Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1912-02-22
SPEED or A SHOT
Finding the Velocity of a Missile
a Simple Matter.
MEASURED BY A PAPER DRUM.
The Whirlins Cylinder Registers the
Proieetils's Flight With Minute Ae-
eursey at Any Desired Distance.
Wing Shots and Shot Charges.

Persons at all Interested in gun firin
Of any kind, whether OF the reTolve
or rife or Of heavy ordnance Of an
kind, occasionally come upon the tern
"muzzle velocity and velOcities Of tn
missile at stated distances.
How can anybody tell how fast
bullet Is travelling when II leaves tn,
muzzle Of a weapOnY' f. likely com
ment on the part Of the laymau.
As a matter Of fact this approximate
| velocity Of the missile may be one Of
/ the easiest OF determinations 10 make
In the first place. a drumlike cylinder
Is made Of fixed diameter and Of SUI
| ficiently stifr paper to allow Of It's re
VOlving rapidly on a spindle. Using d
| cylinder Of small circumference, it 1:
necessary that the speed approach
1000 revolutions a minute. These rev.
buttons are produced by electric pow
or, and the count Is made by an exact
mechanical register.
The gun IS placed securely at the r,
qulred distance from the drum and 4,
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
az 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 Il minute
and its diameter only a fraction more
than n foot this would mean a rate Of
1000 yards In sixty seconds. Thus in
the fragment of a 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.
1t is this space of DETECTION shown
inside the further rim of the drum that
Is used for the computation of velocity
OF the missile. The speed Of the cylln-
der may be computed to the ten thou.
sandth part OF n 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 penetratcs outward
Il registers its time I'm crossing the
diameter OF the cylinder. If It has re-
CURED the tcn-thousandth part Of a
second for the bullet to fly one foot its
velocity to the mile may be
by any schoolboy. BY the |
Iame process, too, the bullets velocity |
It 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 fun fight. He
VOWED a theory of his own as to the
incoming 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 Il was not because the bird was
ot vulnerable, coming breast on.
The fact was that 1t edw over his
barge of shot. Before he could pull
he trigger and the hammer fell on
he percussion cap and the compare
.vcly slow black powder could be ig-
tied and exploded sending the shot
or thirty yards, the bird
al flown yards perhaps beyond its
osltion when the fowler first touched
he trigger. But firing directly at the
lrd after II had passed the shot
barge had a strong tendency to drop
; Il flew, and the bird dying on a
vel line got In the way" Of the
narge.
To-day the modern nitro powders are
Immensely quicker than was the old
lack gunpowdcr, yet IL has been an
lgineeriug problem to determine Just
DIV fast and In what line a charge OF
lot wiz travel. In this determine
on the revolving drum device has
lown several important facts which
we been taken IN connection with
.e speed Of individual game birds
M the effects OF windage on a SHOT
larce
That most Important fact ms to the
ght Of shot from modern shotgun
that Mt forty yards the shot are
trung ont" for approximately fifteen
ct. While the leading pellets in the
ring have greatest velocity and kill
& power, at this distance even the
lil;ug pellets are Of sufficient force
kill.
All this has led 10 the modern prIc-
e OF the fowler 10 reckon with the
eed ot his shot. the speed OF the
I'd. the Influence OF the wind I'm
iriftiug the charge. and out OF
csc established facts TO lead the
ri sufficiently to kill it rather than
aim and cripple it.-Marvin Holton
Chicago Tribune.
The Other National Game.
Mrs. Galley (as Galley arrives home
a. ml-Well. what i'm the world
-. % all