The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Effect of heavy rain on bullet trajectory?

Slamfire · June 4, 2010, 07:35 PM

In 2007 I was shooting in the NRA Championships at 600 yards on Viale Range. I was shooting a .223 AR match rifle.

The weather was overcast and the skies alternated between dry and rain with an evil fickleness. First relay, which I was on, the line was prevented from going hot by interminable stupid problems and poor officiating. It took forever to get to the preparation period, and once having completed that, the whole line was ordered to ground our rifles and stay in place. I saw a HMMWV roll from behind the range tower and trundle its way to the pits. Apparently someone in the pits had a dead battery and we all had to wait.

As we waited we could see this dark, ominous line coming in from the lake. After having taken enough time for what must have been a coffee and a donut, the HMMVW trundled back to its place behind the tower and the line was given permission to shoot.

I shot as fast as I could, knowing that I was going to be pasted with rain. Probably less than 15 seconds per shot, so good was my pit service, and I fired as the target came up. But so it was, before I got to shot 10 the rain squalls hit. It rained so heavy that I was blowing water out of my rear aperture. My shots were blown left and right by the wind gales, and there were 8's, but I did not change my elevation. There was this period of no wind but heavy rain, and I was hitting X’s, even though I could not see the bull. I was centering the frame in my aperture.

My score was ruined, my databook so wet I could not write in it, my scope fogged up. I and all of my equipment were saturated with water.

The USMC Marine Shooter, with whom I was squadded, had an equally awful time at long range. When we went to the pits, he being in his vigorous 20's, covered his equipment on the line with his poncho, and let the rain pour over him as he pulled targets.

I am of the conclusion that rain does not have that much of an effect on the path of bullets, not nearly as much as wind. Or course, if you can’t see what you are doing, maybe you should not be shooting anyway.

June 4, 2010, 07:35 PM	#21
Slamfire Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2007 Posts: 5,261	In 2007 I was shooting in the NRA Championships at 600 yards on Viale Range. I was shooting a .223 AR match rifle. The weather was overcast and the skies alternated between dry and rain with an evil fickleness. First relay, which I was on, the line was prevented from going hot by interminable stupid problems and poor officiating. It took forever to get to the preparation period, and once having completed that, the whole line was ordered to ground our rifles and stay in place. I saw a HMMWV roll from behind the range tower and trundle its way to the pits. Apparently someone in the pits had a dead battery and we all had to wait. As we waited we could see this dark, ominous line coming in from the lake. After having taken enough time for what must have been a coffee and a donut, the HMMVW trundled back to its place behind the tower and the line was given permission to shoot. I shot as fast as I could, knowing that I was going to be pasted with rain. Probably less than 15 seconds per shot, so good was my pit service, and I fired as the target came up. But so it was, before I got to shot 10 the rain squalls hit. It rained so heavy that I was blowing water out of my rear aperture. My shots were blown left and right by the wind gales, and there were 8's, but I did not change my elevation. There was this period of no wind but heavy rain, and I was hitting X’s, even though I could not see the bull. I was centering the frame in my aperture. My score was ruined, my databook so wet I could not write in it, my scope fogged up. I and all of my equipment were saturated with water. The USMC Marine Shooter, with whom I was squadded, had an equally awful time at long range. When we went to the pits, he being in his vigorous 20's, covered his equipment on the line with his poncho, and let the rain pour over him as he pulled targets. I am of the conclusion that rain does not have that much of an effect on the path of bullets, not nearly as much as wind. Or course, if you can’t see what you are doing, maybe you should not be shooting anyway.