Science this 200 Yard Shot Anomaly

Zen Archery · February 13, 2019, 05:55 PM

Competitive long range spotters have probably seen this. But cool to catch it on video.
Click Here For Video

jmr40 · February 15, 2019, 12:10 PM

I don't think it is all that odd to see a bullet in flight. The range where I shoot faces due west. In early morning with the sun rising directly behind the shooting stations I see bullets in flight quite often.

TXAZ · February 15, 2019, 12:29 PM

I'm with jmr40. In the video above, the sun is +/- directly behind the shooter and the glint of sun off the bullet like the glint off a car rear window you're following on a sunny day.

I've watched others shoot on a sunny day on a 1,000 yard range. The targets were north, and it was possible to see some of the bullets travel downrange with your naked eye, much like in the video above. But typically you could only see the bullet for about the first 300 yards.

T. O'Heir · February 15, 2019, 02:04 PM

Certainly isn't odd to see a bullet in flight on film. The science is a bullet of unknown calibre hitting water. If it's a cf, a varmint bullet will disintegrate hitting water. So will a .22 LR.

dahermit · February 15, 2019, 02:08 PM

As a kid who bought .22 Shorts due to money (poverty) issues, instead of .22 Long Rifle ammo, I can attest that it was common to see the back end of a .22 Short heading down range...the Long Rifle bullets were too fast to see. Also, we found that when we fired a shotgun from the hip into sand dunes, we could see the shot cloud going though the air just like it was a swarm of bees.

davidsog · February 15, 2019, 07:00 PM

It looks like a phenomenon called trace. It is what a spotter reads and is seen by setting up the focal point of the spotter scope to a specific point along the max ord of the round forward of the Target. You then can see the disturbance in the air similar to mirage caused by the flight of the bullet and under certain conditions can catch the sun glinting off the copper jacket.

rickyrick · February 15, 2019, 08:29 PM

I see what looks like the shockwave picking up water prior to the strike and the bullet.

I’ve seen the bullet lensing/bullet track (or whatever the technical term is) effect with a fellow coyote hunter using .243AI that was pretty impressive.
I saw the 9mm ricochet that hit me in the shin coming... but my reaction time was of no help haha.

**JohnKSa** · February 15, 2019, 09:24 PM

Reflection in the water.

February 13, 2019, 05:55 PM	#1
Zen Archery Senior Member Join Date: January 30, 2005 Posts: 274	Science this 200 Yard Shot Anomaly Competitive long range spotters have probably seen this. But cool to catch it on video. Click Here For Video __________________ Video Hunting Library

February 15, 2019, 12:10 PM	#2
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,809	I don't think it is all that odd to see a bullet in flight. The range where I shoot faces due west. In early morning with the sun rising directly behind the shooting stations I see bullets in flight quite often. __________________ "If you're still doing things the same way you were doing them 10 years ago, you're doing it wrong" Winston Churchill

February 15, 2019, 12:29 PM	#3
TXAZ Senior Member Join Date: September 5, 2010 Location: McMurdo Sound Texas Posts: 4,322	I'm with jmr40. In the video above, the sun is +/- directly behind the shooter and the glint of sun off the bullet like the glint off a car rear window you're following on a sunny day. I've watched others shoot on a sunny day on a 1,000 yard range. The targets were north, and it was possible to see some of the bullets travel downrange with your naked eye, much like in the video above. But typically you could only see the bullet for about the first 300 yards. __________________ Cave illos in guns et backhoes

February 15, 2019, 02:04 PM	#4
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Certainly isn't odd to see a bullet in flight on film. The science is a bullet of unknown calibre hitting water. If it's a cf, a varmint bullet will disintegrate hitting water. So will a .22 LR. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

February 15, 2019, 09:24 PM	#8
JohnKSa Staff Join Date: February 12, 2001 Location: DFW Area Posts: 24,990	Reflection in the water. __________________ Do you know about the TEXAS State Rifle Association?

February 15, 2019, 02:08 PM	#5
dahermit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2006 Location: South Central Michigan...near Posts: 6,501	As a kid who bought .22 Shorts due to money (poverty) issues, instead of .22 Long Rifle ammo, I can attest that it was common to see the back end of a .22 Short heading down range...the Long Rifle bullets were too fast to see. Also, we found that when we fired a shotgun from the hip into sand dunes, we could see the shot cloud going though the air just like it was a swarm of bees.

February 15, 2019, 07:00 PM	#6
davidsog Senior Member Join Date: January 13, 2018 Posts: 1,326	It looks like a phenomenon called trace. It is what a spotter reads and is seen by setting up the focal point of the spotter scope to a specific point along the max ord of the round forward of the Target. You then can see the disturbance in the air similar to mirage caused by the flight of the bullet and under certain conditions can catch the sun glinting off the copper jacket.

February 15, 2019, 08:29 PM	#7
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,238	I see what looks like the shockwave picking up water prior to the strike and the bullet. I’ve seen the bullet lensing/bullet track (or whatever the technical term is) effect with a fellow coyote hunter using .243AI that was pretty impressive. I saw the 9mm ricochet that hit me in the shin coming... but my reaction time was of no help haha.