Manual ballistics: components
During its flight from muzzle to target, our bullet interacts with many forces - some seeming commonplace, with others appearing quite technical. Gravity, the spin of the planet, air density, firing angle and much more all alter the pathway of our bullets. When learning to navigate the many variables of a ballistic solution, care should be taken to remember that marksmanship is a goal-oriented practice. In other words, effects on target are the sole metric that determine how to best approach a situation.
Squad designated marksmen, who engage at moderate distances and are afforded follow up shots without consequence will find much more utility in rapid corrective shots than solving for the Coriolis effect. SF sniper teams, who must be able to guarantee an impact on a mission-critical target, will find solving for the finest of variables a necessity. Learning to navigate these ballistic variables in a practical and field expedient fashion, regardless of marksmanship application, is the distinguishing mark between a textbook ballistician and the highest echelon of effective marksmen.
Ballistic Components
Looking towards application purposes, the components of a thorough and complete ballistic solution can effectively be divided into three categories:
- Primary components affect bullet flight path so greatly that they must be accounted for by all, from SF sniper teams to riflemen.
- Secondary components become a necessity to solve for at extended distance, and are a mainstay of all sniper teams.
- Tertiary components only have a small effect on flight path, but become critical when shots must be guaranteed.
All components of a ballistic solution supported by UNITAF are listed below, grouped by category, and sorted from greatest effect to least:
| Category | Ballistic Component | Direction of Deflection |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Bullet Drop (composite) | Vertical |
| Primary | Moving Targets* | Horizontal |
| Primary | Crosswinds* | Horizontal |
| Secondary | Inclined Shooting* | Vertical |
| Secondary | Spin Drift | Horizontal |
| Secondary | Coriolis Effect | Horizontal |
| Tertiary | Eotvös Effect* | Vertical |
| Tertiary | Headwinds & Tailwinds* | Vertical |
| Tertiary | Air Density changes* | Vertical |
*Indicates a component that only needs to be solved for under specific conditions.
Realism Where It Matters
It should be noted that the topics to be explored in Manual Ballistics only address the core needs of assembling ballistic solutions accurate enough for the listed applications of marksmanship. Most of these ballistic solution components have been simplified to the greatest extent possible, and where compounding considerations and peripheral concerns could be ignored, they have been intentionally excluded entirely. Looking towards the most rigorous applications of marksmanship available in UNITAF, most of these variables can be accounted for with even greater precision and reliability, should it be a topic of further interest.
