A Page From History: Altitude And Sight Setting

by
posted on October 26, 2017
phistar_june1955.jpg
From the June 1955 American Rifleman, a question sent to the magazine from a reader regarding sighting a rifle when traveling to a higher altitude.

I realize that the sighting of a rifle must be changed when it is taken from low to high altitudes. However, if a rifle is sighted in at the base camp, how much should the sights be changed if the actual shooting is done 1,000 ft. above camp?—Filbert L. Mikesell, Grants Pass, Oregon.

Answer by E. H. Harrison: The correction depends on the bullet fired and its speed. With the caliber .30 M2 cartridge, which is a fair example, the difference in sight setting between sea level and 6,000 ft. elevation is about a minute and a half, when shooting at a range of 500 yds. It becomes proportionately much less at shorter ranges, being only about half a minute at 300 yds. It is seen that the effect is less than generally believed, and that an altitude change of 1,000 ft. would have no noticeable effect.

The above applies to the effects of changes in air density due to altitude alone.

More Page From History articles:

Latest

Staccatoranchopens 1
Staccatoranchopens 1

Staccato Ranch Will Open To Members On May 11

Opening on May 11, Staccato Ranch is located on 770 acres of Texas Hill Country in Florence, Texas.

Corps Area Regional Competitions: 1932 National Matches

Depression-starved, the Army cancelled the 1932 National Matches, instead holding regional championships, held according to Army Corps areas and run by the NRA with minimum expenditure of government money.

Avoid These Common Pre-Match Mistakes

Simple mistakes made prior to a match can often have a negative impact.

NRA Adds Two New National F-Class Championships To 2024 Calendar

NRA announces 2024 F-Class Fullbore Rifle Long-Range Nationals and F-Class Fullbore Rifle Mid-Range Nationals, the former to be held in Colorado this July, the latter in Florida this October.

New: Delta V Solutions Gen-2 3MR Trigger Assembly

Delta V introduces new Gen-2 3MR trigger for AR-platform rifles.

Legends: Ray Anti 1933-2024

Ray Anti, a 45-year National Matches volunteer and Marine Corps veteran who was Distinguished in Pistol and High Power Rifle, sadly passed away on Friday, Apr. 19, 2024.

Interests



Get the best of Shooting Sports USA delivered to your inbox.