From a practical standpoint... |
|
Distance
(yards)
|
Time
(s)
|
Velocity
(ft/s)
|
Line of sight drop (in)
|
|
0
|
0
|
2285
|
-1.5
|
|
100
|
0.1338
|
2199
|
2.85
|
|
200
|
0.2730
|
2114
|
0
|
|
300
|
0.4177
|
2032
|
-10.62
|
Using
Winbalistics, the above is the trajectory for my .338 Winchester Magnum
with a 300-grain bullet, and in ideal conditions (standard temp, pressure,
no wind... this of course NEVER occurs when you are out in the woods
with the sight on a moose!!!) So as you can see from the data, this
rifle is sighted in at 200 yards, and a significant drop occurs at ranges
past 250 yards or so. So while the range calculation may give you
a big number, this shows that the effective range is much smaller.
If you are interested in the Winballistics program, it can be found at
http://thor.prohosting.com/~byeater/wbdwnld.htm
For some very excellent ballistics calculations, check out http://www.lascruces.com/~jbm/ballistics/ballistics.html. In here you will find calculations for almost every aspect of small arms ballistics! Even if you don't understand all of what is involved in ballistics, this site lays it out very nicely and tells you exactly what you are calculating, and how. I have to say that I am impressed with the amount of information in their ballistics area. I haven’t yet spent much time on their site, but they have software and many other useful resources too, so for the hand loader out there, I would recommend their site as a starting point for gathering information.
Another sight I highly recommend is Backyard Ballistics. If the title doesn't get you hooked, well what can I say... Check it out!
