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Point Blank

varmit huntervarmit hunter Member Posts: 1,674 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited October 2001 in General Discussion
Since we just had fun with the meaning of caliber.What about the fact that Point Blank,doe's not mean the target is right in front of you?
A unarmed man is a subject.A armed man is a citizen.
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Comments

  • varmit huntervarmit hunter Member Posts: 1,674 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Is a term that sure gets misused a lot.
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  • TxsTxs Member Posts: 17,809 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    No elevation required-bore is directly aligned with the target.
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  • badboybobbadboybob Member Posts: 1,658 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I allus thot it meant point that blank shooter, uh, oh well, never mind.
    So many guns to buy. So little money.
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  • AntiqueDrAntiqueDr Member Posts: 691 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It's also a town in Texas just across Lake Livingston from Onalaska.
    We buy, sell and trade quality guns and scopes!Ask us about Shepherd Scopes!Visit our website at www.ApaxEnterprises.com
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  • oneshyoneshy Member Posts: 417 ✭
    edited November -1
    The way it was explained to me is that as the bullet leaves the barrel it immediately begins to rise. The point where the bullet drops to the point of aim is point blank.
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  • .280 freak.280 freak Member Posts: 1,942 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Against the laws of physics. The bullet starts to drop the instant it leaves the barrel (a little thing called gravity). This thing about the bullet rising appears to stem from some ill-conceived illustrations attempting to show the relationship between line of sight, as through a scope, and the bullet's path and how they intersect at two points. The muzzle of the gun is actually slightly raised in relationship to the bore of the scope, so the bullet passes through line of sight once going up (usually around 20 or 25 yards with most modern rounds) and again on it's way down, which would be where this particular gun would be said to be sighted in at (100, 150, 200 yards, or whatever). Sorry for the long post, but couldn't let this bit of misinformation pass.
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  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 51,593 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Problem is .280 you were correct when you said the bullet drops from the moment it leaves the muzzle and missleading when you said it rises and drops through the line of sight of the scope. It never rises. tough to describe isn't it. I think that is why those misleading illustrations are misleading.
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  • .280 freak.280 freak Member Posts: 1,942 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yer right, there, He Dog, it is difficult to put into words. I never said, however, that the bullet rises, I said "as it's on it's way up"; two totally different concepts. If you point the muzzle of a gun upwards, obviously the bullet is going to go up, I was just saying that it doesn't somehow magically "rise" on it's own.Sure would make life simpler if we could somehow actually draw things on the computer screen to illustrate our ideas, huh? Thanks for the opportunity to try to make what I was saying maybe a little clearer (I know that you got it, or, more likely, already knew it, but there are ALWAYS going to be newcomers to the sport and those who have simply been misinformed. Thought it important to try to nip this one in the bud, so to speak).Later,.280 freak
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  • Andrew AdamsAndrew Adams Member Posts: 227 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    To understand this concept, look throught the back issues of Peterson's Hunting. A few months ago, Colonel Craig Boddington (the best outdoor writer in the business)wrote an excellent article explaining trajectory, complete with illustrations. You might be able to find the information at www.petersonhunting.com, but I haven't personally looked for it. BTW, the article was titled "finding your Maximum Point Blank Range."
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  • Andrew AdamsAndrew Adams Member Posts: 227 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Sorry, I just put up the old web address, not the new one.The correct address is www.huntingmag.com
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  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 51,593 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Good work .280, you made the distinction very clear that time
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  • whiteclouderwhiteclouder Member Posts: 10,574 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Simply remember, the line parallel to the axis of the bore and the line of sight are usually two different things. The axis of the bore it usually tilted up to compensate for gravity. If they are not different, then you are at point blank range, i.e. no appreciable drop of the projectile as it traverses the distance to the target.Clouder..
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  • varmit huntervarmit hunter Member Posts: 1,674 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Good job .280.It is hard to explain with out a drawing,but you got it right,inspite of what Hollywood leads you to beleve.
    A unarmed man is a subject.A armed man is a citizen.
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  • nordnord Member Posts: 6,106 ✭
    edited November -1
    If you can imagine...Set the bore of the gun perfectly level. Fire the gun and at the same instant the bullet leaves the muzzle, drop a rock, a fishing sinker or whatever from the same level as the bullet. On a perfectly level field the bullet and the object dropped from muzzle level will hit the ground at the exact same time! The distance traveled by the bullet before it hits the ground is a function of muzzle velocity.The statement that a bullet always starts to drop upon leaving the muzzle is patently false. Fire a gun straight up and the bullet will go straight up. It will only begin to drop after it has come to a full stop at whatever altitude it's retained energy runs out.Better said... Gravity will effect the projectile as soon as it leaves the muzzle... As will air resistance and a multitude of factors. In other words , once past the muzzle a bullet will begin to loose energy.Fire a gun at a slight arc and the bullet will rise. The penalty for that rise is paid in energy devoted to overcoming both gravity and air resistance. The apex of the arc is the point where the force of gravity has exceeded the upward energy of the bullet. Think about it... It's the difference between a mortar and the rifle on one of our new tanks. There's always a balance.
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  • .280 freak.280 freak Member Posts: 1,942 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Not to beat a dead horse completely into the ground, but .....Once again, the question of terminology and the slightly different "takes" on the meanings of particular words arises.Nord, you are quite correct in what you say, I would simply differ in using the word "rises" in respect to the bullet's path. As I stated in an earlier post in this thread, obviously the bullet will be on a slightly upward trajectory if the barrel of the gun is inclined in respect to the Earth's surface. In my mind, the use of the word, "rises" is what can lead to misunderstanding here.I stand by my statement (not totally clear in my first post, I know) that if the gun's barrel is parallel to the Earth's surface, the bullet will start to drop immediately upon exiting the muzzle, although, I must admit, I DO like the way you put it, about how "gravity will affect the projectile as soon as it leaves the muzzle." Very succinct. Thanks for your input here.
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  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 51,593 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Nord, you are, of course, quite correct, however for practical purposes a bullet fired horizontally begins dropping as it leaves the muzzle. Didn't your daddy teach you not to shoot straight up? [This message has been edited by He Dog (edited 10-05-2001).]
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