What does it mean when a rifle or bullet shoot "flat"?

Answer 1

Bound's hubby here:

When shooting, the reference point from shooter to the target is called "line of sight". The bullet's trajectory is referenced as inches above or below the line of sight. When a person refers to a bullet or cartridge as being "flat shooting" they mean the bullet's trajectory is no greater than 3 inches above or below the line of sight to about 75 yards beyond the target. Keep in mind, the moment the bullet leaves the barrel, it begins to fall or drop due to gravity. A bullet appears to climb only if the rifle is angled to compensate for elevation. As the distance between the shooter and the target increases, the more significant the term "flat shooting" becomes. The benefit of a flat shooting cartridge is that there is less chance of missing or wounding game because the shooter misjudged their distance to target. Theoretically, if a bullet can land within a 6 inch circle centered on the intended point of impact, the hunter will be able to hit the vital organs of his game and effectively and humanely dispatch their game. This is where the three inches above and three inches below the line of sight comes into play.

Good luck.

Answer 2

It's a combo of bullet design and the power behind it. The power keeps it traveling in the same plane for greater distances before drop (gravity) affects it. The design decreases drag and is more aerodynamic which aids in level flight. It "pierces the wind" easier and combined with the spin induced by rifling in the barrel, the bullet is very stable in flight. A flat shooter is slightly more resistant to wind deflection, too, because of high speed. The new .17HMR is a fast, flat shooting bullet and good for small game and varmints even though the bullet is no bigger diameter than a regular BB.

Answer 3

This is kind of a slang term referring to the arc of a rifle bullet over long range. Because of the downward pull of gravity, a rifle barrel, like a cannon, must be raised at an angle higher than pointing it straight at the target, because, as the bullet travels toward the target, gravity pulls the bullet down, causing the bullet to travel in an curved arc like a flattened rainbow. the heavier the bullet, and the farther it travels, the greater this arc is.
The term "flat" refers to a rifle that shoots with such a velocity that causes the least "drop" over distance. The less the "drop", the "flatter" the trajectory.
Because of gravity, if you pointed the barrel straight at the target, the bullet would hit low, even to the point of hitting the ground before it even reached the target. When shooting at a silhouette target at long ranges, you have to aim at the neck or head to hit the target in the chest or gut area, or adjust the elevation setting of the rifle's sights to compensate.
This actually pertains to all firearms, from pistols to cannons, any weapon that fires a solid projectile.

Answer 4

If the bullet is heavier, it does not mean it will drop faster than a lighter bullet. Gravity impacts all objects, regardless of weight or size, the exact same way. That's day one physics stuff. What determines the trajectory of a bullet is it's velocity and it's ballistic coefficient. A heavier bullet will tend to drop LESS if travelling at the same speed as a lighter bullet due to the fact that a heavier bullet will be impacted less by wind resistance. Throw a plastic golf ball and then throw a real golf ball and you will recognize that. A 40gr bullet travelling a couple hundred FPS faster at the muzzle will drop more than a 50gr bullet going slightly slower at longer ranges. Pick up a ballistics chart comparing the same bullet at different weights. Some of these responses I swear are from complete retards!

Answer 5

When firing off a round the trajectory of a bullet will change given the weight of the bullet, the velocity achieved by the amount of powder, also the distance of the round. Depending on the weapon (rifle, shotgun, pistol, etc.) the bullet will achieve a maximum height at different distances. If you bullet is shooting flat then odds are you using less powder and a heavier shot. This will make it tougher to hit your target at longer distances, but closer shots shouldn't be a problem. Hopefully this will help you.

Answer 6

Simply put it means that the bullet doesn not drop very much at a given range. If its flat shooting you dont have to hold over your target as much as say a bullet that is not "flat" shooting. Generally these are bullets/calibers that are better for long distance shooting.

Answer 7

LOL at the expert rifleman. A bullet does not rise. The angle of the sights and the barrel are different, thus the trajectory of the bullet is a curve. Every drawing of a bullet's path will show you this, but it is a myth that the bullet rises.

A flat shooting bullet means it will impact closer to the aiming point at a certain range. Depending on load and powder you can get rounds that will hit an inch low at 300 yards, two inches low at 300 yards, or dead on at 300 yards. Dead on at 300 yards would be your flattest shooting bullet.

Answer 8

All of these guys are correct. Put another way in layman's terms, "A flat shooting rifle is a 'straight' shooting rifle."

Like I said, all these guys are correct except for the rocket scientist who can't spell "Physics." LOL!

H

Answer 9

It means at a given distance, the bullet drop [trajectory] is very little.

Answer 10

They sell rifles made for children to the parents. The parents are supposed to teach the kids responsible handling of firearms. Obviously those parents failed at that task.