Bullet drop question

[sipowicz]

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...

 

[venomballistics]

we lack data here ... we need a velocity a ballistic coef. and a zero.

 

[Ron H.]

we lack data here ... we need a velocity a ballistic coef. and a zero.

+1. That said, I wouldn't expect POI to be down more than a couple-three inches.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

 

[ladder13]

...but I'm curious what the drop would be for a 147 grain 9mm out of a 3 1/ inch barrel...

With or without powder?

 

[Rule3]

With or without powder?

A taste of his own wit!

Well just for "guesstimation a Speer 147gr Gold dot will drop 5.5 inches at 75 yards. Factor in the air quality at the time and the barometric pressure and the fact that it may not be a Speer load sighted in at 25 yards and YMMV.

Detail Page for Part # 23619

 

[sipowicz]

With or without powder?

Hoisted n my own Petard! Ranger RA9T btw...

The guys at the HK forum were very helpful....

http://www.handloads.org/calc/index.html

 

[gizamo]

Hoisted n my own Petard! Ranger RA9T btw...

The guys at the HK forum were very helpful....

Sip's subliminal message....


H&K....

Because you Suck! And we Hate You!!!!!

 

[sipowicz]

Well, it was a P2000....

 

[PDL]

Wait a minute here, didn't Wild Bill primarily use .36 navys?

 

[sipowicz]

Wouldn't the plural of navy be navies?????

 

[The Big 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.

Be safe.

Note: Point blank range here means the gun barrel is level when the trigger is pulled.

 

[Engineer1911]

An Engineer's answer following the wisdom of Sir Isaac Newton!

 

[jlrhiner]

Gravity IS gravity.

 

[Rule3]

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.

 

[gizamo]

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.

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?

 

[The Big D]

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.

Be safe.

 

[rimfired]

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?

 

[gizamo]

I dropped a bullet once, but I found it. See, now I'm the moron. ;-}

Randy,

Never doubted you.....

 

[WR Moore]

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.

 

[The Big 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.

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.

 

[JohnnieB]

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.

Be safe.

Note: Point blank range here means the gun barrel is level when the trigger is pulled.

Moron? No
Misinformed? You make the call.

YouTube - MythBusters Bullet Fired Dropped

Google "Bullet Fired versus Dropped" if you want the physics.

'Nuf said.
John

 

[n4zov]

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.

Shooting a Colt Navy at 75 yards, I strongly suspect Bill was just hoping to hit Tutt somewhere vital much less in the heart. Being super cool under fire and a good shot will get you just so far.

 

[bitstream]

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.

Be safe.

Note: Point blank range here means the gun barrel is level when the trigger is pulled.

Technically, that is only true in a vacuum and with the barrel perfectly level. (EDIT: Also, a smooth barrel; the rifling introduces spinning and, even in a vacuum, that force could cause perturbations in the flight path which might change the drop distance.)

In the real world, there are lots of other forces acting on the bullet during it's path that can and will change it's path and therefore drop amount over distance. That's why snipers measure a lot more than just range before shooting.

 

[Jellybean]

Computer generated ballistic charts will only tell you how much the bullet should drop. Real people will have a different number based on how tight/loose they grip the firearm.