When I play FPS games, I notice that the sniper scope is usually a few inches above the barrel, for obvious reasons, but I wonder how it’s possible for the sniper to retain accuracy at such large distances, given that those few inches would make a huge difference.
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The barrel and scope are not parallel. When the scope is perfectly horizontal the barrel is pointing slightly up. So at a set distance from the rifle the bullet will hit what the shooter is aiming for. But the bullet will also drop due to gravity over time so at a distance further away it will also hit. This is why it is so important for the shooter to get the distance right and then set the scope to that distance. If the target is closer then he thinks it is then he is going to hit high, and if the target is further away then he thinks he is going to hit low.
The scopes can be dialed to a specific range. This changes the angle that the scope points relative to the barrel, so that the arc of the bullet (gravity pulls down on the bullet as it moves through the air) meets the line of sight of the scope at the prescribed distance. The higher the range, the lower the scope points, so the bullet has to drop further (meaning it flies farther horizontally) to meet the sight line.
Scopes are zeroed in at a specific distance. You can choose what that distance is. Say 200 yards. You then go to a range and adjust the scope so that the round is hitting the target at 200 yards exactly where the crosshairs are aimed.
Then, most scopes have mil lines across the crosshair lines. Based on the ballistics of the specific ammunition you are shooting, use can use those mil lines to adjust for bullet drop and windage.
The scopes can be dialed to a specific range. This changes the angle that the scope points relative to the barrel, so that the arc of the bullet (gravity pulls down on the bullet as it moves through the air) meets the line of sight of the scope at the prescribed distance. The higher the range, the lower the scope points, so the bullet has to drop further (meaning it flies farther horizontally) to meet the sight line.
Scopes are zeroed in at a specific distance. You can choose what that distance is. Say 200 yards. You then go to a range and adjust the scope so that the round is hitting the target at 200 yards exactly where the crosshairs are aimed.
Then, most scopes have mil lines across the crosshair lines. Based on the ballistics of the specific ammunition you are shooting, use can use those mil lines to adjust for bullet drop and windage.
The scopes can be dialed to a specific range. This changes the angle that the scope points relative to the barrel, so that the arc of the bullet (gravity pulls down on the bullet as it moves through the air) meets the line of sight of the scope at the prescribed distance. The higher the range, the lower the scope points, so the bullet has to drop further (meaning it flies farther horizontally) to meet the sight line.
The barrel and scope are not parallel. When the scope is perfectly horizontal the barrel is pointing slightly up. So at a set distance from the rifle the bullet will hit what the shooter is aiming for. But the bullet will also drop due to gravity over time so at a distance further away it will also hit. This is why it is so important for the shooter to get the distance right and then set the scope to that distance. If the target is closer then he thinks it is then he is going to hit high, and if the target is further away then he thinks he is going to hit low.
Training. No scope (or hard sight) is 100% accurate at all ranges, because bullets don’t travel in a straight line. Gravity will always have an effect. Bullets actually travel in an arc. Usually leaving the barrel (most notably in long guns/rifles) at a slightly upwards angle, and then start falling after a bit. Like this —
https://ke-courses-production.s3.amazonaws.com/asset_files/production/3766/attachments/original/muzzleloader-trajectory.jpg
And experienced/trained marksman (hunter, sniper, etc) knows how to compensate for this at various ranges
While the scope and the barrel may look parallel to each other, they’re actually set at a slight angle to one another.
The scope is aligned in such a way that it essentially points horizontally. The barrel, however, is at a slight upward angle. This means the bullet, when fired, will arc upwards and descend in a ballistic arc. With a properly sighted scope, the bullet will intersect the scope’s line of sight at known intervals.
This means if your scope is zeroed at 100 yards, and you aim carefully at the center of the target and pull the trigger, the bullet will actually rise until it is close to the line of sight (or above it, depending on the caliber), and then fall the light the target at the point of aim.
It’s kind of hard to conceptualize because most arcs we’re familiar with are very pronounced. The bullet follows an arc as well but it is very very flat. When you think of the flight path of a bullet in this way, and the scope as a horizontal line, where the two lines (the bullet’s path and the scopes line of sight) intersect is where the bullet should go — assuming the scope and rifle have been sighted to one another.
The handy part about this setup is that the scope can be deliberately adjusted off center by the shooter — this allows the shooter to compensate for different ranges. If you know for instance, that your bullet drops one inch for every 100 yards it travels (ignore for a moment that this implies a linear path), and you know your target is 600 yards away, you can “misalign” your scope in such a way that it shoots high at 100 yards, but on target at 600. This is what shooters are doing when they’re turning the knobs on a scope — adjusting the crosshairs for both windage and elevation. This way they can put the crosshairs directly on the target instead of having to compensate manually.
Scopes are zeroed in at a specific distance. You can choose what that distance is. Say 200 yards. You then go to a range and adjust the scope so that the round is hitting the target at 200 yards exactly where the crosshairs are aimed.
Then, most scopes have mil lines across the crosshair lines. Based on the ballistics of the specific ammunition you are shooting, use can use those mil lines to adjust for bullet drop and windage.
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