I have an interest in Target Shooting. It is a challenge that I enjoy to try to hit a small target at ever increasing distances. I like a bit of competition also so I want to improve my skills in marksmanship. I am not sure if studying the motion of a bullet will make me a better marksman but I will explore.
Here is a diagram showing the basics of gun sighting and the bullet trajectory. The path of the bullet will generally cross the "Line-Of-Sight" in two places. Although, there is the possibility that, even with a properly set up rifle, the bullet trajectory will not cross the LOS at all. Also, the velocity will decrease from Vi to Vf.
Immediately after exiting the gun barrel the speed of the bullet begins to decrease. The ability of a bullet to retain its speed is expressed by a Ballistic Coefficient. Another way to look at it is that the kinetic energy of the bullet will decrease as the aerodynamic drag of the bullet integrated over the distance travelled. I will explore how this correlates to the ballistic coefficient used in marksmanship.
