tlkeizer
posted this
30 January 2018
Greetings,
As part of my mis-spent youth of 26 years with the Army and Army Reserves, I have had occasion to watch artillery shells go down range, and once in a while there would seem to be a flier. To me it was interesting to see the difference in arc of 105 howitzers, 8-inch guns, and 175 guns. At the same target using all three guns in demonstrations the rounds could be followed down range visually; the 105 had a huge arc, the 8-inch a moderate arc, the 175 had almost no arc. When in RVN I never did see any rounds in the air, but then never really tried to watch for them. Fliers then were a bit more interesting at times than fliers on the range now. Having a weapons platoon in Korea I called off a demonstration of my mortar section firing once due to damp powder giving a really short flier; caught **** or my decision at the time, but after lengthy explanation to my battalion commander he supported my decision to much higher brass due to situation.
As far as measuring my groups with the 45-70, I normally check after each shot, and if I call a flier I check to see if my call is correct, and when I measure the group I measure with and without the flier. My thought is one measurement tells what the load and rifle do, the other measures what the load, rifle and shooter do. If I am hunting or in a match, the flier counts, and I want to know how well I perform not at my best. Since I shoot BP, I have yet to see one of my rounds going down range. I was told a mixture of lube and BP in the hollow base would act like a tracer with the smoke. Tried it. Didn't work for me. So, now I just look through the scope afterwards or walk down range.
TK