Straight Shooter
Well-Known Member
If you are shooting north and south at 1000 yards , how do you figure this in?
Ask a simple question, get an over intellectualized answer.In the northern hemisphere, northerly moving air is deflected to the east, and southerly moving air is deflected to the west. Because cyclones have a low pressure zone in their center, moving air (that would otherwise equalize that pressure) is at once deflected away from the center by the Coriolis force (keeping the low pressure zone low), and pulled toward it due to the fact that it is a low pressure zone. The Coriolis force also drives circular airflow around high pressure zones too (these are called anticyclones), but these weather systems are not as dramatic because the Coriolis force and the pressure gradient force don't oppose one another; they both work to dissipate the anticyclone. (you will want to check this out for yourself as I am not an expert in atmospheric physics) A Foucault pendulum is actually subject to the centrifugal force in addition to the Coriolis force, though the centrifugal force due to the spinning earth is rather small, and is easily accounted for by slightly adjusting the "constant" value of the acceleration due to gravity. The Coriolis force is exclusively responsible for changing the direction a Foucault pendulum swings in over time.
Simple version, the earth rotates west to east. In essence, your target is always moving, so bullet flight time dictates just how much it moves. Don't get too worried, if shooting due north or south, it is an inch and half at 1000 yards. Even at 2500 yards, it is under 5". That is why it doesn't come up much.I really don't even know why I'm reading this other than to learn new info.
Even after googling, I still don't have a good understanding of what this is.
Can one of you give a short, basic definition/description for those of us who are confused?
Best Q & A in a long time. Thank you.I don't. Not at the latitude I'm at for that range. It is small enough to the right that none of my scopes can adjust for it (1/4 moa or 1/10 mil) when shooting N to S or vise versa (other azimuth can effect elevation adjustment). It will always be to the right here in the northern hemisphere. At that range I will account for some spin drift (also to the right with my right twist barrel). An example with one of my rifles; it has not quite 1/2 moa right drift at that range, I will put on .5 L to cancel out both. This will put me very close to theoretical center and I can put the focus on my wind call. If I were to move to the North Pole I may add 1/4 moa or 1/3 mil.
When the ranges get much further I will account for it, but rely on my good ole ballistics app for that.