THE

LONG
RANGE
SHOOTING
HANDY
REFERENCE
GUIDE
ILLUSTRATED
BY KARIN CHRISTENSEN
 High Tail Publishing, LLC

© 2024 Karin Christensen

Paperback ISBN 979-8-9892565-0-1

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this

book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For
information, contact the publisher at:
[email protected].

Karin Christensen
www.shooterready.com

Permission to print pages for personal use only.

 Table of Contents
Part 1 The Bullet in Flight
The Rifle Bore - Barrel Rifling - Twist rate -
Rotational Speed of the Bullet • page 5
Stability Factor • page 6
Muzzle Velocity • page 7
Bullet Meplat • page 8
Bullet Ogive • page 8
Tangent - Secant - Hybrid Ogives • page 9
Bullet Center of Mass - Center of Pressure
Angle of Attack • page 10
Wind • page 11
Crosswind • page 12
Wind Direction • page 13
Spin (Gyroscopic) Drift • pages 14 and 15
Aerodynamic Jump • pages 16 and 17
Magnus Effect • page 17
Coriolis Effect • page 18
Eötvös Effect • page 19
Coriolis and Eötvös Effect Data • page 20
Drag - Frontal Area - Dynamic Pressure • page 21
Aerodynamics • pages 22 and 23
Drag Coefficient • page 24
Measuring Drag Coefficient
Chronographs • page 25
Time of Flight • page 26
Doppler Radar • page 27
Shock waves • pages 28 and 29
Mach Numbers • page 29
G1 and G7 standard bullets • page 30
Drag Curves • page 31
Additional G Models • page 32
Drag Equation • page 32
Gravity • page 33
Adjusting Elevation • page 34
Inclination Angles • page 35
Air Density • pages 35 and 36
Barometric Pressure • page 36
Temperature • page 37
Humidity • page 37
 Table of Contents
Part 2 Aiming the Bullet
Minute of Angle • page 38
Mil Radians • page 39
The Reticle (MOA and MIL) • pages 40 and 41
Adjust for drop and drift
MOA turrets • page 42
MIL turrets • page 43
Prepare a Range Card • page 44
Moving Targets • page 45
Handy Equations • page 46

Part 3 Challenges
Instructions • page 47
Elevation Angles .308 caliber • pages 48 and 49
Moving Targets .223 caliber • pages 50 and 51
Differential Wind .50 caliber • pages 52 and 53
Temperature Variations .338 caliber • pages 54 and 55
Temperature Variations 300 Win Mag • pages 56 and 57
Advanced Challenges 6.5 Creedmoor • pages 58 and 59

Part 4 End Notes

Right hand twist vs. Left hand twist • page 60
6.5mm vs .264 inch • page 60
 Part 1 The Bullet
in Flight

In order for a bullet to

be stable in flight it
The Rifle Bore has to be spinning.

Bore diameter Groove diameter

Right hand spin

Rifling is a grooved,
Land From the Land spiral pattern machined
Groove the bullet ’s Groove into the surface of the
point of view bore which produces the
bullet spin.
1 in 10 twist (1:10)
10 inches of barrel length Twist rate

Bullet makes one full revolution

in 10 inches of barrel length
For the same bore diameter:
Not to
scale
a 1:7 twist rate is faster
1 in 7 twist (1:7) than a 1:10 twist rate
7 inches of barrel length

Bullet makes one full revolution

in 7 inches of barrel length
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Rotational speed of the bullet
12
Rotation (revolutions per second) = × Muzzle velocity
Twist rate
Rotation per second × 60 = Rotations per minute (RPM) Faster
Muzzle velocity = 2650 ft/sec 1:10 twist = 190,800 RPM 1:7 twist = 272,580 RPM

5
 Stability Factor Estimates stability
of a bullet in flight
In order for a bullet
to be stable in flight
it has to be spinning.

Longitudinal axis of spin

The Miller formula

Bullet mass in grains (m)
Stability factor (Sg)
30 × m
Sg = 2 3 2
Twist in calibers per turn (t)
t d l(1 + l )
Bullet length in calibers (l)
Bullet diameter in inches (d)

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If a bullet has a
Twist in calibers per turn (t) = Sg of less than 1.0
T
t= divide twist rate in inches (T) it will be unstable
d by caliber diameter in inches (d) and will tumble.
Sg of 1.4 or greater
is ideal.

Other variables such as bullet weight, aerodynamic properties

and atmospheric conditions can also affect stability

A bullet becomes more gyroscopically stable as it flies down-range.

