Does Rain Lower Your Bullet's Point of Impact?

by
posted on July 31, 2014
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
bs_2015_fs.jpg (9)

undefinedThe Myth
Shooting in the rain causes bullets to impact lower than normal.

The Reasoning
It's simple, right? A bullet flies horizontally, raindrops hit the bullet from above, imparting their mass on it, causing the bullet to fall faster and impact the target lower.

The Facts
Sometimes the physics are counter-intuitive.

Fact is, bullets normally impact higher than normal when it's raining, as anyone who has shot extensively in the rain knows. Why? As the NRA Fact Book states: "Changes in humidity have little effect on the air density, and thus on the flight of the bullet. Changes in barometric pressure, on the other hand, do have an effect. In general, fair weather is accompanied by a high barometer, which means more air density and more resistance to the bullet. Likewise, rainy weather is likely to occur at times of low barometer, when air pressure is low, producing less air density and resistance to the bullet. A drop of 1" in the barometric reading will increase the ballistic coefficient by about 3.33 percent."

The Answer
Shooting in the rain generally causes bullets to impact higher than normal, not lower.

And oh, what a glorious feeling ... to be shooting in the rain!

Latest

LEDE Ian Niemela
LEDE Ian Niemela

Member's Hunt: My First Yooper Buck

Read eight-year-old Ian Niemela's firsthand account of his very first deer hunt.

Mathews Introduces 2026 Hunting Bows and Accessories

Engineered for speed and refined for archers who demand more, the 2026 Matthews ARC combines enhanced stability, efficiency, and versatility in a lightweight, high-powered platform.

7 Sure-Fire Ways to Fail When Hunting

Looking to come home from the field empty-handed? Simply follow one or more of these avenues to failure.

First Look: Radians Outdoor's Heated Mossy Oak Bottomland Apparel

Radians Outdoors is cranking up the warmth this season with new heated gear in Mossy Oak Bottomland, the legendary camouflage pattern trusted by hunters for more than 35 years.

5 Black Friday Sales for Hunters

Looking for some hunter- and outdoorsman-focused sales as we swing into the holiday season? Look no further than the great sales and deals going on at the retailers below.

Hardware Review: Riton 5 Primal 3-18x50mm

Check out Frank Melloni's Hardware Review on the Riton 5 Primal 3-18x50mm.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.