Practical Ballistics: An Introductory Guide for Rifle and Shotgun Shooters - Hardcover

This fascinating book starts with the basics, going back to the days of muzzle loading before considering the various attempts made over the centuries to improve the bullet. It moves on to examine the development of the cartridge right up to the present day, and provides the reader with a clear understanding of the principles governing the bullet's flight. Topics covered include the factors that influence ballistic performance and accuracy; 'internal ballistics' (factors influencing performance whilst the bullet is still in the barrel) and 'external ballistics' (factors affecting the bullet's flight when it leaves the barrel). Simple formulae are included to enhance the understanding of the principles involved. The book also describes a number of interesting experiments concerning performance and accuracy and presents the results.

Lewis Potter has had a lifelong interest in firearms and started shooting over fifty-five years ago as a boy with an old Lincoln Jefferies air rifle. Subsequently, time in the Army Cadets introduced him to the .22 rimfire, .303 Lee Enfield and the Bren gun. At the age of thirteen he obtained a shotgun, and in 1974 he joined a local rifle and pistol club, of which he is currently the Honorary President. Ballistics first interested him as a teenager, when he began to make increasingly sophisticated cannon. The search for greater performance led him to making the first steps towards understanding something about the performance of projectiles in flight.