Modern
Advancements in Long Range Shooting
is an ongoing series which deals with
the progression of equipment and scientific knowledge used for long range
shooting. In particular, new equipment and ideas are tested to determine
if and how they can help shooters be more effective at long range
shooting. In an industry which is full of advertising and myths, the
scientific approach taken by Applied Ballistics is refreshing. Rather than
rely on popular opinion or marketing hype, we approach the matter with careful
experimentation which is then described in a way that’s easy to understand and
apply.
Each Volume in the
Modern
Advancements
series is comprised of several parts which explore various
topics. There is a pattern to how the subjects are addressed. First
we’ll discuss why the topic is interesting, meaning why it’s important to long
range shooting. Then we’ll consider the common beliefs/opinions, and how
that relates to the scientific theory. Finally, we conduct an experiment
to determine the truth of the matter, and analyze the results. When
necessary, statistical methods are used to help interpret the meaning and certainty
of the test results. In every case, an explanation is given as to why the
subject is significant and how it represents a
Modern Advancement in Long
Range Shooting.
Part 1 of this Volume is
focused on the details of rifle bullet dispersion. Every long range
shooter is interested in shooting small groups, but there are some fundamental
trends and causal elements which many people don’t consider. Chapter 1
builds a discussion of dispersion and precision that every shooter will benefit
from in terms of understanding how it impacts their particular shooting
application. How many shots should you shoot in a group? What kind
of 5-shot 100 yard groups correlate to average or winning precision levels in
1000 yard F-Class shooting? These are the kinds of things covered in
Chapter 1.
Chapter 2 presents a very
detailed investigation of the mysterious concept of
group convergence, which
is the common idea that some guns can shoot smaller (MOA) groups at longer
ranges. This concept is thoroughly tested with extensive live fire, and
the results answer a very important question that has baffled shooters for many
generations.
Part 2 of this Volume is
focused on various aspects of advanced hand-loading. Any reloading manual
covers the basics and safety, but in
Modern Advancements we dive deep
into topics and explore everything broadly with live fire testing to truly
answer the important questions that precision hand loaders are asking.
What are the best practices for making ammo with consistent muzzle
velocity? Do things like: flash hole deburring, neck tension, primer
selection, fill ratio and powder scales make a difference and how much?
All of these questions are explored and the reader is presented with clear
results they can use to make well informed decisions about their own hand
loading practices.
One of the important chapters
of Part 2 addresses the question of bullet pointing and trimming which is a
common question for many hand loaders. To explore this important topic,
39 different bullets were selected from .224 thru .338 caliber. 10
samples of each bullet were tested for BC in each of the following
configurations: original
out of the box, pointed, trimmed, pointed and
trimmed. The effect on the average BC as well as the uniformity in BC
was measured and tabulated so you can see clearly what benefits or drawbacks
you may get from these practices.
Part 3 contains general
research topics in various areas of interest. Contributing author Nick
Vitalbo is an industry leader in laser technology and he has completed testing
on 22 different laser rangefinders commonly used in long range shooting.
Nick’s material explains how shooters can use a
link budget to determine
the performance of a rangefinder under various lighting conditions, target
sizes and reflectivities. As with all topics in the
Modern Advancement
series, Nicks work is based on real world testing. No doubt the
information presented on LRF performance is a huge leap forward in the
information shooters have available to them.
Chapter 9 is a thorough analysis
of rimfire ammunition.
Ballistic Performance of Rifle Bullets, 2nd
Edition presented live fire data on 95 different 22 caliber rimfire
ammunition, each tested in 5 different barrels having various lengths and twist
rates. Where that book just presented the data, Chapter 9 of this book
offers detailed analysis of all the test results and shows what properties of
rimfire ammunition are favorable, and how the BC’s, muzzle velocities and
consistency of the ammo is affected by the different barrels. The
material in this chapter and the live fire data itself is the
dose of
science
that rimfire shooters have been missing for a long time.
Chapter 10 is a discussion of
aerodynamic drag as it relates to ballistic trajectory modeling. You will
learn from the ground up: what an aerodynamic drag model is, how it’s measure
and used to predict trajectories. Analysis is presented which shows how
the best trajectory models compare to actual measured drop in the real world.
Finally, contributing author
Cal Zant of the Precision Rifle Blog presents a study of modern carbon fiber
wrapped barrels in Chapter 11. The science and technology of these modern
rifle barrels is discussed, and then everything from point of impact shift to
group sizes are compared for several samples of each type of barrel including
standard steel barrels.
Each chapter of this book
presents original research which is consistent with the objective of the
Modern
Advancements
series:
Modern Advancements in
Long Range Shooting
aims to end the misinformation which is so prevalent in
long range shooting. By applying the scientific method and taking a
Myth
Buster
approach, the state of the art is advanced both in terms of the
available tools, and the knowledge to best apply them.