Long range shooting question

[pandemic]

How is a bullet affected by rain?

[Suburban]

Effectively increases the density of "air," which effects the impact in the vertical direction. I can't say off the top of my head which way the impacts move though.

[Legion_Prime]

My immediate guess would be down, and probably off to the side as well if it is a driving rain (windy). I do not have much experience with long range shooting, but that's just what my gut and common sense are telling me

[Rosco the Iroc]

@500yds (no wind) I bring up my sights about 1MOA.
Rain effects the shooter more then the round.

[Tomcat088]

Rosco has the most correct answer. Rain typically bothers the shooter more than it does the bullet. It does change the density of the air, so you have to account for 100% humidity, but if that is accounted for, you will make the hit correctly. More dense air will cause the bullet to hit slightly low, so the other responses have been correct as well. You have to remember that there is a supersonic shock wave that starts at the very tip of the bullet and makes a V around the bullet. The water droplets NEVER touch the sides of the bullet due to the shockwave dispersing the water droplets. Water will occasionally hit the very tip of the bullet and cause a "splash" from what I've been told. I haven't ever shot in a downpour that was enough to actually see "splashes" as the bullet traveled down range. Out here in West Texas, we don't get much rain, lol. So bascially you just have to correct for the air density, and temperature change that usually comes with a storm.

The other thing that should be mentioned is that most people have more problems with their scopes and visibility in the rain. I don't know many people that shoot past 500 yards in rain due to the visibility issues. I suppose depending on what the lighting conditions are, if you're under something covered, target color, size, etc; it's possible to shoot further. Either way, visibility and being cold and wet will be more of an issue than the water droplets on the bullet. Hope that helps.

[ungawa]

Rosco has the most correct answer. Rain typically bothers the shooter more than it does the bullet. It does change the density of the air, so you have to account for 100% humidity, but if that is accounted for, you will make the hit correctly. More dense air will cause the bullet to hit slightly low, so the other responses have been correct as well.

Humid air is less dense than dry air.

[arrrrgh15]

Humid air is less dense than dry air.

Correct. You must be a physicist since this defies most peoples logic.

Water vapor (hydrogen and oxygen) is less than the density of air (mostly nitrogen). So humid air is less dense than dryer air.

I don't see much of a difference shooting in light rain. Bullet impact at 500 yards was right on with my dope the last time I shot in a light rain. Heavy rain you can't see the target anyway. Must be some truth to tomcats post.

[ungawa]

Correct. You must be a physicist since this defies most peoples logic.

How dare you! Yes, physicist among other things, ChemE.

[Rosco the Iroc]

Well crap, rep to you sir, I never thought to think that duh, the air is
thinner due to being cut with water.

On an final note the biggest effect is it's hard to focus on the front site when it's being rained on.

PS , my correction is full on rain, I've found that humidity by it's self has little effect on how one would shoot at long range vs other factors as amount of light and what direction- of course all aspects of wind on a round.

[Willie D]

Two more things:

Bullets travel so fast they may never hit any raindrops. Imagine a snapshot of the rainstorm; most of the space is not occupied by water droplets.

Also, the mass and speed of the bullet is almost certainly more than that of the raindrop.