30Cal
Member
If you focus the scope on the target, the wake will only be in focus for a split second. If you focus about midway to the target, it's in focus longer and it'll stand out better against the target/background.
Ty
Vapor trails and varmint rifles
- Thread starter MLC
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If you focus the scope on the target, the wake will only be in focus for a split second. If you focus about midway to the target, it's in focus longer and it'll stand out better against the target/background.
Ty
I saw the vapor trail last week. A guy was shooting a .22-250 at the 50 yard line, and it was like a smoky white laser to the target every shot. At first I thought he was shooting tracers. It was pretty cool, I should have gotten some video or pictures, darn hindsight!
I've also seen the sun glinting off of .45 and 12 gauge slugs before, pretty cool.
I've also seen the sun glinting off of .45 and 12 gauge slugs before, pretty cool.
A few of the free video clips at www.dogbegone.com show either vapor trails, or just the air wake, of the rounds being fired. If you've never seen it before, you can see it there.
BrainOnSigs
Member
I have seen bullets distrupt heat waves and make them swirl...very cool.
Vapor trail
I have seen vapor trails using my 243 while hunting groundhogs. Only seems to happen when conditions are jjjuuuuussstttt right. We are in eastern Virginia, and humidity is quite high a lot of the time. Especially late in the afternoon when the sun has been out all day, but the clouds are rolling over, but not making it cloudy, that phenonemnon seems to happen. Most of the ones I have seen start somewhat out from the muzzle, and I do not rmember the trail ever getting to what I was shooting at, but it may have. I will take better notice this coming year and follow up and let ya'll know. I seem to remember that it happens in the spring and later in the fall, but not during, lets say July or August, but I will take notes.
Groundhog.......
I have seen vapor trails using my 243 while hunting groundhogs. Only seems to happen when conditions are jjjuuuuussstttt right. We are in eastern Virginia, and humidity is quite high a lot of the time. Especially late in the afternoon when the sun has been out all day, but the clouds are rolling over, but not making it cloudy, that phenonemnon seems to happen. Most of the ones I have seen start somewhat out from the muzzle, and I do not rmember the trail ever getting to what I was shooting at, but it may have. I will take better notice this coming year and follow up and let ya'll know. I seem to remember that it happens in the spring and later in the fall, but not during, lets say July or August, but I will take notes.
Groundhog.......
SaMx
Member
I think the vapor trail is caused by high humidity. When the bullet flies through the air, it creates low pressure in the void behind it. That's where most of the drag that slows the bullet down. If it is pretty humid then the moisture in the air will condense, and leave a trail. I don't think you need especially fast bullets, as long as it is supersonic and very humid it should leave a vapor trail.
243winxb
Member
Very old thread. Wonder why it came up when hitting " new post" link? Bullet can breakup in mid-air.
Hornady changed there plastic tip because of melt down.
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GooseGestapo
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All supersonic bullets generate a shock wave emanating from the tip of the bullet. My older Sierra Manual has photographs of this phenomenon.
The friction of the air causes the bullet to heat and this combined with a high humidity and narrow temp dew point spread and temps between 20deg F and 70degF, you can get a condensation trail. This also is the phenomenon that the new Hornady bullet tip formulas are supposed to mitigate.
I've seen the shock wave often at high power matches. Recently, I was observing for a shooter at CMP Talladega shooting the electronic targets. He was a high classification shooter shooting the Garand match. After seeing his bullets shockwave dissappear into the target, I called a target malfunction. The staff was reluctant to the point of condescension! An examination due to protestations from several other shooters revealed a whole bank of targets were out of order due to an errant shot breaking a cable.
My brother who was a high power shooter from the '70's and '80's taught me how to utilize this to call shots on a prarie dog shoot in Montana one fall afternoon. Later in the afternoon, my .257Roberts shooting 75gr bullets at a chrono'd 3,500fps were giving con-trails. Like watching a missle explode a p-dog!
My knowledge of the necessary conditions comes from some training in supersonic aerodynamics, meterology, and extensive experience as a flight instructor which includes a similar phenomenon of carburetor icing in light aircraft. Have even had it cause an inflight engine stoppage! Once on the ground, conditions could not be duplicated. Luckily I and student made a dead stick landing at an airport.
The friction of the air causes the bullet to heat and this combined with a high humidity and narrow temp dew point spread and temps between 20deg F and 70degF, you can get a condensation trail. This also is the phenomenon that the new Hornady bullet tip formulas are supposed to mitigate.
I've seen the shock wave often at high power matches. Recently, I was observing for a shooter at CMP Talladega shooting the electronic targets. He was a high classification shooter shooting the Garand match. After seeing his bullets shockwave dissappear into the target, I called a target malfunction. The staff was reluctant to the point of condescension! An examination due to protestations from several other shooters revealed a whole bank of targets were out of order due to an errant shot breaking a cable.
My brother who was a high power shooter from the '70's and '80's taught me how to utilize this to call shots on a prarie dog shoot in Montana one fall afternoon. Later in the afternoon, my .257Roberts shooting 75gr bullets at a chrono'd 3,500fps were giving con-trails. Like watching a missle explode a p-dog!
My knowledge of the necessary conditions comes from some training in supersonic aerodynamics, meterology, and extensive experience as a flight instructor which includes a similar phenomenon of carburetor icing in light aircraft. Have even had it cause an inflight engine stoppage! Once on the ground, conditions could not be duplicated. Luckily I and student made a dead stick landing at an airport.
25-20 WCF
Member
Actually the bullet does not need to be supersonic. I shot IHMSA silhouette for years, and while spotting for other shooters I often saw vapor trails on handgun bullets (both sub sonic and above) out past 150 meters. Made calling hits and misses a lot easier.
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Varminterror
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More common for spotters to rely upon vapor signature to call shots than dust kick at the target.
As a spotter, adjust your parallax either behind the target, or about half way to the target, and you'll see trails on the shot in almost any condition as long as they aren't getting lost in boiling mirage.
As a spotter, adjust your parallax either behind the target, or about half way to the target, and you'll see trails on the shot in almost any condition as long as they aren't getting lost in boiling mirage.
ironworkerwill
Member
It's an old thread, but it was entertaining.
My father had a 22-250 we called the "Blue Steak Express" because of the blue-gray dust trail the bullet left behind it. Found out the SX bullets he was using was on the verge of self destructing from centrifugal force. Lead dust was leaking from the jacket, causing the blue-gray dust streak
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