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PrimerBuster
Posts: 8 New Member
Regarding rifle canting and bullet strike.
On Guns and Ammo TV season 18 Episode 5 Pros Vs Joes Tom. aired on 10-19-2020, Beckstrand's bullets at 600 + yards appeared to be striking right of target (which I assume was right of his aiming point). In his synopsis he stated that he was canting his rifle to the right. Wouldn't that cause the bullet to shoot left of point of aim?
When a rifle is canted to the left won't the bullet strike to the right of point of aim?
Was Tom's statement correct?
Your thoughts!
Replies
As for Zorba's response, I think he figures this will be an entertaining thread to watch. No reason to take offense. Believe me, give him time, and he will say something that you can correctly take as offensive.
Welcome to the forum.
Gun control laws make about as much sense as taking ex-lax to cure a cough.
Mike
N454casull
It's a bit embarrassing to explain to the windshield guy why you need his services.
Mike
N454casull
JAY
Mike
N454casull
FWIW I have been on there forums for years, more first class info than anywhere else.
JAY
Mike
N454casull
How easy it is to make people believe a lie, and [how] hard it is to undo that work again! -- Mark Twain
Mike
N454casull
Seems like they're talking about Canting the rifle to me.
https://www.accurateshooter.com/optics/canting-effect-on-point-of-impact/
How easy it is to make people believe a lie, and [how] hard it is to undo that work again! -- Mark Twain
Assuming the rifle is held perfectly level, you ARE launching your bullet on an upward trajectory. In the case of iron sights, the rear sight has to be raised increasingly higher to connect at longer ranges. The effect of this is that you have to lift the front of the gun higher to align the front sight with it. This is how you lob the bullet in an arc to get more range.
SO, if you keep the sights aligned with each other the way you normally would, but you cant the rifle to the right, "UP" now becomes right.
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
How easy it is to make people believe a lie, and [how] hard it is to undo that work again! -- Mark Twain
The orientation of sights to the bore does not change in this equation. You are only changing the orientation of the two in relation to the ground.
Let's assume an AR-15 with a 50 / 200 yard zero, because the effects of the sights mounted fairly high over the bore are fairly well known.
Under that system with a level gun, the bullet is launched upward to intersect with the line of sight at 50 yards, it will peak at about 1.5-2" high before gravity pulls it back down to intersect the line of sight again at 200 yards.
Regardless of the canting of the rifle, the sighting system is oriented to launch the bullet toward the line of sight, and that will be in the direction of the cant.
Because of that cant and gravity pulling at a non-90-degree angle to the line of sight, the bullet is probably not actually going to exactly cross the line of sight.
I believe it was in one of David Tubb's books where he discusses canting the rifle to optimize the shooting position and control over the rifle. This is fine in a Highpower competition setting where the targets do not change and the distances are fixed, but it is still a bit of a brain-bender because your windage adjustments now have an elevation component and your elevation adjustments now have a windage component. Being a bear of very little brain, I always kept my Match Rifle level, and had a bubble in my front sight to help me do that.
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
But you can damned sure have to replace a windshield if you forget the "above boreline" thing when you cant your rifle.
Just thought I'd toss in that down-to-earth advice, since I have no clue where this thread is going.
Well.....maybe I do. We'll see.
Mike
N454casull
The parallel lines situation is a non-starter other than as a mental exercise.
And I say for benefit of the entire forum: "Bobbert, is that you?"
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
Just for your notes, at 700 yards, the earth curves ~ 1_3/16" (1.181102") but, of course, the pdog terrain will vary more than that. But ya never know, could be useful. 😜
How easy it is to make people believe a lie, and [how] hard it is to undo that work again! -- Mark Twain