OK You Ballistics Experts

[Van/TX]

Dan Wesson, .357, 8" barrel, Federal Premium Hunting 180 grain Castcore, sighted in 1/2" high @ 25 yards.  Federal says Mid Range is .5 @ 25 yards and 1.1 @ 50 yards, 1250 FPS MV.  What the heck does that mean?  

My red dot  line of sight is 2" above the middle of the bore.  What is the standard for giving mid range trajectories by ammo manufacturers?.  What sighting system do they use?

I know, I should go to the range and see where the heck I'm hitting at 50, 75 and 100 yards.  I gotta job, ammo is expensive, deer season in 2 weeks, I ain't got time. So, if I'm 1/2" high @ 25 what is it computed @ 50, 75, 100.  Is there  a software program out there to compute this.

50 is my max range I'd shoot at a deer.  Would I be a tad high?  What about a coyote at 75 or 100?  Where would I hold.  Thanks.....Van

[leverfan]

I know, I should go to the range and see where the heck I'm hitting at 50, 75 and 100 yards.  I gotta job, ammo is expensive, deer season in 2 weeks, I ain't got time.

Make time.  

You don't know the actual velocity from your gun with this ammo, just the manufacturer's claimed velocity.  Even if you had taken the time to chronograph your ammo, the ballistics charts and programs are only an estimate, not dead on.  

You have to sight in the gun, right?  Shoot a few groups at different ranges after you sight in.  It'll cost you one extra box of ammo, and less than one hour of your time.  It will save you from being an unethical hunter that's in grave danger of wounding a deer with a poorly placed shot.  Guessing is a poor substitute for knowing where your bullet will strike.

If you don't have the time to practice, or any interest in reloading for cheaper practice, perhaps handgun hunting isn't for you.  Just my $.02 worth, you can take it or leave it.

[LMM]

Well said!

[WD45]

You can look at computer charts, graphs and programs all day long and you still wont know where that bullet will hit until you spend some time at the range. No 2 guns shoot exactly the same even with the exact same ammo. This is even more true with revolvers.  :shock:
Yup... ammo is expensive, But so are deer tags compared to 20 years ago and everything else.  Miss a deer because of being to cheap to buy one box of shells and you wasted the money spent on tags plus the frustration that always comes with missing a deer anyway. What about a bad hit resulting in all the time tracking and possibly a lost deer. Another way to think of it is one box of ammo this year for sight in and using the same factory ammo you are set for next year and the next and the next ......... for the most part anyway only requiring a couple of rounds now and then to check....if thats all you use you gun for.

[Fred McIntire]

Come on ! Check the gun at the range. It won't cost that much and it won't take that long.

Besides, here is an excellent excuse to get into reloading. You can reload your own for 40 to 60 percent of the cost of factory ammo. Plus, you can design your own cartridge with your choice of bullets and powders.

Good luck.

[mikemayberry]

Van/Tx,

You ethically owe more than this to the animal and to yourself, to save the frustration of missing or chasing a wounded animal.  I cannot imagine going hunting with a gun of any sort that I have not shot  to know where it hits-- and relying on some stranger's computer program to tell me I might hit where I aim!

Do yourself and the animal a favor and go practice for at least an hour at the indoor range if nothing else.  Cost about $10 and most ranges will get you to at least 35 yards.

Please take all these suggestions in the spirit they are offered.  Are you sure you're not baiting us with this question?

Mike

[Questor]

I'm an avid user of a ballistic program, and I own a chronograph too. But the only way I can be sure of where a bullet will hit is to actually use it.  That includes making no assumptions about where it will hit at 300 yards based on 100 yard practice.

[DanielWGriggs]

Don't go hunting if you don't have time to practice.

[New Hampshire]

ESPECIALLY with a "marginal" cartridge.
Brian M.

[Catfish]

I don`t recomand takeing a rifle out hunting with takeing it to the range first and handguns are different that rifles and require alot of practice to shoot well. In other words I agree with what everyone else has said, but I think they may have been to polite in saying it.

[Gregory]

I know, I should go to the range and see where the heck I'm hitting at 50, 75 and 100 yards.  I gotta job, ammo is expensive, deer season in 2 weeks, I ain't got time.  Thanks.....Van

Van
I see from another post that you're a bow hunter.  If you gave us the same "ballistic" info on your arrow, would you trust the computer info to hunt with the bow without actual practice?  
I agree with all the responses you received.  Hope you can find time to get to the range, and if not, I hope you leave the handgun at home and take a rifle that is sighted in.

[Camel 23]

At 50 yards I would should about 3 to 4 feet above the target.  That way you won't have to worry about a poor hit.  Just kidding.  Take it out to the range and shoot the darn thing!

[willysjeep134]

www.beartoothbullets.com has some free online external balistics calculators. If you want to dig up the velocity, weight, balistic coeficient of the bullet and the zeroed range and site heigth it will give you some idea of where you are theoretically hitting. That way you only need to shoot a few shots to verify their data.

 Oh, and what they said.

[Van/TX]

Guys, I'm really impressed with all of your comments.  Same thing I would have said to a novice bowhunter.  Thanks!  I will take the time to sight in appropriately.  But I was hoping that someone knew how the factory came up with mid range trajectory in regards to distance from line of sight to the bore center.  I think for rifles they use 1.5".

Thanks again.  Good stuff here :-D .....Van