New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1911-11-15
SPEED OF 4 SHOT
Finding the Velocity Of a Missile
a Simple Matter.
MEASURED BY A PAPER DRUM.

8 Tho Whirlins Cylinder Registers Il
ProjeetiIe's Flight With Minute Az
euracy at Any Desired Distanc
Wing Shots and Shot Charges.
Persons at all interested in gun firm
Of any kind, whether Of the revolve
or rifle or Of heavy ordnance Of an
kind, occasionally come upon the teri
''muzzle velocity and velocities Of til
missile at stated distances.
"How can anybody tell how fast
bullet is travelling when it leaves TIL
muzzle of a weapon?'' is a likely com
ment on the part Of the layman.
AS matter Of fact this approximate
velocity Of the missile may be one o
the easiest Of determinations to make
In the first place, a drumlike cylinde
Is made Of fixed diameter and Of SUI
ticiently stiff paper to allow Of its re
volving rapidly on spindle. Using s
cylinder Of small circumference, it il
necessary that the speed approach
1900 revolutions a minute. These rev
olutions are produced by electric pow.
er, and the count is made by an exact
mechanical register.
The gun is placed securely at the re-
quired distance from the drum and is
sighted directly at the center Of the
cylinder, which is spinning at so
many rods. even miles, a minute, rs
its circumference determines. With
the drums speed adjusted an electric
current discharges the weapon, the
bullet striking the center Of the drum
as measured from top to bottom.
The reader understands that with the
drum stationary the bullet would pass
directly through it on the line of its
diameter coming out on the other side
with scarcely a shade of impeachment.
With the drums periphery whirling at
the rate of 1000 revolutions a minute
and its diameter only a fraction more
than a foot this would mean a rate of
1000 yards in sixty seconds. Thus in
the fragment of second necessary for
the bullet to enter one side of the pa
per drum, cross it and out at the other
side the opposite side of the drum
would show considerable deviation
from an exact diameter of line of pas
sage.
It Is this space Of DETECTION shown
inside the further rim of the drum that
(s used for the computation of velocity
Of the missile The speed Of the cylin.
der may be computed to the ten thou
sandth part Of second if necessary
and the lineal distance run in that time
be charted in perpendicular lines on
the inner side Of the paper At what
ever line the bullet penetrates outward
It registers its time in crossing the
liameter Of the cylinder. If it has re-
quired the ten-thousandth part Of
second for. the bullet to fly one foot it's
nuzZle velocity to the mile may be
computed by any schoolboy. BY the
same process, too. the bullets velocity
1t 100 yards or 500 yards may be de-
ermined
Years ago before wing shooting had |
become an art the farmer with his |
nuzzle loading shotgun and charge of |
black powder would shoot directly at a
Wild goose or duck in full flight He |
theory of his own as to the |
bird, holding that the heavy
'reast feathers turned the shot. He
waited until the bird had passed him
when, firing directly at it, he could
ring down his quarry.
But it was not because the bird was
lot vulnerable, coming breast on.
The TACT was that it efw over his
barge Of shot. Before he could pull
he trigger and the hammer fell on
he percussion cap and the compare
lively slow black powder could be ig-
ited and exploded, sending the shot
twenty-five or thirty yards, the bird
ad flown yards perhaps beyond it's
osition when the fowler first touched
he trigger. But firing directly at the
ird after it had passed the shot
barge had strong tendency to drop
s 1t flew, and the bird flying on
evel line "got in the way" of the
barge.
Today the modern nitro powders are
quicker than was the old
lack gunpowder, yet it has been an
ngineering problem to determine just
ow fast and in what line charge of
hot will travel. In this determina-
ion the revolving drum device has
hown several important facts which
ave been taken in connection with
ne speed Of individual game birds
nd the effects of windage on shot (.
barge. l.
That most important fact as to the
light Of shot from modern shotgun
that at forty yards the shot are
strung out" for approximately fifteen =.
eet. While the leading pellets in the
ring have greatest velocity and kill {
IL power, at this distance even the I
'ailing pellets are of sufficient force
, kill. [
All this has led to the modern prac-
&c Of the fowler to reckon with the
,eed Of his shot. the speed of the q