Who/why--100 yards?

[Willyp]

I often have wondered who decided a weapon should be tested at 100 yards for accuracy??? Any one know why?
I had time to do some wondering,we were surround by flood waters for a couple of days! I am sure glad we live on a hill!

[crabo]

That's all most public ranges have available? Average 30/30 distance? We are used to looking at a football field?

[perotter]

Really it should be 110 yards. As the US was is measured in rods & 100 yards doesn't work out well with rods.

My family's private range is 110, 220 & 440 yards. That's where the fence rows are.

[161]

Haven't heard that measurement for years. Dad who is 89 would give distance in rods. Lot of the old farmers used it but you don't hear it around here much anymore. The younger guys I work with wouldn't have a clue what a rod is.

[Jim]

FROM THIS SITE.

Surveying Measurements
1 yard = 3 ft = 0.9144 meter
1 rod, perch, or pole = 25 links = 16.5 ft
4 rods = 1 chain
1 chain = 4 rods = 66 ft = 100 links
10 chains = 1 furlong
1 link = 1/100 of surveyor's chain = 7.92 inches
25 links = 1 rod = 16.5 ft
100 links = 1 chain = 66 ft
1 furlong = 10 chains = 1/8 mile = 220 yards = 660 ft = 201.168 meters
8 furlongs = 1 mile
1 mile = 80 chains = 320 rods = 1,760 yards = 5,280 ft = 1,609.344 meters
league = 3 statute miles = 4,828.032 meters

[darkroommike]

100, 200. 300 yard distances simplify calculations of MOA. Minute Of Angle is roughly a 1-inch circle at 100 yards.

[Blammer]

hmmmm

[Larry Gibson]

MOA is based on a circle of which the radii is not relevent. Regardless of the radii a MOA is still a MOA. The radii will effect the width of the MOA but a Minute Of Angle is still a Minute Of Angle.

Larry Gibson

[357 Voodoo]

MOA is neither meters or yards its a measurement of angle. The use of distance is used in the calculation of the angle.

60 seconds in a minute
60 minutes in a degree
360 degrees in a circle

[frnkeore]

Franklin Mann (The Bullets Flight) did all his testing at 100 yards. His #1 reason was that all testing could be gaged againt other loads and for experimemtal testing that simplifys things and you can directly compair your accuracy BUT, if you test at 100 and shoot at 200, they may not correlate. I was caught out twice by that. I still start my developement at 100 but, I finish it at 200, the yardage that I shoot in competion, before I shoot a match with it.

It's twice as fast to walk to the 100 yard line though

Frank

[TXGunNut]

I'm guessing convenience and practicality. It's far enough to determine if a rifle or shooter is going to be accurate but not too far to walk & post targets. Some folks can even see boolit holes @ 100 yds.

[Char-Gar]

Football field?

[zomby woof]

First number with triple digits and it's a nice number.

[para45lda]

From what I could find it may come from the earliest matches in England. Wimbeldon had matches of 200 yards.

Creedmoor started at 800 but I could presume shorter ranges for younger shooters or possibly (gasp) women.

Found a cool link for anyone interested in a little history.

http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.com...dmoor.html?m=1

Wes

[Bret4207]

I don't know why or who, but I know that Ned Roberts and a lot of the old timers used rods. Our roads are based on rods IIRC. A 2 lane road is supposed to be (used to be) 1 rod wide. Ya know, for that matter, a foot was the measurement of some long dead Kings foot. Why use some guys foot for a distance? Who knows? A grain was the weight of one grain of wheat from an ancient type of wheat the probably isn't even grown anymore. IIRC railroad track width is based on the distance between Roman Empire wagon wheels. It's what we're used to, don't over think it.

If you really want to mess with your head, consider that we apply value, sometimes immense value, to slip of paper that isn't even big enough to wipe your butt with and has that much real value. Why do we consider gold or diamonds valuable? Can't eat them, they're hard to find, limited use. If you start thinking about the why of things, sometimes you end up questioning the why of EVERYTHING and it messes your whole day up. BTDT.

[bcp477]

Because you GOTTA pick something......and 100 is a nice, round number ! Does it have to be more complicated than that ?

As for rods.......I broke mine years ago.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it......






Philosophically speaking..... I really don't care.

[mousegun]

100 yards is convenient because:

It's far enough to show shooter/firearm accuracy without worrying about windage and mirage so much.

I allows a target with one inch markings to be used to adjust sights for MPBR with standard drop tables.

One inch at 100 yards is a close approximation to a one MOA click on a sight knob.

With my 33 inch gait I can pace 100 yards off with 110 brisk steps and be within three feet of the mark.

100 yards allows reasonable cease fires to check targets at the local public range. Ever notice how long it takes the guys shooting at 200-300 yards to get back across the yellow line?

100 yards is the longest range I can shoot a center fire pistol and not look totally stupid.

It's close enough to 100 meters (109.36 yards) to ignore for practical purposes.

Longer than 100 yards requires serious glass to see target holes.

Using rods takes at least an HP50 calculator just to get sight adjustment numbers. Metric ain't much better.

Only question I can think of is why anyone would want some other distance. Except the French, and look at the mess they're in.

[45 2.1]

MOA is neither meters or yards its a measurement of angle. The use of distance is used in the calculation of the angle.

60 seconds in a minute
60 minutes in a degree
360 degrees in a circle

1 MOA = 1.0471976" at 100 yards(twice that at 200 yds...etc.). This is based on the Tangent of one minute of angle. This holds true regardless of distance.

[greywuuf]

now should we get into mils ? and the two version in common usage ?

[bigted]

I often have wondered who decided a weapon should be tested at 100 yards for accuracy??? Any one know why?
I had time to do some wondering,we were surround by flood waters for a couple of days! I am sure glad we live on a hill!

gotta chime in here. i don't know bout anybody else but i started out in the shooting game almost a lifetime ago and what i started doing was hunting. i could see very well at 100 yds and when i needed to test my guns i used this yardage to sight em in at....primarily i used open sights and almost without exception the ani-mules i shot were well inside 100 yards. i learned the important talent of stalking a animal to deliver my shot with fast death to be the end results. this again with open sights.

now we have way more shooting done with high power scopes...[ me included since my ol eyes went south and i came north]. the scope powers now allow pretty precise shooting out to at least 200 yards. so the yardage has changed for hunters as the equipment evolves...same thing has happened since the beginning of time....new equipment = longer distance for engagement.

just my 2 cents worth...im waiting for change from my 2 penny's...lol.

i still have open sighted guns and enjoy shooting rocks...cans...jug fulls of water...and occasional target.......but when the target is game i now relie on my scope guns for the humane shot that still is and always will be...to deliver a very fast death for the game hunted.