Why Can't Mags Shoot Flat?

[FatMan]

Why can't Mags shoot flat? Everyone knows Mags shoot in an arc. Of course you can elevate your muzzel, but why? Why can't Mags shoot flat?

Everyone I know says Cockers shoot flat. I'm don't know about that, but I DO know that my old Palmer Typhoon shot flatter than anything out there.

What is it? Is there some kind of forward spin on the ball? Is it because its blow-forward? Is it because of blow-back? Maybe its the design of the barrel mount?

Gosh darn-it, all my friends laugh at me 'cause my Mag shoots in an arc and their cockers shoot flat! How come?

Confused all to heck,

FatMan

[talls]

This is one thing I always wondered also. I heard someone say that it is just the different way you look down different body shapes that make it appear a mag has an arc and a cocker (or anyother gun) might not. This sounded a little fishy to me so if anyone can answer this we would both appreciate it.

[FeelTheRT]

try holding your gun more firmly and stable, do'nt let the kick throw your accuracy off. If you need to, get rid of your dropforward. A longer tank will act like a shoulder stock and can make you hodl the gun more stable. Also having a heavier barrel such as a DYE Boomstick rather htan an aluminum barrel might help as well by making the front slightly heavier.

Thats mainly the reason why people say Autocockers are more accurate than Angels. If you look around, you see many Angel shooters just barely hanging onto their markers and with their other hand, just tapping the trigger. Angels are very consistant so the only factor thats making the Angel 'less accurate' is the kick. With a Cocker, your firmly holding the gun so there is barely any kick.

[Hasty8]

This is nutso. Not you guys, just the concept.

A straight barrel will produce a straight trajectory (keeping in mind that we are trying to force a round object through the air and not an oblong one like a bullet)

As for a Mag arcing I have never had that problem. I have a perfectly flat trajectory until friction with the surrounding air causes the paintball to lose velocity thereby allowing gravity to exert a more pronounced effect of gravational attraction force upon the moving paintball resulting in an ever greater arc until such paintball is no longer moving towards its intended target but now rests peacfully on the floor, tired and panting from all that immediately previous exertion and feeling somewhat less that adquate for never having reached its intended destination and target.

Maybe that's what they mean.

[Rynoboy06]

Try putting your guns next to each other and sychronizing their speed. Their trajectory will look much the same, or at least it did when I tried it. Could not tell a difference in arc.

[FatMan]

Nah, not buying it!

Nope, I don't buy this "it just looks that way" nor do I buy the "its because it kicks"

The issue is I point the gun right at the target (I actually sight on the SIDE of my barrel) and with my old 'Phoon it shot strait, but on the mag it shoots low, I have to aim higher.

By the time the thing kicks the ball is gone. If not, the shot wouldd be high, not low! Besides, plenty of cockers are light with AL barrels and drop-forwards.

That's not it!

FatMan

[Hasty8]

There are lots of reasons for this. One may be simply the pressure is not sufficient but I'm sure you already checked that.

The other is not so simple and has nothing to do with what you shoot but has to do with how you shoot.

Having shot almost everything from revolvers to class 3 full autos I can say that while you may sometimes think you are shooting straigh you might not be. It a bit more deceptive to hold a firearm level.

Anyway, when I play I often shoot a short string that allows me to see where the first ball is landing and to compensate for the trajectory by the time I get to the fourth or sixth ball.

Of course, as I said before we are trying to froce an overall round object through air so I find it amazing that we hit anything at all with out depending on accuracy by volume.

If you want a dead to nuts flat trajectory trade in your mag and get the Tippy with a Flatline. I have two.

One for each hand!

[Dragoon]

If your velocity is set the same, the trajectory will be the same (not counting any spin added, intentionally or not). Science (and Tom) tells us so.

Try looking for your answer in Deep Blue. Or post this question there for some spacific answers.

Douglas

[FatMan]

Straight Barrels

Well, I don't know about that. Would a curved barrel produce a curved trajectory? I don't think the barrel's straighness has anything to do with it - other than making it easier to line up the target with the desired trajectory.

NO, it has to be something with spin. The ball is spinning in the wrong direction or something.

You know, my 'Phoon had what they call a "Wedgit" which were these three little bumps in the barrel designed to hold the ball in the chamber until fired (closed bolt guns have a problem of the ball rolling down the barrel before the shot if the paint/barrel match isn't good). This wedgy thing would have held the ball EXACTLY in the center of the barrel, so that when you shot it the ball wouldn't tend to one side of the barrel or the other. Think that could have something to do with it?

FatMan

PS - Phil, how come he can say "Straight" but I can't use that word I used? FM

[talls]

I know exactly what Fatman is talking about and I was told it was just your perspective but I think that is wrong. I have had people tell me how mags shoot with a arched trajectory and from all the ones I have shot it seems to be true. A teammate of mines dad traded for a cocker because he said he didn't like the curved trajectory on a mag. I don't exactly know how to explain it but it does appear to have an arch on mine(i just checked). If I had another gun I would compare but don't so I am unable to, but I know there has to be some kind of arch. Anyone know why it does this or appears to??

[Army]

I think the Professor in FatMan is coming to the fore.

Think outside the box fellas, 'Ol FatMan is testing you!

[Butterfingers]

There is no spin guys. Not enough to be significant...

If you benchmount it at the same velocity at the same angle they will ahve identical trajectories. Its basic physics.

You cant test by hand, you have to set up mounts. You will find that science is always right.

BTW you guys are being tested. Fat Man knows better.

[Butterfingers]

Let me make it easy on you guys:

If you want a flatter trajectory:

1) Turn your velocity up.
2) Induce backspin
3) Turn on your antigravity machine
4) Prey to the elves

If you ever take a physics course these things will become extremely apparent.

Ask your physics teacher.

Given identical projectiles of identical mass and identical angle of departure and identical velocity. There is no way that a paintball can have a flatter trajectory or longer range. Thats a fact. I have trouble understanding why people are so stubborn about this topic.

[krafty]

Just remember that gravity is an independent force. Unless you're introducing backspin significant enough to pull the ball upwards, every paintball will fall at the exact same rate. Just like the old physics problem...

Stand on the edge of the ocean. Assume a flat sea and that the world ISN'T round. (I know, I know). Fire a bullet directly at the horizon across the water from a gun, and at the same time drop a bullet from the exact same height as the barrel of the gun. Which will hit the water first?

Answer: They'll both hit at the same time, since gravity is independent of all other forces acting upon the bullets.

[FatMan]

Spin and stuff

Well, I don't know what you mean about "testing" 'cause I'm just askin'. That's all.

But it seems to me, if one of those "flatline" thingys can put a backspin on the ball, which tends to make it curve upwards - fighting the pull of gravity - then what if my old Mag puts some frontspin on the ball, which works WITH gravity and makes the trajectory MORE curved than it would have been without it?

That's not so far fetched. Heck, I've SEEN what spinning balls can do! They can go all kinds of crazy, shoot around bunkers and all kinds of stuff. So, it COULD be that there is something not quite right with the way a mag barrel works that gets a little bit of front spin on the ball.

Your physics doesn't explain THAT away. Note, I'm not talking about range or energy expended, but only trajectory - which depends on MORE than just velocity. Ask your HS science teacher!

FatMan