Difference in bullet flight over water and over land?

[AaronEdwardJames]

Does a bullet have a different gravitational effect traveling over water than on land, what does science say or does any1 have any personnel experiences that say science is wrong or right

 

[NATE40]

Does a bullet have a different gravitational effect traveling over water than on land, what does science say or does any1 have any personnel experiences that say science is wrong or right

This refers to Newtons first law of motion,Things moving in one direction will keep moving in that same direction until acted on by another force. Gravity is a constant pull on everything on the earth including water and things above the water. So the answer is no.

 

[winmagman]

From a gravitational standpoint there is no difference as gravity is indeed a constant. Where thing get a little tricky is in the air density changes that can occur over water. In the fall for example water and the air above it are generally warmer than the surrounding land and air above it, sometimes by several degrees, making it less dense and easier for a bullet to pass through. The inverse is true in the spring.

In these types of conditions if you take a 400 yd shot with 200 over land and 200 over water you likely won't notice a problem, but take one at 1200 yds with 400 over land and 800 over water and it's unlikely you'll hit where you're aiming.

Based on my understanding of what I've read as I have no place to shoot extended ranges over water.

Chris

 

[jrock]

Assuming that the ground and water are at the same elevation and all environmental effects being equal, then gravitational acceleration is still 9.81m/s^2 weather over water or land. Interesting question though.

 

[AaronEdwardJames]

So the answer is no on the gravity side of things men but it is possible to have your shot being effected at extended ranges due to other environmental aspects over water

 

[HarryN]

Technically, there are slight differences in gravitational pull across the surface of the earth due to density and elevation, but over the distance of 1 mile, and over water vs. land it is pretty far down the list of effects. This difference is somewhere around the 3rd or 4th decimal point of measurement to give you a feel for it, so slightly less than accounting for a difference in wind drift from 20.00 vs. 20.01 mph.

Perhaps more interesting to you is the difference in air turbulence observed when flying in an airplane over water vs. land. It is very common for the air turbulence to be much lower when over large bodies of water, and I am guessing that the air temperature and humidity are more stable (and different) than over many land areas.

For me personally, the only firearm I have every used near water is a shot gun and in that case, I didn't notice any change in projectile flight.

Edit - I see that some other very good answers came in before I posted.

 

[Trnelson]

Fun physics problem!!! In short there's no diserable difference in g until the fourth decimal place. So 9.80m/^2 is likely close enough for most shoulder-fired ballistic trajectories. YMMV

 

[NATE40]

Gravity and its effects are not even 100% constant over land. Gravity varies on our planet owing to a number of factors. It's not perfectly spherical or uniformly dense. What's more, gravity is weaker at the equator because of the outward centrifugal force produced by the Earth's rotation relative to the polar latitudes. And the higher you go, the further you are from the Earth's center. All of these factors,shooting over water,snow,ice and earth locations. only add up to tens of milliseconds in bullet drops. Other enviromental factors have great effects on your bullet pathgun)

 

[AaronEdwardJames]

Some good answers here men, I just Thor it would be a thought provocing question

 

[codyjoe1128]

Once i get my load worked up ill tell you how much affect water vs land has on a 210 berger... ive got a private lake on my parents place that i can shoot just inches above the water out to 800 yards.....

 

[AaronEdwardJames]

Happy days lad, looking forward till hearing what you come up with

 

[codyjoe1128]

The day of testing is coming near....next time I'm home the water should still be cool and the air temps are coming up...almost as excited bout these tests as I am bout stretching the 210s out

 

[ncwg2boatguy]

Test it yet?

 

[Sflutes]

I think what you may have heard was that there was greater danger for a stray bullet or a ricochet when shooting over water. Lets say you shoot over a 1000 yard patch of sand...your bullet will most likely hit the sand once or twice then tumble to a stop. With the correct conditions a bullet could skip over water like a flat stone and possibly injure someone much farther away than you think. The bullet is not affected by what it is traveling over, the issue is the bullet contacting the water, Hope this helps. Don't ever hesitate to ask any question on this forum. I have lurked here for quite a while and registered to answer your post and the folks seem pretty cool.