[Taildraggerdave]

Just wanted to ask how many have ever been able to see a .45 slug travel to the target? I have read Brian's book a couple of times now and am trying to improve my vision through awareness. I've had a few key moments where I've noticed a sound or saw something that I haven't seen before yet know that it/they have always been there.... hearing a piece of brass hitting the floor while shooting, seeing the front sight perfectly centered in the zero down, etc.

However, at a match over the weekend, my shooting buddy and I were sighting in his new 625 on some steel plates and I was standing at his 5 o'clock to tell him where the impacts were. I stood in such a way as to not be able to see his gun. Probably after the second shot or so when I knew where his shots were most likely going to be, I started seeing the bullet about half way down range and could follow it to the target. I saw the next few as well and was almost speechless. I know what I saw, although when you think about it, it seems impossible to do something like that.

Definitely at the top of my awareness achievement list.

Take care,
Dave

This post has been edited by Taildraggerdave: 26 November 2008 - 05:30 PM

[Surge]

Taildraggerdave, on Nov 26 2008, 07:28 PM, said:

Just wanted to ask how many have ever been able to see a .45 slug travel to the target? I have read Brian's book a couple of times now and am trying to improve my vision through awareness. I've had a few key moments where I've noticed a sound or saw something that I haven't seen before yet know that it/they have alway been there.... hearing a piece of brass hitting the floor while shooting, seeing the front sight perfectly centered in the zero down, etc.

However, at a match over the weekend, my shooting buddy and I were sighting in his new 625 on some steel plates and I was standing at his 5 o'clock to tell him where the impacts were. I stood in such a way as to not be able to see his gun. Probably after the second shot or so when I knew where his shots were most likely going to be, I started seeing the bullet about half way down range and could follow it to the target. I saw the next few as well and was almost speechless. I know what I saw, although when you think about it, it seems impossible to do something like that.

Definitely at the top of my awareness achievement list.

Take care,
Dave

.45s are big and slow (relatively). I've seen 'em in an indoor range. It's pretty wild the first time.

[Chris Keen]

Were you shooting outdoors? Late in the afternoon ?

Many times when the sun is at the right angle, I have seen bullets (9mm & 40's) as they travel downrange to the targets. Most likely what I (and you) saw was the reflection of the sun.

It's very cool when it happens, and yes it shows that you are seeing things as they happen.

[zhunter]

With the sun at my back, I can sometimes see them

[JKSNIPER]

If you spend enough time on ranges observing over the shoulders of shooters you get to see all kinds of weird stuff.
We were shooting .308 rifles one day and the lighting conditions were such that if you stood in a certain spot the round left a golden streak going downrange to the target.
Looked like a golden BB going to the target.
Guys could not see it until they stood in the "magic" spot.
JK

[Boats]

Big black powder cartridges are seen hitting silhouette targets at longer range targets, Often on 500 Meter rams. Real strange however is a large slow 45 cal bullet at 1000 Yards, its so slow you can shoot roll to your spotting scope and see it hit the paper. Mid range height is around 40 feet so the bullet seems to drop in on the target.

Boats

[JThompson]

I've seen 115s going 1500 indoors... in fact I posted a thread about it some time back.

[VegasOPM]

I'm too busy looking at the sights to notice the bullets flying.

[SharonAnne9x23]

I first saw 38sp out at about 75 yd. The more I practiced and watched the more I saw. For a while I could occasionally see 38supers when we were shooting from 10 yd on an indoor range. Many doubted me but I was calling other shooters shots. Back in the mists of time, the late 80s.

[JThompson]

VegasOPM, on Nov 26 2008, 09:00 PM, said:

I'm too busy looking at the sights to notice the bullets flying.

You'd be surprised what you can see when you vision is maxed...

[GentlemanJim]

230 gr Montana gold 45 slugs show up pretty well

Sure is cool when you can see um fly
Jim

[Merlin Orr]

I have seen a number of .220 Swift bullets in flight at 4000+ fps....


Actually a grayblue streak as the bullets disintegrated while going downrange......

.45s are kool to watch with the sun behind and over your shoulder.