Spin rate decays slower than the velocity which favorably affects the
aerodynamic properties of the bullet.

Range increases
Yards muzzle 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Meters muzzle 91 183 274 366 457 549 640 732 823 914
Sg 1.74 1.87 2.0 2.13 2.27 2.44 2.62 2.79 3.01 3.25 3.62
Stability factor (Sg) increases

Hornady .264 diameter (6.5 mm) 140 gr, 1:8 twist,

57°F, 500 ft altitude, 29.38 pressure, 50% humidity

66
 Muzzle velocity
Rifle barrel
Line of departure

Measured in feet (meters) per second

Bullet Produced by:

Expanding gases from
burning gun powder
Cartridge Case

Determined by:
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Weight of bullet grains
Amount of propellant
Powder Length of barrel

Lighter bullets
travel at higher velocities
than heavier bullets
Primer (of the same caliber)

If the rifle is zeroed with a muzzle velocity of 2650 ft/sec

a small change in true muzzle velocity will affect the trajectory.
True muzzle velocity
2590 2620 2650 2680 2710

Range
800 yards 72 inches
732 meters

Range
1200 yards
1097 meters

Hornady .264 diameter (6.5 mm) 140 gr, 1:8 twist,

59°F, 500 ft altitude, 29.38 pressure, 50% humidity

7
The Meplat Hollow point Soft point Polymer tip
Tip of the bullet Trimmed

Hollow point
Untrimmed These three are
similar -
Jacket aerodynamically
speaking
Lead

Circular Ogive
arc
The radius of
a circular arc

A caliber is defined as the internal Ogive

Circle
groove diameter of a gun barrel or
the diameter of a projectile in Radius
hundredths of an inch.

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Ogive value
stated in
calibers
Ogive radius in inches
Ogive caliber =
Caliber in inches

Calculate radius length (RL) in inches

NL × NL (D - T)
RL = +
(D - T) 4

Nose length (NL)

Nose diameter (D) Tip diameter (T)

8
 Eötvös Effect Vertical effect related to the azimuth of
fire (heading) relative to true north.

90°N North Pole

70°N Subtract from elevation
60°N
50°N
40°N The bullet traveling
Facing West Facing East westward is deflected
30°N 270° 90° downward.
20°N
Deflection Deflection
10°N Down Up
Effect is greatest
0°
near the equator.
Facing West Facing East
10°S
270° 90°
20°S The bullet traveling
Deflection Deflection
30°S Down
eastward is deflected
Up
40°S upward.
50°S
60°S Add to elevation
70°S
90°S South Pole
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The ionCopyright 2024 shooterready.com

at
Equ Eötvös Effect

� = 1 - 2 × ��× MV × (cos(Lat) × sin(Az))

g
� gravity correction factor
MV muzzle velocity
� rotation of the earth in rad/sec
g acceleration of gravity (32.2 ft/s2)
Lat Latitude (+north, - south)
Az azimuth of fire (heading)

Equation from Litz, Applied Ballistics for Long-range Shooting

Second edition, 2011

19
 At Supersonic Speed At Subsonic Speed

The shape of the ogive is the more The boat-tail design is more
important factor in reducing drag. important at reducing drag.
Boat-tail shape not as important. Ogive shape not as important.

Mach Number
The Speed of Sound
Mach is a ratio of the speed of In dry air at 0°C (32°F)
the object to the speed of sound. 331.2 meters per second
Speed of sound is dependent 1,087 feet per second
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on air density.
In dry air at 20°C (68°F)
Air density is dependent on 343 meters per second
altitude, temperature and 1,125 feet per second
humidity.
Temperature is the most Mach Number
important factor. Speed of object
Speed of sound

If the speed of the object

equals the speed of sound
Mach = 1

In dry air at 0°C (32°F)

Mach 1 = 1087 feet per second
The term ‘Mach’ was named in honor of Mach 2 = 2174 feet per second
the scientist Ernst Mach (1838 - 1916) Mach 3 = 3261 feet per second
who photographed a bullet flying at
supersonic speed which he presented in In dry air at 20°C (68°F)
a paper in 1887*.
Mach 1 = 1125 feet per second
*Photographisobe Fixirung der durch Mach 2 = 2250 feet per second
Projectile in der Luft eingeleiteten Vorgänge.
Von E. Mach und P. Salcher Mach 3 = 3375 feet per second

29
 Adjust for Drop and Drift
With a MIL Turret Scope

In the following example:

At 555 yards there is a 75” drop
A 5 mph 9:00 wind gives 13” drift to the right
Calculated with exterior ballistic software

