Precision Marksmanship

The part of a firearm that accepts a live cartridge, fires it, and ejects it.

The angle at which an object strikes a surface

The top most point of a cone, triangle or arc.

The relationship to a bullet’s density, shape and weight expressed as a decimal number.

The measure of atmospheric pressure compared to an ideal or norm.

The surface of a machine part that bears the friction or weight caused by some mechanical force. On a rifle this is used to refer to Glossary - 2the bolt lugs that contact the receiver and hold the bolt closed against combustion pressures.

The part of the rifle stock that comes in contact with the action or barrel.

The first ten Amendments to the United States Constitution.

rifle or pistol barrel that is not tapered but has the same diameter along its entire length.

The projectile component of a complete cartridge.

The measurement of how far gravity will pull a bullet down when fired from a rifle barrel that is exactly parallel to the ground

The measurement of the path a bullet takes once fired.

The rate at which gunpowder is burned during the ignition and propulsion of a bullet.

The momentary convulsion or spasm in which the suspect’s muscles tighten suddenly.

The diameter of the lands in a rifle barrel or the diameter of a bullet expressed as a decimal fraction of an inch

A unit of heat defined as that amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius

The crimping groove around a bullet

A complete and unfired round of ammunition including all the components

The cavity within the receiver that contains the cartridge that is ready to fire

The gun powder contained within the case.

A term generally applied to those rights protected under the U.S. Constitution and particularly under the Bill of Rights

Cleansing breaths are those deep deliberate breaths taken in succession intended to temporarily enrich the blood with additional oxygen.

A spiraled shaped organ in the inner ear that converts sound vibrations into the nerve impulses sent to the brain.

Setting up and sighting a rifle so that its CCB shot is as accurate as possible.

A breeze or wind that blows across the path of a projectile causing a sideways drift to the projectile’s path.

The departure end of the barrel, it is setback from the very end of the barrel and slopes into the lip of the bore.

A threat of force, or use of force, of such magnitude that it is likely to cause death or a serious physical injury if inflicted on another.

A unit for measuring the loudness of a sound. Pain starts at 140 decibels for humans

is a function of elevation, temperature and barometric pressure.

The effect of gravity on a bullet as the bullet is pulled down.

In physics energy is the capacity to do work.

The study of projectile behavior from the time it exits the firearm’s muzzle until it impacts the target.

The distance from the point of focus to the center of a lense.

A process of using an epoxy to create an exactly fitting seat or bed between the rifle receiver and the rifle stock.

A unit of weight measurement. One pound equals 7,000 grains. One ounce equals 437.5grains.

The point of contact between the cartridge and the chamber that sets the forward limit of the cartridge’s insertion

A branch of the study of hydraulics that concerns the characteristics of static or stationary fluids.

The effects of a projectile against a static fluid.

Electromagnetic energy (light) in that spectrum of energy between visible light and microwaves. Heat is a form of infrared radiation.

The study of ballistics concerning a bullet’s travel while still contained within the firearm.

The lugs or protrusions of a rifle bolt that engage the recesses inside the receiver to hold the bolt tightly closed against the receiver during firing.

The imaginary line that passes through the tip of a bullet and continues out through the center of its base. It is around this axis that a bullet spins while in flight

Mach refers to a unit of speed measurement related to the speed of sound

The amount of matter a body or object contains. Weight is the interaction of mass and the force of gravity.

An angle measurement, not unlike a minute-of-angle, that equals 1/6400 of a circle. One mil equals 3.375 minutes.

One minute-of angle(MOA) is a very narrow angle equal to one sixtieth of a degree.

A method to mate a rifle receiver to a rifle stock using metal sleeves imbedded in the stock through which the receiver bolts pass. These sleeves bear the pressure of the receiver bolts.

The corkscrew motion of the longitudinal axis of a spinning object caused by the effects of torque on the spinning object.

establishes the relationship of the sides of a right triangle. It is expressed as the square or the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.

A solid protrusion below a rifle receiver at the beginning of the barrel designed to transfer some of the recoil energy from the receiver to a reinforced area in the stock channel.

The ratio of the quantity of water vapor actually present in the air compared to the maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold at a given temperature.

The weight of a bullet, in pounds, divided by the square of the bullet’s diameter, in inches.

The ratio of the long side (hypotenuse) of aright triangle to the side opposite a particular corner or angle.

Light travels at 186,000 miles per second through a vacuum or space

Trans-sonic speeds are in the rangeof Mach 0.9 to 1.1 (1,000-1,200 fps).