How are scopes (like for sniper rifles) accurate?

Question

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.

In: 4

Answer 1

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.