Saturday at the Movies – Litz on Long Range Shooting + Balistics

April 2, 2022 Saturday at the Movies: Litz On Long Range Shooting + BallisticsWant more information about Long Range Shooting Bryan Litz, Applied Ballistics’ ballistics guru, hosts the NSFF “Elements of Long Range Shooting”. Bryan covers a range of topics that are of interest to precision shooters in this multi-part series. Seven Bryan’s videos are featured in today’s Saturday at The Movies special. Bryan Litz also has informative videos on Long Range Shooting, Ballistics, and other topics on the NSSF YouTube Channel. Bryan Litz explains: “An important part of calculating an accurate firing solution to long-range shooting is understanding how atmospherics affect a projectile.” Atmospherics are air pressure, temperature, and humidity. Bryan notes that temperature, pressure, humidity all have an impact on the air density… the bullet is flying through. All these variables can be combined into one variable, called ‘Density altitude’. The ballistic solver uses Density Altitude to account for variables that can affect bullet flight. A bullet’s bullet ballistic coefficient (BC), basically describes how well the bullet glides through the air. Lower BC projectiles have more aerodynamic drag than higher BC bullets. BCs will be listed with either G1 or G7 numbers. These numbers correspond to different bullet shapes. The G7 model is better suited for long-range shooting with long-tail bullets. A bullet’s drag does not remain constant during flight. As the bullet velocity decreases, the true BC can change over the course of a trajectory. The BC is dynamic. However, it is possible to make precise drop charts by using the BCs provided major bullet-makers. These BCs can be plugged into solvers. Long-range competitors may wish to record “real-world” drop numbers at different distances. We have seen trajectories that are higher than predicted at 500 yards and lower than predicted at 1000 at 1000. Transonic Range To understand your rifle’s long range performance, you must first understand your bullet’s supersonic range. The bullet enters the transonic zone when it slows down below the speed sound. This can be accompanied with variations in stability and BC changes. Bryan explains that once your bullet slows down below supersonic speed and you enter transonic effects, there are many more factors that need to be considered. The bullet’s drag can decrease, bullet stability can be compromised, and long flight times, such as Coriolis or Spin Drift, can all be affected. When shooting long distance, you should aim for a speed of 1340 fps. Bryan Litz comments: “Ballistics Solvers – Many Options Bryan Litz says: “When we talk to the elements of long distance shooting, obviously one of the most important elements is a getting fire solutions, using a Ballistic Solver. There are many ballistic solvers available. Applied Ballistics offers smartphone apps. Applied Ballistics integrated the ballistic solver into a Kestral. The same solver runs (manually), on the Accuracy Solution Wiz-Wheel. It doesn’t matter if the device is an Applied Ballistics one, it will run the same solutions everywhere else. “Bullet Stability & Twist Rates Bryan List talks about bullet in flight stability and how to calculate the barrel twist-rate requirements of long-range bullets. Bryan explains that the bullet’s spinning provides bullet stability for conventional projectiles. This spin rate is dependent on BOTH the nominal twist rate and the velocity of a projectile. A very high-speed bullet may be able to shoot a lower-speed cartridge with a slower barrel twist than is necessary for a less powerful cartridge. Bryan recommends that match bullets be shot at 1000 yards or more. Before you use the scope in competition, you need to verify the click value of the turrets. A scope may list click values of 1/4-MOA (1/8-MOA) or 0.1 Mils. However, it is possible that the real value may be slightly lower. Many scopes have click values that are slightly lower or higher than what is claimed by the manufacturer. This small variation can add up when you click through a wide range in elevation. Bryan Litz demonstrates how to verify your click values using a “Tall Target Test”. Start at the bottom of a vertical line and click up until you reach 30 MOA. Multiplying the number of clicked MOA times 1.047 will give you the claimed value in inches. At 100 yards, the MOA of 30 is 31.41 inches. Measure the difference in your actual point-of-impact. The Coriolis Effect is used for long-range shots. The bullet’s flight is prolonged by the rotation of the earth, which actually moves the target a short distance (in space). Bryan Litz points out that Coriolis isn’t significant in most shooting situations within 1K. The Effect is less than one click at 1000 yards for most cartridge types. The Coriolis Effect can be lost in the noise even if you are shooting at 1000 yards in windy conditions. Bryan says that in calm conditions, shooting at extreme ranges can be beneficial. “The Coriolis Effect… is related to the spin of the Earth. This means that if the bullet’s flight time is significantly longer, it can cause the bullet to drift away from its target. The amount of apparent drift is very small, it all depends on the planet’s latitude and azimuth. Bryan Litz:
Bryan started his career as a rocket scientist. He founded Applied Ballistics, which is the largest company specializing in ballistics science for rifle shooters. He is a former F-TR Long-Range National Champion, Chief Ballistician for Berger Bullets and knows his stuff. His Applied Ballistics team was the 2017 King of 2 Miles winner and Applied Ballistics has been awarded major U.S. defense contracts.