Ballistics

Ballistics is the scientific study of projectiles in motion, including the flight characteristics and behavior of bullets, shells, rockets, or other projectiles.

There are three main categories of ballistics: internal ballistics (study of how the projectile behaves inside the firearm), external ballistics (study of the projectile's flight path and factors affecting it), and terminal ballistics (study of what happens when the projectile impacts the target).

Numerous factors impact a bullet's trajectory, including muzzle velocity, bullet weight, ballistic coefficient, air density, wind speed and direction, gravity, and shooting angle.

Muzzle velocity refers to the speed at which a bullet leaves the barrel of a firearm. It is typically measured in feet per second (fps) or meters per second (m/s).

Ballistic coefficient is a measure of a bullet's ability to maintain velocity in flight compared to a standard projectile. A higher BC indicates better aerodynamic efficiency and less susceptibility to air resistance.

A ballistic trajectory refers to the path a projectile follows in flight under the influence of gravity. It is typically represented as a curved line.

Wind can significantly alter the path of a bullet in flight. Its speed and direction must be considered as they cause lateral forces that can push the bullet off course.

Terminal ballistics studies the behavior of projectiles upon impact with the target. It encompasses factors like bullet deformation, penetration, fragmenting, and transfer of energy.

Bullet drop can be compensated for by adjusting the aiming point or using holdover/holdunder techniques. This accounts for the effect of gravity, ensuring the bullet hits the intended target at different distances.

The Coriolis effect refers to the deflection of a moving object, such as a bullet, due to the rotation of the Earth. It causes a slight shift in the projectile's trajectory, particularly over long distances.