[Jeff686]

If you stand directly behind the barrel, the relative velocity of the bullet to the observer is small. Even thought the bullet is only in flight for a fraction of a second, it is not moving much if looked at from directly behind it. With the proper lighting, you're eyes are plenty fast enough to catch a glimps of it.

Remember computer CRT refresh rates? Some people could work all day at 60 hz, others are driven nuts by the flicker. So that assumes that many humans can detect events that are around 17ms. A bullet traveling at 1000fps takes 60ms to travel 20 yards. Plenty of time to catch a bullet in mid flight, if the light is right.

Oh, BTW, I can frequently see the bullets from my 22 as they go downrange. Somehow, the 14x scope makes it easier to see them.

This post has been edited by Jeff686: 26 November 2008 - 11:58 PM

[Remy]

A buddy of mine and I were shooting at an indoor range across town that I don’t normally shoot at when he noticed while standing at my 5 o’clock he could see my 9mm’s travel threw the air and to the target. When he was shooting I watched and he was right. I could see every bullet travel to the target. Very cool stuff.

[mscott]

Best day I ever had watching bullets was a buddy sighting in his 12ga slug gun at 100 yards. The sun was just right and you could see every one he fired from about 50-100 yards.

[MisterB]

Noticed this for the first time when as a kid when I was finally able to afford a box of Winchester Super-X lubaloy coated 22's hollowpoints for squirrels. My friend and I were sighting the rifle in when he noticed he could see the bullets. We took turns and shot the whole box and had to mow another yard before we could go hunting.

[bkeeler]

VegasOPM, on Nov 26 2008, 08:00 PM, said:

I'm too busy looking at the sights to notice the bullets flying.

You just need to open up your vision.

I have seen 45's and 40's.

Its amazing what you can see when you just let yourself see and don't "try".



BK

[Paul Burtchell]

What's even stranger is seeing a big old hunk of 45 acp lead headed back at you.

Years ago, before I truly learned safe gun handling , I placed a paper target on an old tree. Backed up about 10 yards or so and cranked loose with a 230 RNL with one of my Colt 1911's.

I actually saw the bullet (silver streak) heading back towards me. It looked as if it was going to hit me right between the eyes. I actually had the time to see it and turn my head to the right just enough that it only knocked my earphones off.

Big lesson learned that day.

[J-Ho]

I shoot indoors quite a bit. With the lighting we see bullets most of the time. My favorite is shooting bowling pins. The bullets bounce all kinds of crazy ways off the pins. Jacketed 45's are by far the easiest to see.

[G-ManBart]

I've seen them plenty of times. The slower and bigger the bullet is, the easier it is to see. Late in the afternoon or early in the morning with the sun behind you are the best conditions.

I will say I've seen a 115gr at 1500fps as well. I recall a swinger at Area-2 last year when I saw the bullet fly on the second shot and I called it a C, slightly low and right of the A-zone...that's exactly where the hit was.

The one that really surprised me was seeing another one of those 115gr JHP's hit a popper and I saw the chunk of bullet fall/fly off and to the right....I was like "whoa, that was cool". R,

[shred]

I made a video one day when the sun was right over my shoulder. These are 1300+ fps Supers
http://www.brianenos...?...st&p=505849

Watching your bullet splatter off the plates in Steel Challenge is cool too.

[ChrisStock]

I first observed this with .45 back in 1984-85 at Ft. McClellan, Alabama. Looked like the fist of an avenging angel flying down and smacking the paper. Made it insanely simple to call shots, even though I wasn't familiar with the term then, it's what I was doing.

Flash forward to Summer 2007, and I was shooting at some less than optimal {swiss cheeses looking} mini poppers at an all classifier match for my initial Limited classification. I saw my 180GR .40 round coming back at me in my peripheral vision hundredths of a second before it slammed into my left elbow and chipped the bone. All I could think of in that short time was "damn, this is gonna hurt".

It's neat what you can see when your eyes are tuned in.

[SharonAnne9x23]

the "damn, this is going to hurt" is a horrible feeling

[SRT Driver]

First time I saw bullets was during a PPC match on a sunny day watching another shooter.

The first time I saw bullets going down range while I was shooting was during a AP match after I switched to a Holosight. It was really distracting.

[lugnut]

Always see them indoors shooting low light... look like weak tracers. Outdoors sometimes when the sun is just right.