Did you know that shooting an air rifle “zeroed” at 25 yards at a 1” target only 15 yards away might result in a clean miss? And did you know while it misses at 15, if that same 1” target had been placed at 45 yards you’d have smacked it right in the center? And if you knew that, do you know why?

Maybe you aren’t sure how to decide at what distance to zero your scope?

Or you don’t know what Ballistic Coefficient (BC) is?

Do you believe that pellets travel in an arc on the way to the target?

Maybe you’ve heard that .177 caliber is “flatter shooting” than .22 caliber* but really don’t know what that means...

We are here to help you understand what’s happening from the time the pellet leaves the end of the barrel (or moderator) until it hits the target. And knowing these things is essential to making decisions on how to set up your scope, so that you can get the most out of your set up, whether it’s for target shooting, hunting, trick shots or pest control.

If you want to be able to shoot, and hit what you are shooting at, then understanding the basics of what forces influence a pellet, or slug for that matter, in flight (often referred to as “exterior ballistics”) is critical. Not only is it critical, but if questions (and answers) posted online are any gauge, it is widely misunderstood.

In this video we address the “first level” of understanding, with the intent to dive deeper at a later time. While this is intended to cover basics, we expect some experienced shooters may be able to pick up a thing or two from it. Everyone starts somewhere on the road to knowledge, and it doesn’t hurt to pick up a little along the way!

This information is applicable to both pellets and slugs.

Special thanks to Shooter 1721, for allowing us to use still images from one of his videos. That video can be watched here:
   • FX Maverick VP Edition // 100 YARD SH...  

*for sub12 shooters, check out Alpha Militaria’s video on this topic at    • .177 vs .22 Trajectory Test at 12ft/l...