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At 555 yards 1 mil = 19.98 inches
(Inches of drift × mph) ÷ (3.6 × (Range (yards) × 0.01)) = MIL

Elevation 75” drop at 555 yards = 3.8 MIL

(75 inches ÷ 19.98) = 3.75 (3.8) MIL

Wind 13” drift at 555 yards = 0.7 MIL

(13 inches ÷ 19.98) = 0.65 (0.7) MIL

Elevation knob
Elevation 38 clicks up
B
P 3.8 MIL
U

U
LL

2 1 0 10 9
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ET

MIL turrets
T

IMPAC 0.1 MIL clicks

Wind 7 clicks to the left

0.7 MIL
Wind knob
2 B
1
U

R
LL

0
ET

1
T

2 IMPAC

Wind from the left will move

the bullet to the right.
Adjustment is to the left.

43
 Resources and answers for .308 caliber

Range Card MOA turrets Range Card MIL turrets

Range Elevation Wind Inches drift Range Elevation Wind Inches drift
(yards) MOA MOA 1 mph wind (yards) MIL MIL 1 mph wind
200 1.8 0.14 0.3 200 0.5 0.0 0.3
250 3.1 0.15 0.4 250 0.9 0.0 0.4
300 4.5 0.19 0.6 300 1.3 0.1 0.6
350 6.0 0.22 0.8 350 1.7 0.1 0.8
400 7.6 0.26 1.1 400 2.2 0.1 1.1
450 9.3 0.30 1.3 450 2.7 0.1 1.3
500 11.0 0.34 1.8 500 3.2 0.1 1.8
550 12.9 0.38 2.2 550 3.8 0.1 2.2
600 14.9 Copyright 2024 shooterready.com
0.43 2.7 600 4.3 0.1 2.7
650 16.9 0.47 3.2 650 4.9 0.1 3.2
700 19.1 0.51 3.7 700 5.6 0.2 3.7
750 21.4 0.56 4.4 750 6.2 0.2 4.4
800 23.8 0.61 5.1 800 6.9 0.2 5.1
850 26.4 0.65 5.8 850 7.7 0.2 5.8
900 29.1 0.71 6.7 900 8.5 0.2 6.7
950 31.9 0.75 7.5 950 19.3 0.2 7.5
1000 34.9 0.81 8.5 1000 10.2 0.3 8.5

Bullet Range card conditions

.308 caliber 3280 feet altitude
175 grain Sierra Matchking bullet 65° F
muzzle velocity 2635 ft/sec 55% humidity
1.8 inch sight height Standard (corrected) barometric
Sierra Infinity 6 Exterior Ballistic Software pressure 29.53
100 yard zero

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Answers

Range from center (2.5 Left to 4.7 Right) Range from center (2.5 Left to 4.5 Right)
Wind 1.7 MOA Right Wind 0.9 MOA Right
(7.2 to 14.7 MOA range) (13.2 to 20.22 MOA range)
Elevation 11 MOA center Elevation 16.7 MOA center
Range 600 yards (Target 2.22 MIL) 4 Range 650 yards (Target 7.05 MOA) 3

Range from center (0.5 Left to 1.0 Right) Range from center (0.6 Left to 1.2 right)
Wind 0.7 MIL Right Wind 0.6 MIL Right
(4.8 to 6.4 MIL range) (5.1 to 6.9 MIL range)
Elevation 5.7 MIL center Elevation 6.0 MIL center
Range 800 yards (Target 1.67 MIL) 2 Range 740 yards (Target 1.8 MIL) 1
48
 inclination Angles .308 caliber
Range conditions
Wind 3:00 4 mph
1
MIL line reticle
MIL turrets Inclination angle 10° uphill
Altitude 3280’, Temp 57°F,
Humidity 49%, Baro 29.53

Elevation MIL ________

Windage MIL ________

Range conditions
Wind 3:00 4 mph 2
Round MIL dot reticle
MIL turrets Inclination angle 35° uphill
Altitude 3280’, Temp 57°F,
Humidity 49%, Baro 29.53

Elevation MIL ________

Windage MIL ________

Range conditions
MOA reticle Wind 3:00 2 mph
3
MOA turrets Inclination angle 10° downhill
Altitude 3280’, Temp 57°F,
Humidity 49%, Baro 29.53

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Elevation MIL ________

Windage MIL ________

Range conditions
MIL line reticle Wind 3:00 4 mph
4
MOA turrets Inclination angle 40° downhill
Altitude 3280’, Temp 57°F,
Humidity 49%, Baro 29.53

Elevation MIL ________

Windage MIL ________

49