can driving rain change POA

[nekshot]

Ok its pouring rain and I head for a shed. Boolit goes into pocket and out comes the jacketed nosler because my range is now 300 yards. No problem with any of this until I start thinking about this diluge. It is bucketing water and I have shot numerous game in this type of rain but all under 50 yards. This 300 yard shot now is playing with my head. Can or how much can a HEAVY down pour change poa at this distance? I understand the wind deal, but I wonder about the water in the air it is all driving hard down and it seems it would have some differance on poa.

[300 TC]

You did not mention what loads you were using, so I would say there would be a bigger difference in POI when you changed ammo. That said, everything else like temperature, pressure, altitude, etc. changes POI so I would say yes although I have not read any studies on effect of rain on bullet flight anywhere. I know it will change an arrow's flight.

[1Shirt]

It is my very unscientific opinion that anything in nature (wind/rain/humidity changes/rapid temp drop or increase, etc) can change factors of ballistics. The issue of course is distance and how much change!
1Shirt!

[Win94ae]

Short answer; yes.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UusiTSu1tSU

I shoot in the rain a lot, and it does take a deluge to insure you hit a raindrop.
It isn't that it changes your POA, but that precision is adversely affected.

Also; during a rain the barometric pressure is lessened, so your POA would be higher if you didn't hit a raindrop.
On my range here in Ohio, from the highest to the lowest record pressures, my 30-30 would have less than a 3 inch deviation at 300 yards.

[RickinTN]

In the video the "water" is a very short window compared to the 300 yard range. In the original posters' question there is rain or water for the entire 300 yard range. The possibility of the bullet hitting a drop or many drops along the way is much greater. If it's raining "buckets" I can't see any way to avoid hitting several drops. I've not shot a rifle under these circumstances but have shot a shotgun many times in similar conditions. You can see the shot charge "vaporize" raindrops along the way to the target. I have no idea the magnitude of the effect of shooting in such a rain but I think it definitely will have an effect.
Rick

[GT27]

If wind can change it,water most definitely can change it also,water is heavier than air!

[Dan Cash]

In my experience, rain will markedly open the group, but enough to cause a miss of a large game animal ????? Don't think so.

[Win94ae]

In the video the "water" is a very short window compared to the 300 yard range. In the original posters' question there is rain or water for the entire 300 yard range. The possibility of the bullet hitting a drop or many drops along the way is much greater. If it's raining "buckets" I can't see any way to avoid hitting several drops. I've not shot a rifle under these circumstances but have shot a shotgun many times in similar conditions. You can see the shot charge "vaporize" raindrops along the way to the target. I have no idea the magnitude of the effect of shooting in such a rain but I think it definitely will have an effect.
Rick


Like I said, "I shoot in the rain a lot." Unfortunately, I can only display one video per post.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFyQLS2KXBc

That looks to be 2 hits at the most on a raindrop, per shot, out to 350 yards, while raining "buckets."

[Win94ae]

In the video the "water" is a very short window compared to the 300 yard range. In the original posters' question there is rain or water for the entire 300 yard range. The possibility of the bullet hitting a drop or many drops along the way is much greater. If it's raining "buckets" I can't see any way to avoid hitting several drops. I've not shot a rifle under these circumstances but have shot a shotgun many times in similar conditions. You can see the shot charge "vaporize" raindrops along the way to the target. I have no idea the magnitude of the effect of shooting in such a rain but I think it definitely will have an effect.
Rick

Now here it seems to not hit a raindrop out to 350 yards, while raining harder.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlX3I8PoRP4

But like I said at first, "yes" it will effect the POI/POA; that is IF you hit a raindrop..

[Win94ae]

Here is even more rain... and distance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4byS4ojGjw

[357maximum]

Personally I am not good enough to purposely hit falling raindrops at 300 so I would just make sure I aimed at a raindrop that had my deer behind it......when I miss the raindrops i will hit my deer in the background....that's what they mean by always knowing what is behind your target isn't it? :mrgreen:

[DIRT Farmer]

I have watched varmit bullets cause a grey mist between the target and barrel, and nothing hit te target.

[nekshot]

win94ae, thanks for sharing your info. In my early ground hog hunting I remember seeing bullets blow up as they hit grass or weeds. Than my reloading mentor would have bullets disintegrate on there way to the target. No hit just a grayish little cloud you could see in scope. Of course this was light 22 bullets at warp speed. I do know I am going to do some shooting in a heavy down pour in the close future. Yesterday with the rain coming from left to right and the weeds I had to clear left me with a head or neck shot only. No problem as my target is now a 6 inch circle. I decided I would hold at 10 oclock and hope for the best. Thankfully the buckeroo did not show and the rain blew out to other parts. Thanks for all comments.

[Blammer]

my trouble in shooting in HEAVY rain is that I can't see 300 yds it's raining so hard.

[w5pv]

I have shot and killed deer in the rain but not at 300 yards more than likely less than a hundred never gave it a thought about the point of aim changing.

[MBTcustom]

Awesome video footage Win94ae!

[Win94ae]

You are welcome for the info and footage! I am glad to be able to provide interesting video.

[barrabruce]

Well last year at the range we had a typical heavy tropical down pour.
About 4 inches in an hr.
I put up a target stand at 50 yrds and shot into the rain. This was fat rain (big drops)
All one could see was the bullet going through a wall of water.
Now I can't tell you how much impact varience it had 'cos the target dripped off the backer and blew away into many pieces.
But the rain only got better. I made it back to the shooting line with the target stand in hand.
WE packed up and scarpered before we would get bogged in by the run off rain.

I'd say if you could see a 2-3 foot clearly defined target well enough to be able to shoot at some spot repeatedly then it would shoot low if verticle rain.
This year if I get stuck in a wee bit of the local mist I'll pin up some coreflute with a big balck dot and let you's know.
Barra