Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1912-11-07
SPEED OF A SHOT
Finding the Velocity of a Missile
a Simple Matter.
MEASURED BY A PAPER DRUM.
The Whirlins Cylinder Registers tho
ProjectiIe's Flight With Minute Ao-
eursoy at Any Desired Distance.
Wins Shots and Shot Charges.

Persons ut all interested In gun firinI
q Of any kind, whether of the revolve
4 Or rifle 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 I
bullet is travelling when 1t leaves tn,
muzzle of weapon?" is likely com
ment on the part of the layman.
AS matter of fact this approximate
velocity of the missile may be one OF
the easiest of determinations to make
In the first place, a drumlike cylinder
Is made of fixed diameter and Of suf.
ticiently stiff paper to allow of its re-
volving rapidly on spindle. Using a
cylinder of small circumference, it is
necessary that the speed approach
1000 revolutions n 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
CURED distance from the drum and II
sighted directly at the center of the
many rods, even miles, minute, as
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 understand y that with the
drum stationary the bull,s 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 fraction more
than 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.
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 cylin-
der may be computed to the ten thou
sandth part Of a 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
1t registers its time In crossing the
diameter of the cylinder. If it has re
Quired the ten-thousandth part Of |
second for the bullet to fly one foot its
muzzle velocity to the mile may be
by any schoolboy. BY the !
same process, too, the bullets velocity |
at 100 yards or 500 yards may be de /,
termined.
Years ago before wing shooting had |
become an art the farmer with his
loading shotgun and charge of
black powder would shoot directly at a
wild goose or duck in full flight. He /
evolved a 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
THcut ullus uiIeCtly dt II, lie COulU
'ring down his quarry.
But It was not because the bird was
lot vulnerable, coming breast on.
The fact was that 1t eflw 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-
tied and exploded, sending the shot
or thirty yards, the bird r
ad flown yards perhaps beyond It's
osition when the fowler first touched
be trigger. But firing directly at the
ird after 1t had passed the shot
barge had a strong tendency to drop
s 1t flew, and the bird flying on a
,vel line "got in the way" of the
barge.
Today the modern nitro powders are
quicker than was the old
lack gunpowder, yet 1t has been an
ngineering problem to determine just
ow fast and IN what line charge Of
hot will travel. In this determine
on the revolving drum device has
lown several important facts which :
ave been taken In connection with
lie speed of individual game birds I
nd the effects of windage Oh Slot
large.
That most important fact rs to the
Ight of shot from modern shotgun {
that at forty yards the shot are :
strung OUT for approximately fifteen I
.et. While the leading pellets in the
ring have greatest velocity and kill
e power, Mt this distance even the {
ailing pellets are of sufficient force I
kill. {
All this has led to the modern prac- I
ce Of the fowler to reckon with the s
,eed of his shot, the speed of the q
I'd, the Influence Of the wind In
irifting" the charge, and out Of B.
ese established facts to 'lead'' the a
I'd sufficiently to kill 1t rather than d
aim and cripple it.-Marvin Holton o
Chicago Tribune. {
The Other National Game. 8