High altitude shooting?

[44Blam]

I've been hiking a lot and on some trails that are not well travelled, I will carry my Redhawk just in case I run into a Mountain Lion or Bear...

But I know cooking at altitude is very different because of the lower concentration of Oxygen. Does anyone know what happens with boolits? I imagine the case is relatively "sealed" but the powder keeps burning in the barrel...

[kevin c]

The cartridge doesn't need atmospheric oxygen to fire properly. All the combustion agents are contained in the powder itself, so the internal ballistics are the same at sea level or at 5000 feet. For that matter they'd be the same 500 feet underwater, provided the cartridge is waterproof.

Of course, just like firing underwater, the external ballistics will be different at altitude (though probably less dramatic than touching off your Redhawk at a passing chinook while swimming). Some slight change in velocity and bullet drop from the different air density, maybe? Probably not enough difference to matter to you or the bear as you politely decline its invitation to (be) lunch.

[44Blam]

The cartridge doesn't need atmospheric oxygen to fire properly. All the combustion agents are contained in the powder itself, so the internal ballistics are the same at sea level or at 5000 feet. For that matter they'd be the same 500 feet underwater, provided the cartridge is waterproof.

Of course, just like firing underwater, the external ballistics will be different at altitude (though probably less dramatic than touching off your Redhawk at a passing chinook while swimming). Some slight change in velocity and bullet drop from the different air density, maybe? Probably not enough difference to matter to you or the bear as you politely decline its invitation to (be) lunch.

I'm talking more like 7,000-10,000 feet... But this is good news. :)

[Peregrine]

Yep, smokeless powder is self oxidizing so your internal ballistics shouldn't change.
External shouldn't give you trouble at "omg a grizz" distances either. :p

[brewer12345]

You can fiddle withwith ballistics calculators, but basically less air resistance gives you a bit more oomph.

[lightman]

I have to move the elevation on my 223 about 4 clicks when hunting in a dryer climate and 4000 feet higher than in the humid environment that I have here at home.

[Mr_Sheesh]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underwater_firearm I seem to remember someone at Ivar Johnson doing something in an underwater revolver too but it's not on there; Not really important I guess.

At altitude you'd get flatter trajectory as there's slightly less gravity and slightly less air resistance, but even at 10,000 feet this won't matter much unless you're picking on that Griz at hundreds of yards. You'd have to be an insanely GOOD shot with a Redhawk to hit a Griz at 300+ yards, I'd think :P

[RED BEAR]

Smokeless powder will go off in the vacuum of space or under water no oxygen needed.

[44Blam]

Good to know!
I would not be worried if I saw a bear or a mountain lion at a couple hundred yards... I think I would only be concerned if I had one that looked like it was or was going to attack.

[Thumbcocker]

If you are a fat old guy walking around at 8500 feet the sights get blurry and a .44 special gets real heavy.

[RED BEAR]

If you are old anf fat like me it would be more accurate to say crawling at 8500 feet.

[Minerat]

Our range is at 8500 ft so high altitude for us above 10000 ft. I don't notice any Point of Impact changes and have never run the chronograph at the higher altitudes to see if there is a change. I set my chronograph at 8500 and pressure at 24 in Hg (30" sea level) for the range.

Now being an old fat guy too, there is less air at 10,000 then when I was younger, we must have used it up and its not blurry vision but high altitude palsy that make for challenging shooting.

[rubinschmidt]

I actually DO hunt elk at 8000-9000 feet of elevation. The only thing different is less air resistance, therefore better retained velocity and less drop on long shots. For a defensive handgun round I wouldn't even worry about it at any practical distances. It will go bang and perform just as well if not a tiny bit better at altitude.

[lightman]

My experience was shooting Prairie Dogs in the High Plains at 4000ft in a dry atmosphere vs 200ft and humid in Arkansas. I'm not sure if its the thinner air, the dryer air or both. Thats not much, an inch at 100 yards or 3 inches at 300 yards. But its enough to cause a few misses.

[popper]

Shooting up or down changes POI too, for long shots.

[MT Gianni]

Atmospheric pressure is reduced and I can see a bullet flying at least 1/1000% faster than at sea level. As far as practical changes none are there.

[beagle]

Speaking of fat, I KNOW its hard to even walk far at 14,000 feet and forget running at anything over a mile unless you have climatized for a couple of weeks. 3 years in Hawaii taught me that when on our semi-annual 30 day jaunts to Pahakaloa Training area on the big island. Base camp is over a mile high there./beagle

[Drew P]

An interesting thing about moisture is that it reduces the density of air. So the heaviest air is cold and low altitude. However as you go up in alt the air is cooler, so the lack of density is compensated somewhat. Not as much as pressure changes it however. Anyway just pointing out that moisture decreases density, that’s contrary to what most people think.

[kevin c]

Interesting, counterintuitive fact there, Drew P. Had to review my high school science classes to understand why.

[Drew P]

The reason, I believe, but could be wrong ;) is that atoms of H2o are bigger than atoms of N or O2, and just as a dump truck full of gravel weighs more than a truck filled with boulders, so is the air made of smaller atoms.