the ground at the same time as a ball dropped straight down?

No, no, Giz. This applies only to rounds fired on a level trajectory. Any elevation or depression of the barrel voids the theory/equation.

However, if you subbed a bowling ball for the "dropped" bullet the result would be the same. Both would hit terra firma at the same time. (Sub a ping pong ball? Same results.)

Be safe.
 

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