Does land deviation change a bullets trajectory?

[fishuhalik]

My roommate and I are having a discussion and I need a definite yes or no answer. If you're shooting your rifle up or down 45 degree hill, say, 300 yards, is your point of impact going to be any different than if you are shooting at a target 300 yards straight out? I agreed that if you are trying to hit a deer in the vitals, you will have to aim to a different point, as any bowhunter should know, but I don't think bullet tragectory is going to change as gravity has the same pull, no matter what angle (I think). Someone please tell me I'm right!!!!

[bobbymalone]

hope you didn't put money on that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rifleman's_rule

[fishuhalik]

I am familiar with that rule, just didn't know the name of it. Basically its saying that as an object goes straight up, it's getting farther away from you. However, that is not what I'm talking about. If your target is 1 foot in front of you and gets raised 100 yards, obviously it is farther away. However, is the bullet tragectory different at a 100 yard target than a target that is at a 45 angle and still a true 100 yards away?

[fishuhalik]

Oh, I almost forgot our other arguement. I believe that if you are standing on a mountaintop, shooting at something on the adjacent mountaintop, let's say 1500 yards, that your trajectory will be the same as if it was flat ground, if the elevation is the same. Air density will change trajectory, that's not what we were talking about. I guess the short version is this: does shooting over an open space change trajectory?

[bobbymalone]

However, is the bullet tragectory different at a 100 yard target than a target that is at a 45 angle and still a true 100 yards away?

I'm confused. I think the rifleman's rule explains that. and really, by definition, bullets shot at different angles have different trajectories.

Does this answer your question?

If I have a rifle sighted in on level ground at 100 yards and I shoot at a mountain goat 100 true yards away but at an angle of +45 or -45 degrees, I will miss. I'll shoot high. Theoretically.

For the second question, it doesn't matter what's under the bullet.

[swamptiger]

Quote:

If I have a rifle sighted in on level ground at 100 yards and I shoot at a mountain goat 100 true yards away but at an angle of +45 or -45 degrees, I will miss. I'll shoot high. Theoretically.

You won't necessarily miss at a distance of 100 yards, but at 500 yds, the trajectory would be altered significantly. The reason is if you are shooting at an angle, the horizontal distance of the bullet travel is less, so therefore the effects of gravity are less than when shooting horizontally. You would need to aim lower in both cases.