How far can a ball travel?

[Scipio]

Not a good idea to compare modern artillery with PRB. Modern artillery projo's spend a lot of their time at very high altitudes where the air is much, much, thinner than ground level. So, sometimes it is a better bet to get the projo to a high altitude fast (more elevation on a tube) so it can continue on its path with much less air resistance. Thus a guy sees arty tubes pointed up on steeper angles than one would see a direct fire type of gun.

There is much less drag on a subsonic bullet than a supersonic one and the slower it goes, the slower it slows down. They tend to part the air faster than the air can compress in front of them. So they carry farther with a bit more elevation than a supersonic conical. Max range from a subsonic PRB is achieved closer to the 40 to 45 degree elevation.

On the other hand, a modern supersonic bullet encounters a gigantic amount of resistance. Once above the speed of sound, the amount of drag increases in a non linear fashion. The faster it goes, the faster it slows down. Max range is with a 30 - 35 degree elevation.

Either way, as many have already said here, both go way farther than someone can see so it is best to consider what is behind the target before blasting.

Scipio

 

[Elkeater]

True, if you have ever hunted above 6,000 - 8,000 ft your bullet climbs like an 1.5" per thousand in altitude .

Bullets do not climb. At altitude they drop just a smidgen less than at sea level. Not any where close to 1.5" per 1000'.

 

[apachesx2]

It's actually quite complicated because the troposphere varies from almost 60,000 feet at the equator to 30,000 at the poles. At the equator 50% of the atmosphere is below 18,000 ft at the poles that drops to like 9,000 ft so every 1000 feet isn't the same. That's why a 15,000 ft thunderstorm in Sweden is just as bad as a 30,000 ft thunderstorm in Atlanta. So by shooting at 5000 may significantly reduce the issue. Due to O2 levels FAA doesn't allow you above pressure altitude (so poles or equator doesn't matter) 14,000 ft without Oxygen, 12,000 ft no more than 30 minutes, 10,000 no more than 1 hour. On a sniper forum they were discussing an 8mm Rem Mag at Altitude "I did the math on JBM and the difference is 10.1" going from 800 to 8500', all else being equal" that is 1.25" per 1,000 ft... My personal experience was my 06 in the Alps on the German border of Austria at 1.5" per 1000 ft... It actually varies a lot per day at that altitude due to barometer, temperature, humidity and air density at those altitudes. Not only is the atmosphere complicate at altitude but the ballistic coefficient is as well because there are hi and lo values for every projectile and at different thresholds the values change... I haven't found a lot of data on round balls... I have found some general numbers but not enough info for a 54 cal round ball sighted in at sea level then shot again at 10,000 ft... I would be interest in those numbers... but then there is the old tried and true Kentucky method just shoot it at 10,000 ft and go from there... Thats why a seasoned gun pilot carries a grease pencil for hard mounted guns and rockets... Upon a computer failure mark impact on windscreen... Line up enemy to the mark....

 

[okawbow]

Journees formula says: the MAXIMUM range of a lead roundball is- 2200 yards, times the diameter of the roundball. Regardless of Muzzle velocity or angle of firing.

So, a .45 diameter roundball has a maximum theoretical range of 990 yards under perfect conditions.
My little .29 caliber will go 638 yards.

 

[Herb]

Hornady has a Ballistics Calculator, use it on their website, that you can manipulate to try out various shots. For a .440 roundball with a ballistics coefficient (C) of .062, 1800 fps MV, front sight height of .550 above center of bore, and a zero distance of 100 yards, the drop at 1100 yards (max for this entry) is 14,762 inches, 1230 feet. After calculation, just hit the red X at the top right to call up your inputs, where you can change the sight in range to see what that does. Sighting distances of 400, 500 and 600 yards all give over 14000 inches of drop at 1100 yards. I don't understand it all, but this is something for those interested in ballistics.

 

[ZUG]

I don't think so :bull: . Load your rifle and with the muzzle level to the ground (aprox 3 feet) hold a simular round ball next to the muzzle drop the ball and fire the gun at the same time - when the dropped ball hits the ground the fired ball from the rifle will also hit the ground - at the same time - :wink: :v

 

[azmntman]

....but not the same place

 

[ZUG]

Miles!

A Fredericksburg area man was sentenced to jail Tuesday for negligent homicide in the death of a 15-year-old Amish girl as she drove a horse-drawn buggy home from a Christmas party. He discharged his muzzle-loading rifle into the air after a hunting trip, and the shot struck the girl, who was about 1.5 miles away.

Link Man kills Amish Girl

I've also read in a newspaper some years back that a hunter shot his .308 into the air and the bullet killed a roofer who was working on a roof 3 miles away :hmm: :bow:

 

[ZUG]

....but not the same place

This is true -- one is going vertically and one is going horizontally so there is no way they will hit the ground in the same place :v .

 

[azmntman]

:hmm: are you sure the same time? The horizontal one is also enjoying horizontal push of about 2500fps so wouldnt that somewhat slow the lesser power of gravity while it traveled (unobstructed) about a mile or so?

I hated Physics.

 

[coloradoclyde]

How far can a ball travel?

I ordered some and they traveled 2000+ miles before they landed on my doorstep....

But, I suspect they can travel a lot farther.... :grin:

 

[Skychief]

How far can a ball travel?

I ordered some and they traveled 2000+ miles before they landed on my doorstep....

But, I suspect they can travel a lot farther.... :grin:

Clyde :shake: :shake: :shake: :nono:

 

[Griz44Mag]

:hmm: are you sure the same time? The horizontal one is also enjoying horizontal push of about 2500fps so wouldnt that somewhat slow the lesser power of gravity while it traveled (unobstructed) about a mile or so?

I hated Physics.

^The power of gravity is absolute. It has been years back, but there was a video where they used 2 cameras and electronic triggers to set everything in motion. They will indeed hit the ground at the same time. The one kick, if the fired bullet is spinning, then spin drift will make the bullet climb in the air, thus achieving a higher altitude than the level muzzle it was launched from. It then has to fall farther than the dropped weight.

 

[coloradoclyde]

^The power of gravity is absolute.

But highly variable.

 

[Britsmoothy]

^The power of gravity is absolute.

But highly variable.

I hope not!

 

[Rifleman1776]

^The power of gravity is absolute.

But highly variable.

I hope not!

Yes it is. I can tell you for a fact, the force of gravity pulling my body down is much greater now than it was 30 years ago. :rotf:

 

[nhmoose]

How far can a ball travel?

I ordered some and they traveled 2000+ miles before they landed on my doorstep....

But, I suspect they can travel a lot farther.... :grin:

:rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :bow:

 

[Col. Batguano]

Journees formula says: the MAXIMUM range of a lead roundball is- 2200 yards, times the diameter of the roundball. Regardless of Muzzle velocity or angle of firing.

So, a .45 diameter roundball has a maximum theoretical range of 990 yards under perfect conditions.
My little .29 caliber will go 638 yards.

That's a great rule of thumb, and would explain how the territorial offshore limit of 5 miles was derived. For most forts, their maximum cannon size (in the day) was a 24 pounder, or about 5.7 inches (32 pounder 6 1/4"). While they weren't lead (usually iron), and were launched slower that 2200 fps, their theoretical maximum range would be right around 5 miles.

 

[Britsmoothy]

^The power of gravity is absolute.

But highly variable.

I hope not!

Yes it is. I can tell you for a fact, the force of gravity pulling my body down is much greater now than it was 30 years ago. :rotf:

Hey now you mention it, me two.
And it seems harder to get up too!

 

[hanshi]

876 feet, 2.75 inches. :idunno: